what are commodities?

There are 4 broad categories of commodities that exist; livestock, agriculture, energy and metals. The trading of commodities is the exchange of different assets by means of futures contracts and many other platforms such as mutual funds, ETFs and stocks. Commodities can be used as a form of hedge against market volatility as the price of commodities often move in the opposite direction to stocks. Commodities are known as being risky investments because their market is dependent on aspects that are hard to predict such as; weather, disease, and natural disasters. The commodities that are being analyzed today are Gold, Crude Oil and Coffee. Gold: since the market opened, the price of gold has risen by 0.86%. The commodity is trading within a fairly stable range, it is not forming any distinct trends at this point in time, this could be due to the uncertainty around the current war in the Ukraine. Likewise, the rise in the US treasury yield strengthened the US dollar and therefore the potential for higher interest rates are preventing people from jumping on the bandwagon and buying gold. Price Of Gold Chart Crude oil, Crude prices fell as much as 2.56% as consumers worldwide announced their plans to release crude oil from their strategic stocks. The crude oil prices are falling in conjunction with the rising US gasoline stocks rising. However, whether or not the price drop is warranted is up for debate seeing as the US demand for oil remains high. At this point, it is uncertain as to which way the oil price will go (up or down). Crude Oil Chart The price of coffee futures is up today by at least 1.17%. Coffee: Coffee is traded in the form of futures. Futures contracts are a form of commodity trading whereby there is an exchange of contracts for assets that are bought at an agreed price but delivered and paid for later at an agreed date. The price of coffee futures is up today by at least 1.17%. Perhaps the price hike can be explained by the prediction that there will be a poor harvest in coffee coming in the future. We should watch for the potential downshift in the balance of coffee prices due to the potential for an economic downturn, increase in consumption costs and reduced consumptions and reduced imports due to the War in Ukraine. Coffee Futures Chart Charts: finance.yahoo.com

