Etikett: cotton

Oil ETP inflows continue amid supply disruptions

Oil ETP inflows continue amid supply disruptions ETF SecuritiesOil ETP inflows continue amid supply disruptions

ETF Securities Weekly Flows Analysis – Oil ETP inflows continue amid supply disruptions

Highlight

  • Long oil ETPs see a third consecutive week of inflows as supply disruptions extend price gains
  • Gold outflows continue, albeit at a reduced pace
  • Profit-taking appears to have driven the largest cotton ETP outflow seen since 2016

Long oil ETPs see a third consecutive week of inflows as supply disruptions extend price gains. These three weeks of inflows mark the longest period of sustained inflows since June 2017. There were US$8.6mn of inflows last week following a 2.4% gain in oil prices. While prior week inflows appeared to be driven by bargain-hunting as prices fell, last week, oil prices rose in reaction to supply disruptions. Saudi Arabia temporarily suspended all oil shipments through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait following attacks on two crude-carrying vessels by Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Close to 8% of global maritime oil trade goes through the Bab el- Mandab choke point (just under 5% of global oil and liquid fuels supply). A prolonged disruption could tighten supplies. Most exports from the Persian Gulf destined to travel through the Suez Canal and SUMED pipeline (another important choke point), and eventually to the European markets, pass through the Bab el-Mandab. A diversion requires the oil tankers to travel around the Southern tip of Africa, adding to cost. That comes at a time when heavy crudes from Canada and Venezuela are also experiencing outages. The internationally-focused Brent oil benchmark experienced a stronger price reaction than the US-focused WTI oil benchmark.

Gold outflows continue, albeit at a reduced pace. Last week there were US$41.7mn outflows from gold ETPs, marking the third consecutive week of outflows. However, it was the first week in three that we saw outflows of less than US$100mn. The outflows from ETPs are in line with declining speculative positioning in the gold futures market.

Gold has lost 5.8% since the beginning of this year despite a strong start to 2018. We believe the price decline is overdone. Although interest rates are likely to rise and the US Dollar could appreciate (typically gold price negative events), we believe that these risks are more than priced in. On the contrary, elevated geopolitical risks (which are typically gold price positive) seem not be sufficiently priced into gold. Our base case scenario for gold is to rise to US$1307/oz by mid- 2019 (see Gold Outlook June 2018), which presents a 7% upside from today’s levels.

Profit-taking appears to have driven the largest cotton ETP outflow seen since 2016. Cotton has been the outperformer in the agricultural commodity space, having risen 14% since the beginning of this year. The US Department of Agriculture has recently revised downward global supply prospects and increased consumption forecasts. Although cotton is affected by Chinese tariffs on the US, Vietnam’s growing importance in cotton imports could soften the blow on cotton demand. Vietnam is the leading destination for US cotton exports, as well as a large yarn producer, which appears to be displacing China’s domestic yarn production (exports of yarn from Vietnam to China have increased five-fold since 2012/13). Outflows of US$10.6mn from cotton ETPs are likely to be profit-taking on recent gains.

For more information contact:

ETF Securities Research team
ETF Securities (UK) Limited
T +44 (0)207 448 4330
E research@etfsecurities.com

Important Information

This communication has been issued and approved for the purpose of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 by ETF Securities (UK) Limited (“ETFS UK”) which is authorised and regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”).

The information contained in this communication is for your general information only and is neither an offer for sale nor a solicitation of an offer to buy securities. This communication should not be used as the basis for any investment decision. Historical performance is not an indication of future performance and any investments may go down in value.

This document is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, an advertisement or any other step in furtherance of a public offering of shares or securities in the United States or any province or territory thereof. Neither this document nor any copy hereof should be taken, transmitted or distributed (directly or indirectly) into the United States.

This communication may contain independent market commentary prepared by ETFS UK based on publicly available information. Although ETFS UK endeavours to ensure the accuracy of the content in this communication, ETFS UK does not warrant or guarantee its accuracy or correctness. Any third party data providers used to source the information in this communication make no warranties or representation of any kind relating to such data. Where ETFS UK has expressed its own opinions related to product or market activity, these views may change. Neither ETFS UK, nor any affiliate, nor any of their respective officers, directors, partners, or employees accepts any liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss arising from any use of this publication or its contents.

