Investors rotate to cyclical assets as confidence is slowly restored

ETF Securities Investors rotate to cyclical assets as confidence is slowly restoredInvestors rotate to cyclical assets as confidence is slowly restored

Investors rotate to cyclical assets as confidence is slowly restored – Weekly Flows Analysis

Highlights

•    Investors have begun to rotate away from defensive assets such as gold and the Swiss Franc into cyclical assets such as industrial metals and oil

•    More clarity about the form of UK leadership and a delay in cutting interest rates in the UK has seen Sterling shorts unwinding, but that vote of confidence was not shared by equity investors

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The surprisingly quick appointment of a new Prime Minister and the formation of a new Cabinet in the UK provided investors some relief in a month of heightened uncertainty. Investors sold out of defensive assets like gold and the Swiss Franc and bought cyclical assets like copper and oil. Short positions in GBP were reduced as the Bank of England held off from cutting rates, taking the market by surprise. Investors continued to build shorts in UK equities and sold long positions.

Gold and CHF ETPs see first weekly outflows since Brexit, while goldminers see inflows. Gold prices declined 1.8% last week as some of the uncertainty around UK politics was assuaged with the appointment of a Prime Minister and the formation of a new Cabinet. Also the strong US payrolls data for the month of June proved to be gold-price negative. US$41.4mn flowed out of long gold ETPs. Long CHF ETPs, another defensive asset, saw outflows in order of US$21.8mn. The outflows from long gold ETPs were relatively small compared to the inflows of over US$1bn in the prior five weeks. While investors sold gold ETPs, they bought gold miner equity ETFs, possibly to capture equity market beta. Inflows of US$9.9mn into gold miner ETFs marked a 10 week high.

Investors rotate into industrial metals. Investors bought close to US$40.8mn of long broad industrial metal ETPs and a further US$27.4mn of long copper ETPs in a clear indication that the ‘risk-off’ mode expressed by markets earlier this month is fading. With Chinese industrial production, money supply, retail sales and GDP figures all beating expectations last week, we believe that sentiment toward industrial metals will continue to improve. Indeed with copper, zinc and nickel expected to remain in a production deficit this year, prospects for these metals look positive.

Crude oil ETPs see the largest inflows since April. Bargain hunting is back after oil prices fell to US$45/bbl from over US$51/bbl at the end of June. Last week we saw inflows of US$21.8mn into long crude oil products (the third consecutive week of inflows) and US$7.2mn of outflows from short crude oil products.

Investors reduce short GBP exposure but continue to short UK equities. We saw US$23.2mn of outflows from short GBP ETPs as confidence in the UK was partially restored and the Bank of England held off from delivering a widely expected rate cut. However, that vote of confidence was not shared by equity investors, who added US$9.2mn to short UK ETFs, marking the third consecutive week of inflows since Brexit and withdrew US$9.5mn from long UK equities.

Key events to watch this week. Markets will remain focused on the ECB press conference following the policy decision on Thursday. They will be poised for clues on whether the quantitative easing programme will be extended beyond March 2017. The Q2 Euro area bank lending survey, which will be released this week, may offer insights on the efficacy of programme.

Video Presentation

Nitesh Shah, Research Analyst at ETF Securities provides an analysis of last week’s performance, flow and trading activity in commodity exchange traded products and a look at the week ahead.

For more information contact

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Bargain-Hunting Signals a Shift in Sentiment

Bargain-Hunting Signals a Shift in Sentiment

Bargain-Hunting Signals a Shift in Sentiment – ETF Securities Commodity ETP Weekly

Contrarian investors drive inflows into long crude oil ETPs to a 19-week high.

ETFS Agriculture (AIGA) receives highest inflows since October 2014.

ETFS Physical Palladium (PHPD) inflows highest since November 2014 and ETFS Physical Platinum (PHPT) inflows highest since January 2015.

Gold ETPs continue to be shunned as investors dispose of defensive assets.

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The US dollar continued to appreciate (Dollar Index up 0.4% in the week), weighing on the commodity complex. With the Federal Reserve signaling that it is ready to raise rates subject to seeing “some” further improvement in the labour market, this week’s payroll numbers will be keenly watched. A strong reading could see more dollar strength. A supply glut in oil has reversed the premature rebound in prices we witnessed between March and June, providing the setting for supply tightening in the months to come. Commodity ETPs tracking oil, agriculture and platinum group metals have seen their flows benefit from bargain-hunting. Negative sentiment against gold continues.

Contrarian investors drive inflows into long crude oil ETPs to a 19-week high. Marking the fifth consecutive week of inflows, we saw US$52.5mn of flows into long Brent and WTI crude oil ETPs. When prices fell sharply between November 2014 and March 2015, we received strong inflows into oil ETPs as investors saw a bargain-hunting opportunity. The rebound in prices between March and June led to outflows as they took profit. The recent price declines are once again bringing bargain hunters back in the market. We believe the current low price environment will motivate cuts in capex amongst high cost producers and lead to higher prices over the medium term. Though, OPEC will continue to produce more oil as Saudi Arabia in particular seeks to gain market share. The nimble US shale oil industry will remain price responsive and will be able to increase production when prices rise. Most of the cuts in production will come from high-cost (e.g. deep-water, oil sand etc.) non-OPEC, non-US projects. Once those projects are deferred or even cancelled they will not come back quickly as they have long lead times. With OPEC operating so close to capacity, any shock to the market could lead to price spikes. Upside risks to price outweigh the downside at these levels.