  If the current market phenomena were to star in a Shakespeare drama, they would be ideal candidates for the Three Witches. Can you guess who would play who? Have you ever heard of Shakespeare’s mythological characters, the Three Witches? They are depicted as prophets who represent evil, darkness, chaos, and conflict. If you look at the market today, you will find ideal candidates for these dark roles. However, while rising commodity prices and inflation have a casting win in their pocket, there is no certain actor to play the third witch. Would the recession stand a chance?   Related article: Deutsche Bank Shook DAX! French Election, Inflation And ECB Are Factors Which Shaped DAX (GER 40), CAC40, FTSE 100 And IBEX35 - Top Gainers, Top Losers     No Easter eggs today – instead, here is a story that may provide food for thought. (Credit: Macbeth meets the three witches; scene from Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'. Wood engraving, 19th century. Wellcome Collection. Public Domain Mark) Let’s start by representing an economic cycle with its different phases: Global commodity prices – in particular energy prices – surged at a fast pace following the COVID crisis. Notably, as major central banks responded to the economic slowdown by printing money, rising levels of inflation were observed as a result of accommodating monetary policy combined with accelerating oil and gas demand. The context was tight supply and high volatility triggered by (geo-)political unrest around the world (crises, wars, etc.). In fact, those inflationary periods of surged prices (foremost, fuel prices are often those pulling the trigger) are usually followed by a sudden drop in consumer confidence and, therefore, a sudden fall in demand, which may lead to a recession phase.   Article on Crypto: Hot Topic - NEAR Protocol! Terra (LUNA) has been seeing a consistent downward price trend, DAI Should Stay Close To $1   To predict those phases, some analysts tend to spot the inverted bond yield curves. In one of its articles, Investopedia explains The Impact of an Inverted Yield Curve as the following: “The term yield curve refers to the relationship between the short- and long-term interest rates of fixed-income securities issued by the U.S. Treasury. An inverted yield curve occurs when short-term interest rates exceed long-term rates. Under normal circumstances, the yield curve is not inverted since debt with longer maturities typically carry higher interest rates than nearer-term ones. From an economic perspective, an inverted yield curve is a noteworthy and uncommon event because it suggests that the near-term is riskier than the long term.” Now let’s have a look at the mystic US government yield curves over the past 30+ years: US 10 YR in Orange versus US 2 YR in Blue US 30 YR in Red versus US 5 YR in Indigo (Source: TradingView) The inversion of yield curves – typically with a two-year rate higher than the ten-year rate or even a five-year rate higher than the thirty-year rate – has occurred prior to each of the last US recessions. This phenomenon also briefly happened last week and lasted for almost two trading days. (Credits: Small Exchange, Inc. Newsletter Apr 11, 2022) As you can see, the above charts demonstrate that US treasury yield curve inversions may sometimes be followed by a sudden drop in equity prices. Alternatively, David Linton was also showing how big falls in bonds were preceding big falls in stocks in a recent tweet: (Source: Twitter) Okay, now let’s ask ourselves a few questions. Do you think that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will be able to tighten its monetary policy as planned? Will stocks collapse? Will this trigger a recession? If so, when? In what phase of the economic cycle do you think we are? 3, 4 or in between, maybe? The first speculative scenario Growth will continue for now, and so will demand... However, as soon as the Fed begins to tighten as planned, the S&P will plummet. So, the Fed will either be forced to stop to prevent a crashing stock market and falling risk sentiment from hitting growth, or just go ahead with tightening to keep inflation at bay and face the consequences. In the latter case, Powell loses his job... The second speculative scenario Following ongoing inflation, there could be a recession with a collapse in demand in about 6 months or so. On the energy side, despite the drop in demand, prices shouldn't drop too much as they might still be supported by limited supplies. Any ideas about a projected time horizon? Regarding the Fed, I don't believe much in rate hikes. If they do so, they will plunge off their looming debt cliff. Maybe the Fed could keep communicating about future hikes if the markets are crashing. However, if they do any actual hikes, I bet they would probably be tiny ones, just to show some signals, but in the end, the actual rates wouldn't be much changed. J. Powell seems to be pretty much stuck. (Source: Giphy) Anyway, it is a moment of truth for central banks. Let me know what you think in the comment section. That’s all, folks, for today. I hope you’ve had a great Easter weekend! Like what you’ve read? Subscribe for our daily newsletter today, and you'll get 7 days of FREE access to our premium daily Oil Trading Alerts as well as our other Alerts. Sign up for the free newsletter today! Thank you. Sebastien BischeriOil & Gas Trading Strategist * * * * * The information above represents analyses and opinions of Sebastien Bischeri, & Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. At the time of writing, we base our opinions and analyses on facts and data sourced from respective essays and their authors. Although formed on top of careful research and reputably accurate sources, Sebastien Bischeri and his associates cannot guarantee the reported data's accuracy and thoroughness. The opinions published above neither recommend nor offer any securities transaction. Mr. Bischeri is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Sebastien Bischeri’s reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Sebastien Bischeri, Sunshine Profits' employees, affiliates as well as their family members may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

Gas prices on the NYMEX are adding for the 11th trading session of the last 12, renewing their highs since October 2008. US gas exchange prices have risen by a third since the beginning of the month and more than doubled since the beginning of the year in response to a surge in demand in Europe and rising oil prices. Companies in Europe and Asia are set to cut their purchases of Russian energy as fast as possible, pushing prices up. While the fundamentals are tilting toward later growth, technical analysis increasingly points to overbought conditions, so the likelihood of an imminent correction. In the monthly candlestick chart, the RSI is entering overbought territory (>70), which it has done only six times in the past 20 years. In all cases, prices declined sharply in the following month, or we even saw a fundamental long-term reversal. Thus, it is likely that we could see a bear attack by the end of this month. On the daily charts, the RSI has risen to 88. The last time it was higher was in 2018 briefly, which was also near price peaks. The price frenzy was also fuelled by news of falling oil and gas stocks. However, seasonality is strong in gas, and inventories reach their lowest just in the first days of April. We saw a rise last week, marking the first signs of a trend reversal. However, in the longer term, the current gas price situation lays the foundations for a new gas renaissance in the USA, and it should lead to a recovery in production rather than a price hike.

