China Growth Concerns and Strong Dollar Hit Commodities

China Growth Concerns and Strong Dollar Hit Commodities

China Growth Concerns and Strong Dollar Hit Commodities Commodity ETP Weekly

Highlights

  • Diminishing global risks and US Dollar strength weigh on precious metals.
    Oil ETPs see 10th week of inflows as investors view current price levels attractive.
    Wheat ETPs record 18th consecutive week of inflows as price falls to 4-year low.

 

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Concerns about China’s growth outlook, stagnation in Europe and easing geopolitical tensions in the Black Sea region weighed on commodity performance and drove outflows from commodity ETPs last week. Precious metals saw the largest outflows in over a year, with silver and both long and short gold ETPs seeing outflows. The trades are not all one way, however, with the price correction attracting bargain hunters into oil and wheat. Most of the factors that have hit commodity prices over the past few weeks are temporary, and present interesting opportunities for medium to long-term investors in our view. As China eases to boost growth, the US economy recovers, and years of gradually tightening capacity starts to push up inflation, we believe commodity prices – particularly those most tightly linked to the industrial cycle – should recover from current beaten down levels.

Diminishing global risks and US Dollar strength weigh on precious metals. Precious metals saw US$263mn of outflows last week, with gold (both long and short) and silver ETPs seeing the largest outflows. Disappointing economic data from China and Europe weakened demand for the industrial precious metals, with US$17mn flowing out of palladium ETPs. In our view, the price declines are excessive based on our fundamental outlook, with silver, platinum and palladium likely to benefit most if China and US growth continue to recover as we expect. Gold closed just above our estimated all-in cost of production and the widely watched support level near US$1,200/oz. While the strengthening US dollar has weighed on gold in US dollar terms, it has fared much better in Euro terms. We view the current gold price as a very attractive entry point for longer-term investors.

Oil ETPs see 10th week of inflows as investors view current price levels attractive. Oil ETPs saw the 10th consecutive week of inflows last week, bringing total inflows over the period to US$192mn, as investors view current price levels as an attractive entry point. While the International Energy Agency revised down its forecast on global oil demand for 2014 and 2015, demand is still expected to strengthen in Q3/Q4 2014 and into 2015. With OPEC expected to announce production cuts for 2015 if demand and prices remain depressed, the price of Brent and WTI can potentially rebound to US$110/bbl and US$105/bbl respectively over the next few months in our view.

Wheat ETPs record 18th consecutive week of inflows as price falls to 4-year low. The USDA recently announced that they expect production to climb to a record of 720mn metric tons in 2014. However, investors have slowly been building positions in wheat, on expectations optimistic forecasts will not be met. With wheat priced for perfect growing conditions, any small setback in weather in major producing countries or an escalation in trade restrictions could drive a price rally. Meanwhile, ETFS Sugar (SUGA) recorded US$2.2mn of inflows last week, as the price dropped to a 5-year low on expectations production will outpace demand this year.

Key events to watch this week. A relatively light week in terms of economic releases. Markit manufacturing PMIs for China, the US, and the Eurozone will likely be the focus as investors assess the pace of the global recovery after a few disappointing releases. Investors will also be watching for any possible new easing initiatives from China’s economy and policy officials.

Video Presentation

Simona Gambarini, 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.

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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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Eurozone and UK Uncertainty Dampens Investor Sentiment

Eurozone and UK Uncertainty Dampens Investor Sentiment

Eurozone and UK Uncertainty Dampens Investor Sentiment ETFS Multi-Asset Weekly

Highlights

Coffee remains volatile ahead of Brazilian state estimates of this year’s crop.

European stocks drop as Russian sanctions and Scottish vote unnerve investors.

Commodity currencies under pressure as FX volatility rises.

Cyclical commodities and European equities fell last week as investors refrained from taking on big bets ahead of the Scottish referendum or the Federal Reserve’s meeting this week. Meanwhile the EU’s tightening of sanctions against Russia last Friday is likely to consolidate the risk-averse behavior investors have been displaying lately. A batch of weaker-than-expected data from China also dented global sentiment, although Chinese stocks appear to have shrugged of the news with the MSCI China A index posting gains last week.