ETFS UK is required by the FCA to clarify that it is not acting for you in any way in relation to the investment or investment activity to which this communication relates. In particular, ETFS UK will not provide any investment services to you and or advise you on the merits of, or make any recommendation to you in relation to, the terms of any transaction. No representative of ETFS UK is authorised to behave in any way which would lead you to believe otherwise. ETFS UK is not, therefore, responsible for providing you with the protections afforded to its clients and you should seek your own independent legal, investment and tax or other advice as you see fit.

Correction potential builds for cotton

Correction potential builds for cotton

Weekly Investment Insights – Correction potential builds for cotton

Highlights

  • Cotton has experienced a strong rebound following years of decline.
  • The rally is supported by a record accumulation of speculative positioning and is vulnerable to a pullback.
  • A more robust supply picture could threaten recent gains as the cotton price trades at resistance levels.

Cotton rebounds

After plunging to seven year lows in late February 2016 cotton prices have staged a considerable rebound (up approximately 39%*) to currently sit at the USc 75.8/lb level. The recovery follows a multi–year decline from 2011 highs of over USc 200/lb as competition from low-cost manmade fibres (such as polyester) resulted in a 78% drop in cotton imports from China. The recent moves have been driven by a cotton market that, according to US Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates, looks set to be in deficit for the second year in succession. The relatively strong fundamental situation has been helped by healthy and stable global demand and stalled output from India, historically a key cotton exporter responsible for almost a fifth of global exports. However, cotton prices appear increasingly vulnerable to a reversal from unwinding of record speculative futures positioning and more buoyant supply prospects in coming months, creating a potential attractive opportunity to acquire short exposure to the soft commodity.

Figure 1: Cotton rebounds from nadir

(click to enlarge)

Indian output to normalise

Recent estimates of the 2016/17 cotton market shortfall from the USDA and other organisations have been revised lower as US harvest forecasts have been upwardly adjusted. Some of the tightness in the market last year came from reduced Indian output as less cotton was able to reach the global market due to the government invalidating larger banknote denominations. This created a scarcity in cash and in turn payment problems and delivery delays, leading to what Commerzbank estimate to be 16% less Indian production available to the wider market between October and December last year. Once this issue abates, supply should return and place further pressure on an ever smaller looking cotton market deficit and in turn the cotton futures price.

Stretched positioning and resistance – tomorrow

Speculative long futures positioning towards cotton is currently sitting at a record high, at over double its previous high from August 2013 (when the price was above USc 90/lb), while shorts are half their five year average. This one sided nature of the market leaves the cotton price susceptible to a pullback if sentiment amongst speculators should shift, something that could be spurred by future reports of a more robust supply picture. The price has struggled to sustain a break higher than the USc 75.5/lb level and is likely to face resistance at the early February high of USc 77.4/lb. Should more bearish fundamentals emerge, then the price could fall to its recent low of USc 73/lb or further to its 100 daily moving average of near USc 71.4/lb. Investors wishing to express the investment views outlined above may consider using the following ETF Securities ETPs:
  • ETFS Cotton (COTN)
  • ETFS 2x Daily Long Cotton (LCTO)
  • ETFS 1x Daily Short Cotton (SCTO)
  • ETFS EUR Daily Hedged Cotton (ECTN)
  • Swiss Franc Daily Hedged Cotton (CCTN)

