Etikett: Natural Gas

Commodities at a Turning Point?

Commodities at a Turning Point?

Highlights Commodities at a Turning Point?

Gold ETPs saw first inflow in five weeks
Agricultural basket ETPs saw their largest inflows since January 2013
ETFS Daily Leveraged Natural Gas received US$10.0mn of inflows, the highest since February 2014
Price gains in industrial metals attracted flows into copper, while driving profit-taking elsewhere

 

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Most commodity prices bounced back last week, attracting flows into a diverse range of commodity ETCs from gold to agricultural baskets. Gold ETPs saw their first inflows in a month as dovish Federal Open Market Committee minutes led to dollar weakness, while weak German data renewed interest in the hard defensive assets. With the exception of cocoa, all agricultural prices rose last week. Agricultural baskets saw their largest inflows in 20 months, bringing the year-to-date flows into agricultural baskets into positive territory for the first time since April 2014.

Gold ETPs saw first inflow in five weeks. Gold ETPs received US$18.3mn of inflows last week as the price of gold rose 1.2% in US dollar terms, amid US currency weakness following the dovish Federal Reserve meeting minutes release. With gold prices having fallen close to the marginal cost of production and speculative futures market shorts positions having risen close to all-time highs, last week’s bounce could trigger a short-covering rally helping to sustain momentum in the upward trend. Additionally weak data from Germany unscored the fragile state of the Euro area, bolstering the case for further easing from the European Central Bank, which may strengthen demand for gold as a monetary metal. At the same time physical demand for the gold is likely to see a seasonal lift from the upcoming Diwali celebrations in India (23rd October).

Agricultural basket ETPs saw their largest inflows since January 2013. In particular, with US$22.7mn of inflows, ETFS Agriculture (AIGA) saw its largest inflow since inception (2006). That marks a decisive change in sentiment toward agricultural commodities, where speculative futures market shorts for wheat, corn, soy and sugar have risen to near-record highs amid bumper crop expectations. Corn prices rose 6.8% last week as US exports for the crop picked up strongly. Wheat ETPs saw their first outflow in 21 weeks. Investors had been steadily building positions in wheat as the price slid to the lowest level since 2010. Last week’s 2.2% bounce in price led to some profit-taking.

ETFS Daily Leveraged Natural Gas received US$10.0mn of inflows, the highest since February 2014. While most commodity prices rose last week, energy prices bucked the trend. With US natural gas prices falling a further 3.8% last week, investors bought leveraged exposure, expecting a seasonal increase in demand to shake out the bearish sentiment toward the commodity. Price gains in industrial metals attracted flows into copper, while driving profittaking elsewhere. With the exception of tin, all industrial metal prices rose last week.

ETFS Copper (COPA) received its first inflow in six weeks. Meanwhile profit taking saw US$11.1mn of outflows from ETFS Aluminium (ALUM), adding to the US$59.9mn of outflows the previous week, reversing all of the strong inflows we saw in July and August. ETFS Zinc (ZINC) saw US$2.9mn of outflows, the largest in eight weeks.

Key events to watch this week. A raft of Chinese economic data releases will help investors gauge the strength of the economy that drives the bulk of commodity demand globally. Chinese trade, loan growth, money supply growth, inflation and FX reserves growth data are due to be released next week. US retail sales will be closely watched as the Fed assesses the capacity of the US economy to accommodate rate increases next year.

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.

Prepare for Short-Covering Rallies

 Prepare for Short-Covering Rallies

Commodity ETP Weekly Prepare for Short-Covering Rallies

ETFS Daily Short Gold (SBUL) saw its highest redemption since inception.
Inflows of US$6.8mn for long agricultural ETP baskets indicates that investors see value in grains after falling to their lowest price levels since 2010.
ETFS Daily Leveraged Natural Gas (LNGA) saw US$4.6mn of inflows, the highest in 9 weeks, as storage values came under expectations.
Long nickel ETPs received US$1.4mn of inflows as the Indonesian government reiterated that the ore export ban from will remain.

Bargainhunting investors are beginning to be attracted by lower commodity prices, with positive flows into agricultural baskets and silver signaling a belief that the bottom is near. Nonetheless, most commodity prices continued lower in the past week and softer sentiment in some sectors prompted outflows. Gold remained under pressure last week, with all indications that the Federal Reserve’s policy stance will be tighter in 2015. Ongoing concern over the outlook for China also weighed on the performance of industrial metals and industrially-inclined precious metals. We believe that with speculative shorts across many commodities having risen to multi-period highs, the prospect for short-covering rallies is high. Over the coming weeks, investors are likely to start building long positions with most commodity trading at or near the cost of production.