Summary: Brent Crude Oil prices are on the rise again hitting their highest prices since late March. Natural Gas Prices hitting almost 14 year high. Cotton prices increasing with crop planting is ahead of schedule. Brent Crude Oil spikes as Libya shuts its biggest oil field The market sentiment for Brent Crude Oil is bullish, reflecting the tight market supply. In an already under-supplied market, the price of Brent Crude Oil rose in reaction to Libya shutting their biggest oil field. The shutdown came in response to protests against the country's prime minister. In addition, increased tensions between Russia and The Ukraine raised concerns of the EU tightening sanctions. The price of Brent Crude Oil is expected to keep rising amidst the concerns of supply shortages world wide.   Read next: (UKOIL) Brent Crude Oil Spikes to Highest Price For April, (NGAS) Natural Gas Hitting Pre-2008 Prices, Cotton Planting Has Begun   Brent Crude Oil Price Chart Natural Gas Hits Highest Price since 2008 The NGAS commodity price reached its highest since late 2008, the high prices come in reaction to abnormal weather temperatures along with the supply shortages. In addition, the NGAS inventory is currently sitting at almost 24% lower than this time last year. The mix between increasing demand and tight supply, is contributing to the rising price of the commodity. The Russia-Ukraine conflict still remains one of the main drivers for the increase in NGAS prices.   For you: Forex Rates: British Pound (GBP) Strengthening? Weak (EUR) Euro? GBP, NZD And AUD Supported By Monetary Policy?   Chart Showing the Price of NGAS Cotton July ‘22 Futures Rise as Crop is Planted The price of cotton futures bounced back in yesterday's trading market and in the past week as a result of the cotton crop being planted, the pace of planting is ahead of last year's pace and seems to be sparking investor confidence. The price of cotton is still dependent on some macroeconomic issues such as; post the COVID-19 world, whether the Russia-Ukraine war will be contained and the U.S.-China trade relations. In addition, factors such as weather will also play a part in the futures price of cotton. Cotton Futures Price Chart Sources: Finance.yahoo.com, Marketwatch.com, Tradingeconomics.com, investingnews.com Charts: Finance.yahoo.com

Summary: The price of gold fell to the lowest price in almost 2 weeks. Volatility in U.S Wheat futures due to the Weather. Palladium Prices driven down by the rising dollar index. Gold Prices Hit Lows - elevated U.S treasury yield affecting the demand of the commodity The price of gold hit its lowest value in almost 2 weeks as a result of the elevated U.S treasury yield affecting the demand of the commodity. The increase in the yields also increases the opportunity cost for investors who hold gold because the commodity is not yielding. Investor expectations of the Fed's hawkish outlook could be the reason for the price fall, especially inlight of the expected Fed Speech this week. Price Chart of Gold Read next: Altcoins' Rally: Solana (SOL) Soars Even More, DOT and SHIBA INU Do The Same! | FXMAG.COM Chicago SRW Wheat Futures - terrible weather conditions in the US and Canada are causing supply fears The price of Wheat has been volatile over the past week, the terrible weather conditions in the US and Canada are causing supply fears, however market sentiment for this commodity has struggled to shake its bearish tone. Chicago SRW Wheat Futures Price Chart Read next: (UKOIL) Brent Crude Oil Spikes to Highest Price For April, (NGAS) Natural Gas Hitting Pre-2008 Prices, Cotton Planting Has Begun Palladium Price - the war continues, the industrial activity is taking strain The price of Palladium saw an increase in price as an initial market reaction to the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, and as the war continues, the industrial activity is taking strain. However, on Tuesday, the price of palladium fell as a result of the rising dollar index. Palladium Futures Price Chart Sources: Finance.yahoo.com, economies.com