Important Information

This communication has been provided by ETF Securities (UK) Limited (“ETFS UK”) which is authorised and regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”). The products discussed in this document are issued by ETFS Commodity Securities Limited, ETFS Hedged Commodity Securities Limited and Swiss Commodity Securities Limited (together the ”Issuers”). The Issuers are regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission. This communication is only targeted at professional investors. In Switzerland, this communication is only targeted at Regulated Qualified Investors. The information contained in this communication is for your general information only and is neither an offer for sale nor a solicitation of an offer to buy securities. This communication should not be used as the basis for any investment decision. Historical performance is not an indication of future performance and any investments may go down in value. This document is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, an advertisement or any other step in furtherance of a public offering of shares or securities in the United States or any province or territory thereof. Neither this document nor any copy hereof should be taken, transmitted or distributed (directly or indirectly) into the United States. This communication may contain independent market commentary prepared by ETFS UK based on publicly available information. Although ETFS UK endeavours to ensure the accuracy of the content in this communication, ETFS UK does not warrant or guarantee its accuracy or correctness. Any third party data providers used to source the information in this communication make no warranties or representation of any kind relating to such data. Where ETFS UK has expressed its own opinions related to product or market activity, these views may change. Neither ETFS UK, nor any affiliate, nor any of their respective, officers, directors, partners, or employees accepts any liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss arising from any use of this publication or its contents. ETFS UK is required by the FCA to clarify that it is not acting for you in any way in relation to the investment or investment activity to which this communication relates. In particular, ETFS UK will not provide any investment services to you and or advise you on the merits of, or make any recommendation to you in relation to, the terms of any transaction. No representative of ETFS UK is authorised to behave in any way which would lead you to believe otherwise. ETFS UK is not, therefore, responsible for providing you with the protections afforded to its clients and you should seek your own independent legal, investment and tax or other advice as you see fit. Short and/or leveraged exchange-traded products are only intended for investors who understand the risks involved in investing in a product with short and/or leveraged exposure and who intend to invest on a short term basis. Potential losses from short and leveraged exchange-traded products may be magnified in comparison to products that provide an unleveraged exposure. Please refer to the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the relevant prospectus for further details of these and other risks. Securities issued by the Issuers are direct, limited recourse obligations of the relevant Issuer alone and are not obligations of or guaranteed by UBS AG (”UBS”), Merrill Lynch International (“MLI”), Merrill Lynch Commodities, Inc (”MLCI”), Bank of America Corporation (”BAC”) or any of their affiliates. Each of UBS, MLI, MLCI and BAC disclaim all and any liability whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise which they might have in respect of this document or its contents otherwise arising in connection herewith. Bloomberg® and the Bloomberg Commodity IndexesSM are service marks of Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates (collectively, “Bloomberg”) and have been licensed for use by the Issuers. Although the securities issued by the Issuers are based on the Bloomberg Commodity IndexesSM, neither Bloomberg nor UBS Securities LLC and its affiliates (collectively “UBS”) are affiliated with the Issuers and Bloomberg and UBS do not approve, endorse, review, or recommend such securities. Neither Bloomberg nor UBS guarantees the timeliness, accurateness, or completeness of any data or information relating to the Bloomberg Commodity IndexesSM and make no representation regarding the advisability of investing in such product(s).

Chinese inventory auction weighs on cotton price

Chinese inventory auction weighs on cotton price

Chinese inventory auction weighs on cotton price – Chinese inventory auction weighs on cotton price

US cotton prices are currently hovering at seven year lows following a -8.7%* fall year to date. The decline comes after an announcement from China’s National Development and Reform Commission detailing plans to offload a portion of the nation’s vast cotton reserves, a move which risks further depressing import demand from the world’s largest consumer. Cotton prices have fallen 73% from a 2011 peak of over USc 200/lb as rapidly declining import demand from China and tough fibre competition from man-made materials (such as polyester) have pressured global prices (see Figure 1). However, at current depressed levels a tactical opportunity may be on the horizon. Chinese cotton auctions, like the one recently announced, have, in the past, fallen short of market expectations. If the upcoming stock sale disappoints then cotton prices could quickly become subject to a short covering rally, especially as speculative short cotton positions currently sit at record highs. In addition, there are some initial signs that the fundamental picture of the global cotton market may be improving, albeit by a small amount.

(Click to enlarge)

Market awaits auction details

Last year, a similar cotton auction held by the Chinese authorities failed to muster considerable buying interest as offered prices exceeded market levels, resulting in only 3.4% of the total stock on offer being sold. Details of the upcoming inventory sale remain unknown. Revelation of its size and speed will have considerable bearing on cotton prices in the near term. Should the auction fail to meet market expectations, cotton prices have potential to gain some upward momentum as speculators with short cotton positions are forced to hedge exposure. Similarly, risks lie to the downside if the opposite occurs, however the market will be harder to surprise in this direction as negative implications from the auction have already been somewhat priced in.

While fundamentals for cotton prices remain far from ideal, there are some small signs of improvement. Recent reports from the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) show that global cotton stocks are set to fall by approximately 8% this year, the first decline in five years. The decline in ending stocks looks to be driven by falling production from China as domestic producers reduce output in response to ongoing price weakness.