ETFS Daily Short Gold (SBUL) saw its highest redemption since inception. After a protracted period of building up shorts on gold, investors pulled back as the price of gold approaches our estimated all-in cost of production and the widely watched support level near US$1,200/oz. US$47.7mn flowed out of SBUL, wiping out the seven months of flows into the short product. While investors continued to pare their long gold positions as well, with US$51mn leaving physical gold ETPs last week, taking further bets on a decline in price seems risky at this point.

Inflows of US$6.8mn for long agricultural ETP baskets indicates that investors see value in grains after falling to their lowest price levels since 2010. Marking the highest inflow in 9 weeks, we believe that sentiment is slowly turning. Investors have been buying wheat ETPs for 19 consecutive weeks now and there is a growing sense that all ‘good’ production news has now been priced in. Meanwhile sugar prices bounced up 6.6%, attracting a further US$0.9mn into ETFS Sugar (SUGA), marking 8 consecutive weeks of flows into the ETP. Sugar remains close to a 4-year low as the fifth consecutive year of surplus is expected this year.

ETFS Daily Leveraged Natural Gas (LNGA) saw US$4.6mn of inflows, the highest in 9 weeks, as storage values came under expectations. US natural gas stocks increased by 97 billion cubic feet in the week ending September 19. That compared with an expected increase of about 100 billion cubic feet anticipated by analysts and sent prices 1.6% higher last week. As we approach winter, seasonal demand for natural gas will rise. A failure to build inventory or an unusually cold winter like last year could be key catalysts for sustained price increases.

Long nickel ETPs received US$1.4mn of inflows as the Indonesian government reiterated that the ore export ban will remain. Indonesia, the world’s largest nickel producer, had implemented the ban in January this year and has unusually stuck to it in a bid to develop domestic smelting facilities. Nickel prices nevertheless fell, along with other industrial metals on the back of softer-than-expected PMIs and durable goods data.

Key events to watch this week. US payrolls will be the centre of attention this week as the market judges the capacity of the US economy to absorb an interest rate hike that will eventually follow when the Fed finishes its period of extraordinary monetary support. A strong reading is likely to be US dollar positive and weigh on commodities priced in the currency. After the lacklustre take-up of the TLTRO (the ECB’s form or quantitative easing), the market will be keen to hear President Draghi’s view of the programme at the ECB’s post-policy meeting conference.

Download the complete report (.pdf)

 

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.

Weak Growth Data Hits Equities, but China A Shares Buck the Trend

Weak Growth Data Hits Equities, but China A Shares Buck the Trend

ETFS Multi-Asset Weekly – Weak Growth Data Hits Equities, but China A Shares Buck the Trend

Highlights

  • Cocoa jumps nearly 10% in 2 weeks as Ebola fears grow.
  • China A-Shares buck the global equity trend and continue to rally.
  • Growth fears and volatility weighs on commodity currencies, with further losses expected.

Global equity markets and cyclical metals ended the week lower as US and European PMIs, US durable goods orders and the German IFO index came in lower than expected. China A-shares bucked the trend, with a better-than-expected flash PMI reading adding support to the market. US payrolls will be the centre of attention this week as the market judges the capacity of the US economy to absorb an expected interest rate hike in H1 2015. A strong reading will likely to be US dollar positive, which will likely keep pressure on commodities. In the medium-term, however, we believe US economic strength will ultimately be positive for global growth and commodity demand and we view commodities as good value at current prices.

Download the complete report (.pdf)

Commodities

Cocoa jumps nearly 10% in 2 weeks as Ebola fears grow. Following the previous week’s 5.4% gain, cocoa prices continue to soar. With over 70% of produced in Africa, there are fears that the spread of Ebola will hinder global supply. Côte Ivoire, which produces over 30% of global supply was been on track to produce a record high output this year. If the disease hits the country, global supply will tighten amid strong demand growth. US natural gas stocks increased by 97 billion cubic feet in the week ending September 19. This compares to an expected increase of about 100 billion cubic feet and sent prices 1.0% higher last week. Most industrial metal prices were hit by weaker-than-expected US PMIs and durable goods orders.

Equities

China A-Shares buck the global equity trend and continue to rally. Last week saw the MSCI China A index gaining 0.9% on better manufacturing PMI for September while the US and Eurozone manufacturing PMI disappointed again. The MSCI China A index has been trading above its 50 and 200 day moving averages since end of July, suggesting further potential rise in the near term. Meanwhile, lower-than-expected Michigan confidence added to the downward pressure in the US with the Russell 2000® Index dropping 4.2% over the past week. Concerns over the ECB’s capacity to restore growth in the Eurozone economy has weighed on European equity benchmarks, sending short European indices as well as the EURO STOXX 50® Investable Volatility Index upward again, by 5.7% on average for the short indices and 2.6% for the volatility index.