Commodities 2022-04-20 14:00 Summary:  Gold, currently up around 7% so far this year, continues to perform strongly despite persistent headwinds from rising real yields and a stronger dollar. Instead the yellow metal has increasingly been focusing on multiple uncertainties, some of which were already present before Russia invaded Ukraine. Inflation and growth concerns have both been turbocharged by war and sanctions, and together with elevated volatility in stocks and not least bonds, these developments have seen investors increasingly look for safe havens in tangible assets such as investment metals. Impressive, is the word best describing gold’s performance so far this year. Currently up around 7% during a time where normal drivers such as US real yields and the dollar have risen, normally a development that would see gold struggle. The prospect of aggressive tightening by the US Federal Reserve has driven ten-year real yields higher by more than 1% while supporting a near 4% rise in the dollar against a broad index of currencies. Last year’s relatively weak performance, especially against the dollar, despite emerging inflationary concerns was driven by portfolio managers cutting back on the holdings they accumulated during 2020 as stock markets rallied and bond yields held relatively steady, thereby reducing the need for diversification. Fast forward to 2022 and we are now dealing with multiple uncertainties, some of which were already present before Russia invaded Ukraine. Inflation and growth concerns have both been turbocharged by war and sanctions, and together with elevated volatility in bonds and not least stocks, investors have sought safe havens in tangible assets such as investment metals. During the past year, gold and ten-year real yields have struggled to follow their usual inverse paths, and the dislocation accelerated further during Q1 when gold increasingly managed to ignore rising yields. At current levels gold is theoretically overvalued by around 300 dollars, and highlights a major shift in focus. The net reduction in bullion-backed ETFs that was seen throughout last year came to halt in late December, and since then total holdings have risen by 282 tons to 3325 tons. During the same time leveraged funds, primarily operating in the futures market, given the ability to trade lots valued at $195,000 for a margin of less than $8,000, have been much more dependent on the directional movements in the market. Following the March 8 failed attempt to reach a fresh record high they spent the following weeks scaling back exposure. An exercise that was not completed until the week of April 12 when they returned as net buyers, thereby aligning them with the mentioned ongoing demand for ETFs. Source: Saxo Group While inflation was something we talked about last year, the actual impact of sharply higher prices of everything is now increasingly being felt across the world. In response to this investors are increasingly waking up to the fact that the good years which delivered strong equity returns and stable yields are over. Instead the need to become more defensive has set in and these changes together with the risk of what Russia, a pariah nation to much of the world now, may do next if the war fails to yield the desired result. Instead of real yields, we have increasingly seen gold take some its directional input from crude oil, a development that makes perfect sense. The ebb and flow of the oil price impacts inflation through refined products such as diesel and gasoline while its strength or weakness also tell us something about the level of geopolitical risks in the system. In our recently published Quarterly Outlook we highlight the reasons why we see gold move higher and reach a fresh record high later this year. Source: Saxo Group

Gold Miners Left Behind: This curious chart shows the total assets under management in US equity sector ETFs focused on energy (i.e. traditional energy: oil/gas/coal) and gold miners. AUM in energy ETFs has gone up more than 5x since the low point: part of this is clearly price-driven as surging energy prices have triggered better stock price performance and improved financial results. But clearly investors have also had a change of heart on the sector after shunning it for some time (particularly with the rise of ESG investing). To be fair, precious metal prices have been a big fat range trade for most of the past 2 years The standout though in this chart is the one that isn’t standing out: gold mining ETF AUM has by contrast been very sleepy. To be fair, precious metal prices have been a big fat range trade for most of the past 2 years, and at the end of the day when it comes to these commodity equity sectors, commodity prices matter.With gold itself on the cusp of a breakout, this chart begins to look very interesting, and we could easily see a stampede into gold miners if gold itself can manage to break through to new highs. Indeed, with the bull market in equities seemingly in its final throes this could end up appealing to the hoard of retail speculators still searching for their golden ticket…         Key point: Gold miners have been left behind. NOTE: this post first appeared on our NEW Substack: https://topdowncharts.substack.com/Best regards, Callum Thomas Head of Research and Founder of Topdown Charts Follow us on: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/topdown-charts Twitter http://www.twitter.com/topdowncharts

