Summary:
- Heatwaves in the U.S and a pause in Gas flowing through the Noord Stream 1 pipeline.
- Gold’s appeal falling.
- Global cotton supplies look bleak.
NGAS prices close to 14 year highs
Following the expiration of the front-month September contract on Monday, US natural gas futures declined. Nevertheless, despite predictions for hotter weather and more cooling demand, prices are still very close to a more than 14-year high reached last week. As energy generators increase production to fulfill the demand for more cooling due to a string of heatwaves this summer across the US, demand from gas-fired power plants has reached all-time highs. The bullish outlook was further boosted by prospects of greater demand for US LNG supplies amid mounting worries about shortages in Europe. Russia's Gazprom announced that beginning on Wednesday, flows via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Europe would be stopped for three days. As a result of retracting earlier claims of an October restart and halting further upward momentum, Freeport LNG said that it will postpone the restart of its Quintana export project until November.
NGAS Oct ‘22 Futures Price Chart
A strong dollar is driving the demand for gold down
Tuesday saw gold prices linger around $1,740 per ounce, near to the one-month low they reached the previous session, and under pressure from a strong dollar amid expectations that US interest rates will continue to rise. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell emphasized the need to raise and hold rates at a restrictive level until inflation falls significantly in his speech at the Jackson Hole symposium. He added that doing otherwise may harm growth and weaken the employment market. Policymakers of the European Central Bank argued for a more forceful response to rising inflation over the weekend, and they are allegedly talking about increasing interest rates by 75 basis points in September. Higher interest rates increase the opportunity cost of storing non-yielding bullion, which reduces the appeal of gold, despite the fact that it is commonly seen as a hedge against inflation and economic uncertainty.
Gold Dec ‘22 Futures Price Chart
Cotton prices trading near two-month highs
The price of cotton futures was trading close to a nearly two-month high reached on August 16 as traders weighed the likelihood of reduced global supplies against a slowing in demand. The most recent USDA data stated that due to drought, particularly in Texas, which generally accounts for more than half of the US plantings, US production for 2022–2023 is predicted to drop to 12.6 million bales, which would be the lowest level since 2009–2010. The USDA also decreased its forecasts for global cotton consumption and production by 800,000 bales and 3.1 million bales, respectively. Heavy rains and bugs have severely damaged the cotton fields in India, another top producer, to the point where the government is now importing cotton.
Cotton Oct ‘22 Futures Price Chart
Sources: finance.yahoo.com, tradingeconomics.com