ETFS Agriculture (AIGA) receives highest inflows since October 2014.
With agricultural prices falling across the board last week (and indeed over the month), bargain hunters have sensed an opportunity. With a strengthening El Niño weather phenomenon, the likelihood of a disruption to crop production is high, potentially reversing the price declines in certain agricultural commodities. We saw US$19.8mn flow into AIGA and a further US$5.4mn flow into long wheat ETPs (a 12-week high). Grain prices were particularly hurt last week as the International Grains Council increased its grain harvest forecasts, despite Canadian and European dryness.

ETFS Physical Palladium (PHPD) inflows highest since November 2014, ETFS Physical Platinum (PHPT) inflows highest since January 2015. Receiving inflows of US$30.6mn and US$16.9mn respectively, the platinum group metals gained traction after weeks of outflows and price declines. Improving fundamentals including tighter environmental regulation (a source of demand for PGMs) and constrained mine-supply bode well for the metals.

Gold ETPs continue to be shunned as investors dispose of defensive assets.
A further US$163.5mn of outflows from long gold ETPs last week highlights the extent of the rotation away from defensive assets and towards certain underpriced cyclicals.

Key events to watch this week.
As the US Fed prepares to raise interest rates it will be ultra-sensitive to the payroll numbers out this week. A strong reading could consolidate the case for a rate increase and drive the US dollar higher, which could normally weigh on commodity priced in US dollars.

Video Presentation

Nitesh Shah, Research Analyst at ETF Securities provides an analysis of last week’s performance, flow and trading activity in commodity exchange traded products and a look at the week ahead.

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.

Deal or no deal…stability will be restored

Deal or no deal…stability will be restored

ETFS Multi-Asset Weekly – Deal or no deal…stability will be restored

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Highlights

Grains post strong gains.

Is correction territory a buying opportunity for China?

Swedish and Swiss central banks go on the currency war offensive.

Defensive assets are likely to benefit from the uncertainty in Greece. The ‘No’ vote in the referendum yesterday received more than 60% of votes. Failure to make progress in debt negotiations elevates the risk of a default on the €3.5bn that is owed to the ECB on 20th July. Another default would almost certainly lead to the emergency liquidity assistance (ELA) being switched off and throw Greek banking system into an untenable position. While there is near term risk of greater volatility and downside equity risk, evidence of continued growth in the Eurozone and the US should help restore stability once the initial ‘event’  risk

Commodities

Grains post strong gains. Deteriorating growing conditions and lower acreage sown for corn and wheat saw the grains sector significantly outperform the broader commodities market. While Soybeans rode the grains momentum higher despite a record crop being planted in the US. Sugar also posted solid gains as the Indian monsoon season has begun to deteriorate. Compared to historical averages, rainfall was 14% lower than normal in June, potentially threatening the crop from the world’s second largest producer. An intensification of the El Niño could further exacerbate the disruption of crops, providing further price support. Soy is the likely exception, with an El Niño assisting growing conditions in South America. Meanwhile, the first increase in the US oil rig count has prompted crude price weakness, something that could gather momentum in the weeks ahead, if, as we expect oil production remains elevated and moves higher as rigs come back online.

Equities

Is correction territory a buying opportunity for China? Further stimulus by the People’s Bank of China last week was followed up by an easing in its crackdown on margin lending for equity market investments. The sharp slide in A-shares that the changes to margin lending rules has brought about has authorities concerned and policymakers are justifiably wary over excessive volatility and the potential threat to social stability. Policymakers are attempting to smooth the transition to market transparency and financial liberalisation and will likely continue to be supportive with fresh policy measures. The continuing Greek debt crisis prompted sharp losses across most European bourses last week and in early trading this week, as the Greek government defaulted on an IMF repayment and Greek Prime Minister continued to urge citizens to vote ‘No’ at last weekend’s referendum. Citizens duly responded, with 60% of the vote. Expect more downside risk and volatility or equity markets.

Currencies

Swedish and Swiss central banks go on the currency war offensive. Currency wars continue to be waged in the background, as the Greek crisis takes the headlines. The lack of clarity surrounding the fate of Greece has given investors no respite from currency volatility. The Swedish Riksbank cut rates further into negative territory (4th cut in 2015) and coupled with additions to its QE program, is keen to keep any currency gains in check (because long end rates remain elevated). The reason long-end rates are high is because of the lack of liquidity – a problem that larger central banks pursuing QE (the Fed, the ECB and BOJ) have not had to contend with. As a consequence, another issue is that the currency has strengthened more than expected, and hampers any benefit for the local economy. We expect the Riksbank will more closely target its currency in the future, as long as its QE program remains ineffective.

For more information contact:

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

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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 (”FCA”).

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