Oil gained 1.5% on Thursday morning to $103.75 per barrel for WTI and $108.2 for Brent, continuing to cling to the uptrend since December. Over the past six weeks, oil price movements are no longer unidirectional, but the market remains in 'crisis mode'. In April, oil is supported on the declines towards the 50-day moving average, as we saw yesterday. The uptrend is not only supported by the abrupt withdrawal of oil from Russia and the accompanying decline in production there. There are also shipment problems in Libya and prolonged pipeline repairs in Kazakhstan. Oil producers in the US seem to be stepping up. Last week saw production increase to 11.9M barrels per day - a new high since May 2020 - from 11.8M. Fluctuations could prove to be a manifestation of the supply shifting to Europe Related article: Japanese Yen (JPY) Weakens Against The Dollar, USD/CAD Stable And The Inevitable Strengthening Of The USD, IMF/World Bank Events Meanwhile, US oil stocks and production data remain volatile. Commercial inventories collapsed by 8M barrels after jumping by 9.4M last week. Such fluctuations could prove to be a manifestation of the supply shifting to Europe. Strategic stocks showed a net decline of 4.7M after 3.9m the previous week. The volume of oil in strategic storage fell to the lows in the last 20 years. However, it is not yet enough to turn around commercial inventories. Related article: Monetary Policy Drives EUR/USD, The Future of the EUR/GBP Awaits the Bank Of England's Speech - Good Morning Forex| FXMAG.COM Another potential area of pressure on the oil price - a strengthening dollar Oil supply constraints continue to put together a relatively bullish picture for oil, preventing a price reversal to the downside. A real bearish victory requires either a sharp increase in production in the US or OPEC countries or a dramatic fall in demand. We see no clear signals for either direction. Another potential area of pressure on the oil price - a strengthening dollar - is also failing for the second day in a row, temporarily working on the bulls' side.

Summary: The Dollar indexes negative correlation with the Price of Silver. Lumber futures prices are unlikely to fall. Silver Price vs the Dollar Index - Investing in Silver falls as interest rates rise, with the Federal Reserve's hawkish outlook In the past few days the price of silver has seen a steady decline, this decline comes despite concerns of rising inflation. Investing in Silver falls as interest rates rise, with the Federal Reserve's hawkish outlook and therefore, U.S bond yields expecting to see future increases, the price of Silver is likely going to see further decreases. In the coming days and weeks, we should watch the dollar index, which has a strong negative correlation with the price of Silver. Price of Silver Chart Related article: Unexpectedly Gold Price (XAUUSD) Falls, Canada And Chicago - Weather Makes Wheat Futures Fluctuate. The Price Of Palladium - Industrial Activity Is Taking Strain | FXMAG.COM Lumber Futures Looking Positive Since the market opened this morning, the price of Lumber futures have increased by more than 6% and over the past week the price has shown an overall upward price trend. For now, the rise in prices is a direct reaction to the increase in home building plans increasing in the U.S as summer looms. For the price of Lumber futures to fall significantly, the demand for the product will need to decrease or the supply will need to increase. Random Length Lumber Futures Price Chart  Read next: Altcoins: IOTA, Litecoin (LTC) and Cardano (ADA) Threatened? Crypto Markets Lie in The Hands of Regulations and Government Policies? | FXMAG.COM Corn is facing problems due to the weather conditions in Brazil and the delay of corn crop planting in China Corn Futures have increased in price to the highest since mid 2012 due to the tightening of supply and strengthening of demand. The supply of corn is facing problems due to the weather conditions in Brazil and the delay of corn crop planting in China amidst the Lockdown rules are setting up the world for losses in production. These issues along with the fears and uncertainty around the supply the world is already facing as a result of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, is driving the price of Corn upward. Mini-Corn Futures Price Chart Sources: Finance.yahoo.com, tradingeconomics.com