Commodities

Coffee remains volatile ahead of Brazilian state estimates of this year’s crop. Coffee fell 8.4%, wiping out the past month’s excessive gains. As the Brazilian coffee harvest comes closer to an end, prices have been sent into a volatile spin as speculators guess the impact of this year’s drought on the crop. A report by CONAB, Brazil’s National Supply Company this week should give investors a better forecast of the progress of this year’s harvest. The USDA released its World Agricultural Demand and Supply report which was bullish on cotton and bearish on wheat. Cotton prices jumped 4.0%, while wheat fell 3.9%. Lean hogs and livestock also rose 2.7% and 1.1% respectively as the same report projected lower pork and beef production. Zinc, nickel and lead fell 5.7%, 5.1% and 4.9%, respectively, as a batch of weak Chinese data hurt sentiment toward the cyclical metals. At the same time the probability of the Philippines following Indonesia’s example in banning ore exports has lessened, reducing some of the premium in these metals.

Equities

European stocks drop as Russian sanctions and Scottish vote unnerve investors. Investor sentiment has been buffeted by increased uncertainty over the potential outcome of the Scottish independence vote, alongside concerns over geopolitical risks affecting growth. The ‘Better Together’ campaign appears to have recovered after the previous week pro-independence push, but uncertainty ahead of the Thursday’s vote has been weighing on European equities. The FTSE 100® Super Short Strategy Index closed the week up 2.2% – the first time since beginning of August. While the price of gold slipped for the second consecutive week ahead of the Federal Reserve’s meeting as the USD strengthened, the EURO STOXX 50® Investable Volatility Index surged 8.2%, the largest weekly gain over the past year. Meanwhile, the MSCI China A Index shrugged off weaker Chinese economic data, posting an 1% gain last week

Currencies

Commodity currencies under pressure as FX volatility rises. Rising volatility has been supportive of USD with commodity currencies recording weakness alongside the price declines experienced across a broad range of commodities. The key risk that could hamper further USD strength this week will be any dovish rhetoric from the Fed after the weaker-than-expected jobs report. Meanwhile the GBP will remain in focus with the Scottish election appearing to be a closely run event. While we expect GBP to rebound if the ‘No’ campaign against independence wins out, we feel that this would present an opportunity to sell into such rally and remain bearish on the Pound against the USD. The other key event this week will be the extent of the take up of the introduction of the ECB’s latest stimulus, the TLTRO. The ECB remains committed to increasing its support to the Eurozone economy and we expect further Euro weakness as the ECB’s balance sheet begins to balloon.

To read the complete report, please click here.

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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Oil and Gold Remain Top Trades as Bargain Hunting Drives Inflows

Oil and Gold Remain Top Trades as Bargain Hunting Drives Inflows

Commodity ETP Weekly, Oil and Gold Remain Top Trades as Bargain Hunting Drives Inflows

Highlights

Bargain hunting drove US$7.4mn into long oil ETPs, marking the longest stretch of weekly inflows since 2012.

Long wheat ETPs saw their 17th consecutive week of inflows as investors mounted bets on a less bearish USDA report.

Concern over China and supply prompted another week of outflows in industrial metal ETPs, marking the largest cumulative four week outflow since May 2013.

Gold and oil ETPs both respectively saw their 9th consecutive week of inflows. The price of gold and oil has fallen in recent weeks, in part reflecting a reduction in the geopolitical premium following a ceasefire agreed by Ukraine and Russia. Bargain hunting investors have chosen to increase their holdings of oil with its price looking particularly attractive, with both Brent and WTI oil benchmarks trading below US$100/bbl. We believe OPEC is likely to cut production if demand for oil continues to remain weak, which will in turn help support prices. Despite weakness in gold prices, investors have generally maintained holdings over the past few months. Daily flow data however indicates that some investors are losing patience with gold in recent days and its weak price could test the endurance of some investors if the relatively stable geopolitical situation lasts.