Shorts near record levels

Net speculative cotton positioning reached a 10 year low this month as short positions rose to an all-time high and speculative long positions retreated to a two year low (see Figure 2). The rapid accumulation of short positions leaves cotton prices vulnerable to a pullback, should an appropriate catalyst emerge. With the upcoming Chinese reserve auction at the forefront of market concerns, it has the most potential to be a cause of such a pullback.

(Click to enlarge)

Investors wishing to express the investment views outlined above may consider using the following ETF Securities ETPs:

COTTON

ETFS Cotton (COTN)
ETFS 2x Daily Long Cotton (LCTO)
ETFS 1x Daily Short Cotton (SCTO)
ETFS EUR Daily Hedged Cotton (ECTN)
Swiss Franc Daily Hedged Cotton (CCTN)

The complete ETF Securities product list can be found here.

For more information contact

ETF Securities Research team
ETF Securities (UK) Limited
T +44 (0) 207 448 4336
E info@etfsecurities.com

Important Information

General

This communication has been provided by ETF Securities (UK) Limited (”ETFS UK”) which is authorised and regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority.

This is a strictly privileged and confidential communication between ETFS UK and its selected client. This communication contains information addressed only to a specific individual and is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person other than the named addressee. This communication (i) is provided for informational purposes only, (ii) should not be construed in any manner as any solicitation or offer to buy or sell any securities or any related financial instruments, and (iii) should not be construed in any manner as a public offer of any securities or any related financial instruments. If you are not the named addressee, you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this communication. Please notify the sender immediately if you have mistakenly received this communication. When being made within Italy, this communication is for the exclusive use of the ”qualified investors” and its circulation among the public is prohibited.

This document is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, an advertisement or any other step in furtherance of a public offering of shares in the United States or any province or territory thereof. Neither this document nor any copy hereof should be taken, transmitted or distributed (directly or indirectly) into the United States.

This document may contain independent market commentary prepared by ETFS UK based on publicly available information. ETFS UK does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or correctness of any information contained herein and any opinions related to product or market activity may change. Any third party data providers used to source the information in this communication make no warranties or representation of any kind relating to such data.

Any historical performance included in this document may be based on back testing. Back tested performance is purely hypothetical and is provided in this document solely for informational purposes. Back tested data does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of actual or future performance.

Historical performance is not an indication of or a guide to future performance.

The information contained in this communication is neither an offer for sale nor a solicitation of an offer to buy securities. This communication should not be used as the basis for any investment decision.

ETFS UK is required by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (”FCA”) to clarify that it is not acting for you in any way in relation to the investment or investment activity to which this communication relates. In particular, ETFS UK will not provide any investment services to you and or advise you on the merits of, or make any recommendation to you in relation to, the terms of any transaction. No representative of ETFS UK is authorised to behave in any way which would lead you to believe otherwise. ETFS UK is not, therefore, responsible for providing you with the protections afforded to its clients and you should seek your own independent legal, investment and tax or other advice as you see fit.

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Agriculture stocks on the cusp of recovery

Agriculture stocks on the cusp of recovery

ETF Securities Equity Research – Agriculture stocks on the cusp of recovery

Summary

  • Decline in overall production expenses (-2%) to cushion the fall in cash receipts
  • The expected increase in direct US government farm program payments in 2016 will benefit producers
  • The weaker US dollar will benefit US agricultural exports providing a strong catalyst for US farm income
  • The uptick in profitability coupled with the rising sentiment indicator appears favourable for agricultural producers

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Farm income outlook less bearish

A sustained period of high crop prices from 2008 to 2012 led to a bout of investment by agricultural producers, since then falling soft commodity prices have revealed high debt loads and narrowing margins. However the drop in input expenses coupled with a turnaround in sentiment is painting a more optimistic picture for agricultural producers heading into 2016.

Our analysis focusses on the S-net ITG agriculture index, which is diversified across Seeds Chemicals & Fertilizers (53%), Commodity Agricultural Products (30%), Equipment (13%) and Livestock (3%) with 70% of the constituents from the United States.

