Summary:
- Investors weigh Brent crude supply against a prolonged economic slowdown.
- Silver futures fall in the wake of declining demand and rising interest rates.
- Poor corn crop drives prices.
Brent Crude Oil holding steady heading into the week
Following a 4.4% increase last week, Brent crude futures held steady above $100 per barrel on Monday as investors weighed supply-side concerns against concerns that a prolonged global economic slowdown may damage gasoline consumption. In an effort to calm the choppy markets, Saudi Arabia suggested last week that OPEC+ production might be reduced. Congo and Libya backed this idea. Fears of more oil flow disruption were fueled by violent confrontations between rival militias in Libya's capital, while delays at a crucial Kazakhstani crude export facility continued. Expectations of an immediate restart of Iranian oil shipments have been reduced as nuclear discussions between the US and Iran continue into next month. Fears of a recession have been rattling commodity markets since June, and oil is expected to decrease for a third consecutive month. Jerome Powell, the chair of the US Federal Reserve, emphasized the need for higher interest rates on Friday, even at the risk of some short-term economic hardship, and ECB leaders shared the same outlook.
Brent Crude Futures Price Chart
Silver prices are touching 4 week lows
The price of silver dropped to a 4-week low of 18.678 USD/t.oz due to declining demand and rising interest rates all across the world. As China and India take advantage of cheap oil and gas from Russia, while Europe is shifting back to coal as an energy option, progress toward green technology, such as the development of solar panels, has suffered a setback. The Inflation Reduction Act, however, will allocate $430 billion to renewable energy in the US. Additionally, a recession in the global economy is causing large consumers to buy less silver jewelry and buy less technology and cars. Store closings caused by Covid epidemics have caused China and India to decline. On the supply front, Latin America's silver production has recovered from the Covid-19 setback thanks to the region's largest producers, Mexico and Peru, who relaxed limitations before the rest of the world. Since its March peak, when Russia's invasion of Ukraine sparked a rally in precious metals, silver has fallen by almost 30%.
Silver Sep ‘22 Futures Price Chart
Corn futures touching 6-week highs
After the USDA reported poor crop conditions amid heatwaves in the Midwest and plains, corn climbed to a 6-week high. The organization gave a rating of 55% good to excellent for the US maize crop, down from 57% the week before. Regarding demand, the USDA reported that export inspections reached a total of 740,508 tonnes in the week ending August 18th, which was in line with market expectations. As a result of anticipating additional damage from the recent dry and hot weather, the European Union's crop monitoring service MARS reduced its production projections once more for summer crops throughout the union, including significant reductions in maize (corn).
Corn Dec ‘22 Futures Price Chart
Sources: finance.yahoo.com, tradingeconomics.com