Summary: Despite the supply shortage of Platinum due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the futures prices are still falling. Despite Copper demand increasing the price has fallen. Lithium is a key commodity to going net-zero. Rebecca Duthie: ECB Announcements to Possibly Tighten Monetary Policy Strengthens the Euro. EUR/USD, EUR/GBP, AUD/NZD and EUR/CHF All Increased | FXMAG.COM Platinum futures prices falling despite tightening of supply. The price of platinum futures have consistently been falling over the past week. There is a strong undersupply of platinum in the world with Russia being the second largest world supplier of platinum, in spite of this, the price of platinum has still been falling the past week. In times of economic uncertainty the price of platinum tends to decrease due to the decreasing demand along with investors starting to back out of carbon-intensive industries, both of which are causing the price of platinum to fall. Platinum Futures Price Chart Related Article: (XAGUSD) Price of Silver Vs. U.S Yields, Lumber and Corn Futures Dependent on Demand and Supply | FXMAG.COM Copper demand increases. The required need for copper and other mining metals set out by the Paris Agreement forecast is putting pressure on the supply of copper but driving demand upwards at the same time. Causing an impressive price hike. The need to clean the carbon-intensive sector that copper is a part of versus the increasing demand is causing the volatility in the price of copper futures that we see below. Copper Futures Price Chart Read next: Unexpectedly Gold Price (XAUUSD) Falls, Canada And Chicago - Weather Makes Wheat Futures Fluctuate. The Price Of Palladium - Industrial Activity Is Taking Strain | FXMAG.COM Global Lithium will be a key ingredient for reaching global net-zero. The battery metals industry which includes Lithium, is being backed by major developed economies, especially due to the war between Russia and the Ukraine putting pressure on the supply of these metals. Lithium is also going to prove to be a necessary metal for the transition to clean-energy. This increase in demand caused the price to increase earlier this week, however the recent drop in prices came as a result of market sentiment and economic conditions over the past days. Global X Lithium ETF Price Chart Sources: Finance.yahoo.com

Gold first support at 1927/24 but longs need stops below 1920. A break lower targets 1915/12. Below 1910 look for 1900, perhaps as far as 1890. Strong resistance at 1940/45. Shorts need stops above 1950. Read next (By Jason Sen): British Pound To Canadian Dollar (GBP/CAD) Bounces To Ease Severely Oversold Conditions As Predicted, EUR/USD again holds important 5 year trend line support at 1.0850/20 | FXMAG.COM Silver best support for this week at 2390/80. Longs need stops below 2365. A break lower is a medium term sell signal. Minor resistance at 24.50/60. Strong resistance at 2485/95. Shorts need stops above 2505. WTI Crude JUNE first support at 102.00/101.50. Longs need stops below 101.00 (a low for the day here again on Friday). A break lower however targets 9900/9850 & 9750/9700. We could fall as far as very strong support at 94.50/9400. Longs need stops below 9350. Read next: Euro To US Dollar (EUR To USD): That's An Amazing USD Performance, Will USDCAD (Canadian Dollar) Stay Close? USDJPY (Japanese Yen) Beats Records! | FXMAG.COM Holding support at 102.00/101.50 allows a recovery to minor resistance at 104.50/105.00. Above 105.50 however look for 106, perhaps as far as 107.30/70. Shorts need stops above 108.50. Please email me if you need this report updated or Whatsapp: +66971910019 – To subscribe to this report please visit daytradeideas.co.uk or email jason@daytradeideas.co.uk

Summary: Coffee futures prices are being affected by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Brent Crude Oil Prices falling despite ongoing uncertainties with the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Gold futures prices falling as the US bond yields change once again. Coffee futures prices showing volatility. The futures price for coffee has fallen 2.11% since the market opened this morning. The uncertainty of the Russia-Ukraine war with no sign of slowing, has had an adverse effect on the price of coffee futures over the last while, this is represented in the graph below. There are concerns about growth and therefore supply with the Russia-Ukraine conflicts and in addition the poor rainfall in Brazil this year continues to raise concerns about supply, however the demand is also decreasing as a result of the conflicts. This relationship could be causing the volatility in this commodity. Coffee Jul ‘22 Futures Prices Is the Price of Brent Crude Oil Finally Falling? Since the market opened this morning, the price of Brent Crude Oil has fallen by almost 5%. The weakening of the price comes despite the Russia-Ukraine war uncertainties and the post-covid world economy reopening. Occasionally the price of Brent Crude is adversely affected as the US Dollar strengthens, seeing as the Fed increased the U.S yields again for the seventh consecutive week, the US dollar saw more strengthening on the market today, this could be a possible reason for the price fall in Brent Crude. Brent Crude Oil Price Chart   Read next: (XAGUSD) Price of Silver Vs. U.S Yields, Lumber and Corn Futures Dependent on Demand and Supply    Gold prices affected by US Yields once again. This time last week gold futures had hit their high for April, however since the market opened this morning, the price has fallen by 1.96%, and is 5% down from its 18 April high. Normally gold is used as a hedge against inflation, however since the US yields increased again, the opportunity cost of holding gold and not bonds increases, driving the price of gold down further. This commodity is one to watch especially if the Fed continues to be hawkish. Gold Futures Price Chart Sources: Finance.yahoo.com, dailyfx.com, ndtv.com   Read Next: Unexpectedly Gold Price (XAUUSD) Falls, Canada And Chicago - Weather Makes Wheat Futures Fluctuate. The Price Of Palladium - Industrial Activity Is Taking Strain   