Bargain hunting drove US$7.4mn into long oil ETPs, marking the longest stretch of weekly inflows since 2012. Although bets weren’t completely one-sided, with US$2.7mn of inflows into short oil ETPs, many investors are doubtful that the current weakness in oil price can persist. Weak global demand for oil products this summer, combined with the limited impact of geopolitical risks on OPEC and Russian oil supply sent both Brent and WTI prices to multi-month lows. With production reaching multi-decade highs, US oil inventories had remained above its 5-year range until very recently and stockpiles at Cushing have been slowly rebuilding. While Chinese oil imports and the US summer driving season have not been as supportive of oil demand as expected, the US Energy Information Agency (EIA) is forecasting a supply deficit for the second half of 2014 and OPEC is anticipating a pick-up in global oil demand during the remaining months of 2014. Should that pick-up in demand not materialise, we believe that OPEC will cut production from its current target of 30mb/d.

Long wheat ETPs saw their 17th consecutive week of inflows as investors mounted bets on a less bearish USDA report. After months of successive production and stock upgrades, some investors thought that last Thursday’s World Agricultural Demand and Supply Estimate report would show some stabilisation. It turns out that they were disappointed. The price of wheat fell 4.2% last week alone and is now trading at the lowest level since 2010. With wheat priced for perfect growing conditions, any small hiccup in weather in major producing countries or an escalation in trade restrictions could drive a price rally. More bargain hunting is likely with prices at multi-year low levels.

Concern over China and supply prompted another week of outflows in industrial metal ETPs, marking the largest cumulative four week outflow since May 2013. Last week, US$9.1mn was redeemed from ETFS Industrial Metals (AIGI) basket and most long industrial metal ETPs saw outflows. Long copper ETPs in particular saw US$18.6mn of outflows. Industrial metal prices declined as jitters over the health of Chinese demand troubled investors and the probability of the Philippines following Indonesia’s lead in banning ore exports has lessened. By the end of the week, however, China reported strong credit growth for the past month, which should go a long way to ease concerns about its ability to drive demand for commodity-intensive house building and infrastructure construction.

Key events to watch this week. The Federal Reserve’s FOMC meeting will be the focus of market attention. The US central bank is expected to continue to taper its bond-buying programme at the current rate, which will only leave another meeting (after this week’s) before it announces a stop to more purchases. After a disappointing US payrolls report, the market will watch out for any changes in forward guidance that could signal rate changes slower than current market expectations.

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.

Six Consecutive Weeks Of Flows Into Long Gold And Oil ETPs

Six Consecutive Weeks Of Flows Into Long Gold And Oil ETPs

Six Consecutive Weeks Of Flows Into Long Gold And Oil ETPs. With US$35.0mn of inflows last week, ETF Securities long gold ETPs have seen their longest stretch of consecutive positive flows since October 2012

Long WTI ETP inflows rise to US$17.0mn, the highest in four months, while short WTI ETPs see their largest outflow since November 2013

ETFS Corn (CORN) sees highest inflow since March 2014

ETFS Wheat (WEAT) continued to see its 14th consecutive week of inflows

Profit taking drives flows out of platinum group metal (PGM) ETPs

Six consecutive weeks of flows into long gold and oil ETPs highlight investors’ concern over geopolitical events. The US Defense Secretary declared the terrorist group, Islamic State, to be the most dangerous threat that the US has faced in years. A growing sense that the conflict in the Middle East will be a long, drawn-out affair has led investors to expand their holdings of defensive assets. However, the price of gold fell last week, as policy setters at the central banks of the UK and US appear to be more open to raising interest rates.

With US$35.0mn of inflows last week, ETF Securities long gold ETPs have seen their longest stretch of consecutive positive flows since October 2012. The sixth week of inflows, despite modest price performance, highlights the extent to which sentiment towards gold has changed since last year when investors in ETPs and futures markets were abandoning the metal in droves. Investors are rebuilding the hedges into their portfolios after having taken them off in 2013.

Long WTI ETP inflows rise to US$17.0mn, the highest in four months, while short WTI ETPs see their largest outflow since November 2013. While Brent ETPs have been the main beneficiary of rising geopolitical risk, seeing 11 consecutive weeks of inflows, WTI ETPs are gaining favour as the price of the benchmark remains relatively cheap. WTI has seen five consecutive weeks of price declines as inventories remain well above the 5-year average. However, the market could tighten with OPEC and the EIA expecting demand to pick up and US inventories last week fell substantially more than forecast.