Currencies

Growth fears and volatility weighs on commodity currencies, with further losses expected. ‘Commodity currencies’ were the worst performing last week with the currencies of major commodity producers Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Norway coming under pressure. Volatility has risen across a number of asset classes, including the FX market, as investor uncertainty has risen on anticipation of US rate hikes in the new year. Meanwhile, a soft patch for commodity prices (also partly a reflection of concerns over global growth) has also weighed on commodity currencies. There may be some scope for a rebound in the Canadian dollar and Norwegian Krone if oil prices can rebound, but we expect that further downside is likely for the Australian and New Zealand Dollars. Concerns over China’s economic strength will likely weigh on the AUD, while NZD is likely to experience further weakness after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand revealed it had sold the largest amount of currency in seven years to deflate the currency

 

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 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”).

Investments may go up or down in value and you may lose some or all of the amount invested.  Past performance is not necessarily a guide to future performance. You should consult an independent investment adviser prior to making any investment in order to determine its suitability to your circumstances.

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 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 FSA 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.

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.

Other than as set out above, investors may contact ETFS UK at +44 (0)20 7448 4330 or at retail@etfsecurities.com to obtain copies of prospectuses and related regulatory documentation, including annual reports. Other than as separately indicated, this communication is being made on a ”private placement” basis and is intended solely for the professional / institutional recipient to which it is delivered.

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Securities issued by each of the Issuers are direct, limited recourse obligations of the relevant Issuer alone and are not obligations of or guaranteed by any of UBS AG, Merrill Lynch Commodities Inc. (”MLCI”), Bank of America Corporation (”BAC) or any of their affiliates. UBS AG, MLCI and BAC, Shell Trading Switzerland, Shell Treasury, HSBC Bank USA N.A., JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., Deutsche Bank AG any of their affiliates or anyone else or any of their affiliates. Each of UBS AG, Merrill Lynch Commodities Inc. (”MLCI”), Bank of America Corporation (”BAC) or any of their affiliates. UBS AG, MLCI and BAC, Shell Trading Switzerland, Shell Treasury, HSBC Bank USA N.A., JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Deutsche Bank AG disclaims all and any liability whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise (save as referred to above) which it might have in respect of this document or its contents otherwise arising in connection herewith.

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Short Natural Gas ETPS see inflows as US Natural Gas price hits four year high

Short Natural Gas ETPS see inflows as US Natural Gas price hits four year high

Short Natural Gas ETPS see inflows as US Natural Gas price hits four year high

27 January 14 ETF SECURITIES COMMODITY ETP WEEKLY

There was a general risk off move in markets last week that has continued into the new week. Devaluation and financial crisis in Argentina, a weaker than expected preliminary reading for January China PMI and concerns about a potential default on a China wealth management product weighed on markets last week, hitting industrial metals and benefiting gold. At the same time, record cold temperatures in the US drove the Henry Hub natural gas price to a four year high and boosted oil prices. Investors appear to believe the price rallies have gone too far, with investors cutting their long positions in natural gas and oil ETPs and starting to build up positions in short natural gas ETPs.

Short natural gas ETPs see inflows as US natural gas price surges to four year high. Investors appear to believe the natural gas price rally has gone too far after the 8% jump in the US Henry Hub benchmark last week on the back of the US east coast experiencing the coldest weather in over 100 years. Long natural gas ETPs saw US$18mn of outflows while ETFS Daily Short Natural Gas (SNGA) ETP saw US$6mn of inflows. Profit-taking also drove US$29mn out of long crude oil ETPs, with the outflows evenly distributed between WTI crude and Brent ETPs.

ETFS Daily Leveraged Silver (LSIL) sees largest inflows since October as investors favour the metal’s hybrid characteristics. At the same time, long gold ETPs saw US$35mn of outflows as the gold price hit a 2-month high last week as emerging markets risk aversion surged and investors moved into perceived safe havens. Thomson Reuters GFMS reported that it expects gold demand to fall by 8% in the first half of 2014, compared to H2 2013, driven by lower jewellery demand and central bank purchases. However, should the gold import ban in India be lifted as some expect, these forecast declines would likely be more than offset. Meanwhile, platinum miners belonging to the South African Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) went on strike on Thursday. Both platinum and palladium prices rallied strongly on the news.