In the latest farm income outlook released by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), US net farm income, a key indicator of U.S. farm well-being, is forecast to decline by 3% in 2016. While this will be the third consecutive year in decline, it is not as severe as the declines of -27% and -38% witnessed in the prior years 2014 and 2015 respectively. Cash receipts are forecast to fall 2.5%, falling prices being the key contributor to this price fall as highlighted in the accompanying chart.

Global nitrogen fertilizer supply is poised to grow as cheap energy prices fuel production increases, providing a boost to their bottom line. Although it is worth noting that the recent squeeze on farmers margins does not eliminate the risk of farmers skipping application of fertiliser or shifting acreage from chemical intensive corn to other crops. We believe the fall in fertiliser costs is likely to benefit both fertiliser producers and farmers.

(Click to enlarge) Source: USDA, Economic Research Service, Farm income and wealth statistics, ETF Securities

Lower expenses buffer slide in cash receipts

Overall farm production expenses are forecast (USDA) to decline for the second consecutive year. Occurrences of multiyear reductions in farm production expenses are rare, the last time being 1984-86. This drop in expenses for inputs such as feed, livestock/ poultry purchases and fuel are forecast to outweigh the increase in interest expenses and hired labour costs thereby alleviating falling cash receipts. More importantly input costs (currently in 2nd year of decline) tend to lag behind commodity price swings (that have been in decline for 4 years).

(Click to enlarge) Source: USDA, Economic Research Service, Farm income and wealth statistics, ETF Securities

In addition, US farmers are poised to benefit from a 31.4% ($13.9bn) increase in direct government farm payments in 2016. The 2014 farm bill eliminated direct payments worth $5bn annually and replaced them with a net suite of safety net programs that will be triggered in 2016 if farm prices continue to fall.

Lower US dollar to benefit exports

Agricultural exports have been a major catalyst for the strong U.S. farm income in prior years, accounting for more than 30% of gross cash farm income. As majority of commodities are priced in US dollars, the appreciation of the dollar against the local currency of non-US growers has made the commodities more expensive for the foreign based buyer. Although its difficult to quantify just how much buyers have been sourcing lower cost soft commodities we have seen anecdotal evidence of this behaviour. For example, Brazil’s soya bean exports surpassing US soya bean exports in 2015 are likely due to the Brazilian Real’s depreciation. We expect a continuation of US Dollar weakness in 2016 benefitting farm income which has been squeezed by recent USD strength.

Outlook for Agricultural commodities

The correlation of agricultural producers with livestock, grains and softs has depicted a cyclical relation over time. Current correlation with livestock remains high at 80%, followed by grains at 64% and lower for softs at 30%.

(click to enlarge)

Livestock related commodities account for approximately half of the farmer’s cash receipts while the other half comes from crops (namely corn), so farm income would benefit if these specific commodities rise.

  • Livestock sector ended 2015 as the worst performer among agricultural commodities despite the impact of avian influenza, market prices are expected lower in 2016 according to USDA.
  • The price outlook for grains – namely corn, wheat and soya bean prices remain subdued since their inventory levels remain are at record highs.
  • Sugar prices are expected higher owing to the reduced sugar supply from Brazil and India driving expectations for a larger world market deficit in 2015/16.
  • Dry conditions emanating from the El Nino coupled with a rebound in the real is lending buoyancy to Arabica coffee prices in 2016.
  • Cocoa is forecasted to be in a supply deficit in 2016.
  • While cotton has been negatively impacted from lower import demand into China, the crop is expected to remain in a deficit this year.

Shift in sentiment signals an opportunity

Despite the pessimism surrounding the agriculture industry, agricultural producers are currently trading at 20x earnings and 3x book value, in line with their respective 10-year average. Profitability of these companies has been volatile given their exposure to the vagaries of the weather. We are currently in one of the most extreme El Niño events on record, dating back to 1950. According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, out of the past 26 El Niño events since 1900 approximately 40% have been followed by a La Niña. If this came to pass, wheat, corn, soybeans, coffee and cocoa will benefit from favourable weather thereby negatively impacting prices while sugar prices will benefit on the upside.

Net profit margins have been in a downward trend since the slump in commodity prices ensued in 2011 but the last quarter in 2015 has seen an uptick of 3.1% over the prior year. Net debt to assets remains high at 31x. USDA has reported growth in farm real estate loan volumes throughout 2015, commercial banks and the farm credit system has remained cooperative and credit to the sector has not been curtailed until now.