ETFS Corn (CORN) sees highest inflow since March 2014. Bargain hunting drove US$4.6mn of inflows into the ETP as expectations of record yields and production have beaten the price down to the lowest since 2010. However, with near-perfect conditions completely priced-in, a small disruption to weather conditions could drive prices upwards. ETFS Wheat (WEAT) continued to see its 14th consecutive week of inflows, attracting US$0.6mn last week as the price of wheat gained 1.7%. Wheat prices are also close to their lowest since 2010, driven by expectations of a bumper crop in the US. Last week however, Ukraine finally confirmed that conflict affected regions will not be able to export as much as normal and a poor crop is expected in France, which will both help tighten the global market.

Profit taking drives flows out of platinum group metal (PGM) ETPs. With year-to-date gains of 22.5% and 4.6% for palladium and platinum, respectively, many investors feel like the best of the rally is over. Although platinum fell 3.3% last week, reports of mine closures in Zimbabwe and rising Chinese imports toward the end of the week, could reverse the downtrend. We believe that platinum will rise faster than palladium in coming months, allowing the metal to narrow the recent underperformance. US$105.8mn and US$34.3mn flowed out of ETFS Physical Palladium (PHPD) and ETFS Physical Platinum (PHPT), respectively.

Key events to watch this week. Euro area unemployment and inflation data will be closely watched as the market tries to guess the pace at which the European Central Bank will loosen its policy setting. The second estimate of US Q2 GDP if unchanged or higher, could help consolidate the US dollar’s strength, which would typically weigh on commodity prices.

Download the complete report (.pdf)

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.

Gold and Oil Back In Favour As Geopolitical Risks Rise

Gold and Oil Back In Favour As Geopolitical Risks Rise

Gold and Oil Back In Favour As Geopolitical Risks Rise. Geopolitical risk took another lurch for the worse last week, with Russia imposing a full ban on food imports and the US intervening in Iraq. While most macro data continues to point to a pick-up in global growth, benefiting cyclical assets, investors remain jittery and largely on the sidelines. With the geopolitical situation likely to remain tense, we expect defensive assets to continue to see strong demand in the near-term.

Gold and oil back in favour as geopolitical risks linger. Total inflows into gold and oil ETPs reached US$223mn and US$82mn respectively over the past month as geopolitical risks in Russia and the Middle East cloud the positive global economic outlook. The US authorised limited air strikes in Iraq last week, while Russia banned imports of food from the EU and the US, increasing risk aversion. While oil production and export facilities in southern Iraq have yet to be affected, a further push by ISIS into the south would likely trigger another spike in oil prices. With the geopolitical situation expected to remain tense, demand for defensive assets is likely to remain strong. Meanwhile, ETFS Physical Silver (PHAG) saw US$8.5mn of outflows as the silver price came under pressure last week. Near-term headwinds are likely to continue to weigh on silver until it is clear that industrial demand is coming through. With the US manufacturing ISM rising to its highest level since 2011 and China demand picking up, we anticipate that industrial demand support will ultimately offset negative pressure from expectations of rising real interest rates.

Copper and aluminium receive combined inflows of US$127mn as investors buy into China’s growth story. While weak China’s import data and heightened geopolitical risks weighed on most industrial metal prices last week, growth in the world’s second largest economy remains robust and with strong government support the industrial metal rally looks set to continue. Stronger US growth combined with a rebound in Chinese manufacturing data and more decisive monetary stimulus in the euro area should continue to be supportive of commodity prices, metals in particular, in the coming months.

Long wheat ETPs receive US$2.7mn of inflows as abundant rainfall in Europe decreased the availability of high quality wheat. Wheat prices reacting strongly to the news and were up 5.9% last week, after having lost over 7% since the beginning of the year. Long cotton ETPs also saw inflows last week, totalling US$2.6mn, on expectations of a drought in Australia, the world’s cotton 3rd largest cotton exporter. At the same time, investors reduced their coffee exposure, with long and leveraged coffee ETPs seeing over US$5mn of outflows, as price plummeted 5.7% last week.

Key events to watch this week. Industrial production statistics for a number of countries will be coming out this week, with China, the US and the Eurozone’s likely to be watched closely. Bank of England Inflation Report will also be looked at by investors, as inflationary pressure might prompt an earlier-than-expected rate hike.

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