ETFS Daily Leveraged Sugar (LSUG) sees inflows as investors believe price has bottomed. The sugar price continued its downward trajectory last week, briefly falling below US$0.15/lb for the first time in more than three years. Below average rainfall in the Centre South region of Brazil may pose a threat to the expected record sugarcane crop this year. With the current price reflecting record crop expectations, a downward revision to production would likely trigger a sugar price rally. At the same time, prospects of a 5% fall in Brazilian coffee production prompted US$3.3mn of inflows into long coffee ETPs last week. We believe the Arabica price could rise to US$1.35/lb, 17% above current levels. Long wheat ETPs US$2mn of inflows following sharp price falls.

ETFS Nickel (NICK) records another week of inflows on Indonesia’s export ban. The nickel price jumped nearly 3% over the past month ahead of Indonesia’s export restrictions that came into effect on January 12. We expect the nickel price to rise back towards the high end of its recent US$13,000 to US$15,000 per tonne price range.

Key events to watch this week. This week, the focus will likely be on the US FOMC meeting and rate decision announced Wednesday, as investors fear further tapering might be announced. Precious metals – particularly gold – would likely benefit from a delay in increased tapering or strong dovish comments from the Fed as well as further emerging market turmoil. US company profit results, how Argentina fares following its devaluation and China deals with its still-high money market rates and the potential default of a wealth management product will also potentially impact general market sentiment during the week.

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 ETFSUK 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.

US Budget Impasse Unlikely to Be Ignored Much Longer

US Budget Impasse Unlikely to Be Ignored Much Longer

US Budget Impasse Unlikely to Be Ignored Much Longer Although gold often gains during extreme events, the start of the first US Federal shutdown in seventeen years last week failed to lift the gold price. Investors appear to be looking through the storm and are focused on assets that will benefit from the continuation of the global growth recovery. Copper and silver, two metals with wide industrial applications, were the primary beneficiaries of investor interest. Toward the end of last week there were tentative signs of increasing market impatience with the lack of progress. The cavalier attitude being taken by politicians about fiscal matters is leading to growing doubts about the ability of US politicians to come to a compromise that will avoid a sovereign default. With the debt limit likely to be breached around 17th October (unless extended), markets are likely to remain volatile and short term news driven over the next few weeks. In the meantime, some investors are taking the opportunity to increase positions in beaten down cyclicals. But if progress on debt negotiations maintains the current stalemate much longer, gold is likely to move back into the spotlight.

ETFS Copper (COPA) saw US$48.6mn of inflows as the global manufacturing environment continues to improve. Inflows into COPA hit the highest level since June. ETFS Aluminium (ALUM) also attracted US$7.4mn of inflows, the highest since August. The US ISM manufacturing index rose more than expected, to a two-year high. While Chinese and European PMIs were slightly below expectations, they continue to show expansion in the manufacturing sector. With central banks across the globe maintaining the status quo, the outlook for industrial metals (and copper being the key bellwether for the sector) is positive barring any fiscal accident
in the US.

 

Long silver ETPs see US$45.1mn of inflows as the metal’s hybrid status generates interest in uncertain times. Silver ETPs have seen four-consecutive weeks of positive inflows. With the global economy staging a cyclical recovery, demand for silver in manufacturing is likely to continue to rise. At the same time its close correlation with gold provides investors a hedge against worst case scenarios. Because of its dual status, silver uniquely allows investors to play two apparently disparate scenarios – default or cyclical recovery.

 

Flows into long natural gas ETPs rose US$7.0mn, the highest since August. As fall weather provides cooler temperatures in the US, investors positioned themselves for higher seasonal demand for gas. After prices fell from a mid-week high of US$3.61/MMBbtu to US$3.50/MMBbtu by the end of the week, investors saw a buying opportunity and are likely to continue to accumulate on price dips. With 3.5% less natural gas rigs in operation last week compared to the prior week, supply conditions are also firming up.

Investors redeem platinum and palladium despite positive auto sector news and on-going miner strikes. ETFS Physical Platinum (PHPT) and ETFS Physical Palladium (PHPD) saw US$7mn and US$3.5mn of outflows respectively. Prices of the metals had also slipped 3.6% and 2.5% respectively. That comes despite a 17% rise in Japanese auto sales (to a 14- month high) and a 12.1% rise in UK car sales (to a five-year high). US car sales also remained brisk, despite the timing of Labor Day, distorting the monthly statistsics. Autocatalyts are the primary source of demand for the platinum group metals. The strike that started two weeks ago was still ongoing last week at Amplats. Amplats have been losing 3,100 ounces of production a day since the beginning of the strike.

Key events to watch this week. Investors still remain in the dark as to when key US government compiled statistics, including the non-farm payrolls data that were due last week, will eventually be released. Focus will remain on developments (or lack of them) in the US budget debate. The Federal Reserve will also release its minutes from its last meeting when it surprised the market by not tapering. The Bank of England’s policy meeting will be closely observed after Carney indicated the lack of need for further QE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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