Our sentiment indicator (based on consensus data) has been rising since 2014, highlighting a renewed sign of optimism in holding agriculture producer stocks.

(Click to enlarge)  Source: Bloomberg, ETF Securities

In summary we believe agricultural producers are modestly valued, with profitability starting to turn the corner in-line with shifting positive sentiment. Despite the pessimism that permeates through the farming industry, farm income credit has not been curtailed. While net farm income is forecast to decline for the third consecutive year, the lag in declining expenses is expected to catch up and help alleviate the decline. 2016 has seen a positive turnaround for majority of commodities and is lending support for the price outlook of agricultural commodities.

Important Information

General

This communication has been issued and approved for the purpose of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 by ETF Securities (UK) Limited (“ETFS UK”) which is authorised and regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”).

The information contained in this communication is for your general information only and is neither an offer for sale nor a solicitation of an offer to buy securities. This communication should not be used as the basis for any investment decision. Historical performance is not an indication of future performance and any investments may go down in value. This document is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, an advertisement or any other step in furtherance of a public offering of shares or securities in the United States or any province or territory thereof. Neither this document nor any copy hereof should be taken, transmitted or distributed (directly or indirectly) into the United States.

This communication may contain independent market commentary prepared by ETFS UK based on publicly available information. Although ETFS UK endeavours to ensure the accuracy of the content in this communication, ETFS UK does not warrant or guarantee its accuracy or correctness. Any third party data providers used to source the information in this communication make no warranties or representation of any kind relating to such data. Where ETFS UK has expressed its own opinions related to product or market activity, these views may change. Neither ETFS UK, nor any affiliate, nor any of their respective officers, directors, partners, or employees accepts any liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss arising from any use of this publication or its contents. ETFS UK is required by the FCA to clarify that it is not acting for you in any way in relation to the investment or investment activity to which this communication relates. In particular, ETFS UK will not provide any investment services to you and or advise you on the merits of, or make any recommendation to you in relation to, the terms of any transaction. No representative of ETFS UK is authorised to behave in any way which would lead you to believe otherwise.

ETFS UK is not, therefore, responsible for providing you with the protections afforded to its clients and you should seek your own independent legal, investment and tax or other advice as you see fit.

Crude surges but gold still in focus as investors remain wary

Crude surges but gold still in focus as investors remain wary

Commodity ETP Weekly – Crude surges but gold still in focus as investors remain wary

Highlights

•    Seventh week of inflows into crude ETPs, as prices rebound strongly, but the outlook is polarised.
•    Gold the standout in precious metals sector, a global uncertainty prompts strong inflows.
•    Copper inflows hit 2-month highs, as global asset volatility begins to fade. 

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Crude inflows belie the polarised view on the outlook for oil prices. Prices have jumped over the past week after reaching multi-year lows of below US$28/bbl in January 2016. Abundant supply, being exacerbated by the Iran’s oil coming onto the market in coming months, is not a new story, and the major contributor to the ytd 9.1% price declines. Bearish investors believe that capex cuts and rising demand will be insufficient to reduce inventory build-ups and have ploughed US$24.9mn into short oil ETPs. Meanwhile, there has been continued bargain hunting in the oil market. Bullish investors believe that the oversupply is ‘baked into the cake’ and have deposited US$81.5mn into long oil ETPs over the past week, the seventh consecutive week of net inflows. In contrast, futures market positioning reflects a somewhat more bullish perspective with net longs rising to a 10-week high for WTI crude. The sharp move higher last week reflected market rumours that Russia could join OPEC forces to restrain supply, thereby contributing to a more balanced market.

Month-long inflows show investors continue to look at gold for defensiveness. Gold continues to be an investor favourite as uncertainty over the global growth and the outlook for cyclical assets remains elevated. Gold’s defensive properties – historically the precious metal rallies during periods of equity market weakness – continue to be what investors are looking to gain exposure to. Physical gold ETP flows totalled US$35.6mn last week, the 4th consecutive weekly inflow, on the back of a 1.6% price rise. Gold remains the standout in the precious metals sector, with inflows of US$150mn ytd, compared with modest outflows in silver and platinum group metal ETPs. Nonetheless, platinum staged a 8.5% rally and ETPs garnered the first inflows in six weeks, totalling US$4.8mn.

Cotton drives the largest outflows from agricultural ETPs in over six months. The vast majority (US$19.3mn) of the outflows from agricultural products, totalling US$21.5mn, accrued to cotton ETPs last week. Investors appear to be managing exposures ahead of US planting intentions reports scheduled next week to be released by The National Cotton Council and USDA projections at end-Feb.

Copper inflows the highest in eight weeks. Investor panic appears to be fading, with investors depositing US$4.0mn into long copper ETPs last week. With the exception of nickel, all industrial metals have staged a rebound, with zinc (the best performer) up 5% and copper up 2.4 last week. Short copper flows dried up last week and The International Copper Study Group forecasts a supply deficit of 0.5% this year, which will be the 6th consecutive year of s supply deficit.

Key events to watch this week. Post the Federal Reserve’s dovish statement last week, January jobs numbers in the US will give a clue as to whether hawks can stick to their ‘March rate hike’ guns. The Bank of England also holds its policy meeting and give further clarity to how central banks are viewing the oil price slump (in the context of inflation expectations) now that it has rebounded quite sharply.

For more information contact

ETF Securities Research team
ETF Securities (UK) Limited
T +44 (0) 207 448 4336
E info@etfsecurities.com

Important Information

General

This communication has been provided by ETF Securities (UK) Limited (”ETFS UK”) which is authorised and regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority.

This is a strictly privileged and confidential communication between ETFS UK and its selected client. This communication contains information addressed only to a specific individual and is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person other than the named addressee. This communication (i) is provided for informational purposes only, (ii) should not be construed in any manner as any solicitation or offer to buy or sell any securities or any related financial instruments, and (iii) should not be construed in any manner as a public offer of any securities or any related financial instruments. If you are not the named addressee, you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this communication. Please notify the sender immediately if you have mistakenly received this communication. When being made within Italy, this communication is for the exclusive use of the ”qualified investors” and its circulation among the public is prohibited.

This document is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, an advertisement or any other step in furtherance of a public offering of shares in the United States or any province or territory thereof. Neither this document nor any copy hereof should be taken, transmitted or distributed (directly or indirectly) into the United States.

This document may contain independent market commentary prepared by ETFS UK based on publicly available information. ETFS UK does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or correctness of any information contained herein and any opinions related to product or market activity may change. Any third party data providers used to source the information in this communication make no warranties or representation of any kind relating to such data.

Any historical performance included in this document may be based on back testing. Back tested performance is purely hypothetical and is provided in this document solely for informational purposes. Back tested data does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of actual or future performance.

Historical performance is not an indication of or a guide to future performance.

The information contained in this communication is neither an offer for sale nor a solicitation of an offer to buy securities. This communication should not be used as the basis for any investment decision.

ETFS UK is required by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (”FCA”) to clarify that it is not acting for you in any way in relation to the investment or investment activity to which this communication relates. In particular, ETFS UK will not provide any investment services to you and or advise you on the merits of, or make any recommendation to you in relation to, the terms of any transaction. No representative of ETFS UK is authorised to behave in any way which would lead you to believe otherwise. ETFS UK is not, therefore, responsible for providing you with the protections afforded to its clients and you should seek your own independent legal, investment and tax or other advice as you see fit.

Risk Warnings

Any products referenced in this document are generally aimed at sophisticated, professional and institutional investors. Any decision to invest should be based on the information contained in the prospectus (and any supplements thereto) of the relevant product issue. The price of any securities may go up or down and an investor may not get back the amount invested. Securities may valued in currencies other than those in which there are priced and will be affected by exchange rate movements. Investments in the securities which provide a short and/or leveraged exposure are only suitable for sophisticated, professional and institutional investors who understand leveraged and compounded daily returns and are willing to magnify potential losses by comparison to investments which do not incorporate these strategies. Over periods of greater than one day, investments with a short and/or leveraged exposure do not necessarily provide investors with a return equivalent to a return from the unleveraged long or unleveraged short investments multiplied by the relevant leverage factor. Investors should refer to the section entitled ”Risk Factors” in the relevant prospectus for further details of these and other risks associated with an investment in any securities referenced in this communication.

If you have any questions please contact ETFS UK at +44 20 7448 4330 or info@etfsecurities.com for more information.