Summary: Natural Gas and RBOB gasoline prices are expected to increase even more throughout 2022. Increasing energy prices raise concerns around the future of clean-energy. Increasing costs of metals are driving the price of renewable energy up. Natural Gas Futures prices are expected to increase further this year. Over the past week the price of Natural Gas has dipped and then recovered. Since the market opened this morning the price of this commodity has fallen by almost 2.6%. On Wednesday the World Bank released a statement indicating that they expected energy prices to increase by a further 50% throughout 2022 before easing in 2023 and 2024. The prices of most commodities are dependent on what happens with the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has already shocked the commodity market by altering trading patterns, production and consumption. NGAS Futures Price Chart RBOB Gasoline prices are expected to increase in 2022. Since the market opened this morning, the price of RBOB Gasoline has fallen by almost 0.7% and has seen varied prices over the past week. Since RBOB Gasoline forms part of energy commodities, the price is expected to increase according to the World Bank's forecast above. The increase in energy prices has raised concerns that the transition to clean-energy will be delayed, as many countries have announced plans to increase their production of fossil fuels. RBOB Gasoline Futures Price Chart Copper Futures prices are expected to increase in 2022. According to the article of commodity markets outlook released by the World Bank, the price of metals are expected to increase almost 20% in 2022. Should the war between Russia and the Ukraine persist, price forecasts could change even more. The price of Copper will also be affected by the changing trade patterns being more expensive, in addition the higher metal prices are pushing up the cost of renewable energy in general. However, since the market opened this morning the price of copper has fallen by 0.83%, this has been the general price trend of the commodity over the past week, perhaps a result of investor sentiment and uncertainties around China's lockdowns. Copper Futures Price Chart Sources: worldbank.org, finance.yahoo.com

Summary: Gold versus U.S Yields. Palladium Prices showing signs of recovery. Wheat prices affected by Russia’s possible taxation of the commodity. Gold Futures Price Falls As the opportunity cost for holding rises. The price of gold has fallen amidst the Federal Reserve raising yields and therefore putting pressure on zero-yield bullion. The market is concerned at how big the next 2 interest rate hikes could be, the Fed are putting their best foot forward as they attempt to fight the increasing inflation and increasing labour costs. As the short term U.S interest yields increase, the opportunity cost for holding gold increases too, driving the price down with the falling demand. Gold Futures Price Chart   Read next: Exxon and Chevron Earnings Announcements Has Little Effect on Brent Crude Oil Prices, Bullish Market Sentiment For Cotton and Gold Prices Rise Again    Palladium prices are back on the rise. Over the past week the price of palladium has seen an overall positive price trend, this comes with the problems in supply chains around the world and the Russia-Ukraine war. Russia is one of the biggest producers and exporters in the world, with South Africa, Russia produces and exports around 70% of the world's palladium. The sanctions on Russia are putting a dent in supply, in addition, the lockdowns in China causing concerns around demand. Palladium Futures Price Chart Wheat prices facing pressure. Wheat Future prices down around 1% today. The price has been stable over the past week apart from the sharp drop on Sunday amidst concerns around Russia imposing taxes on its wheat exports between now and July 2022. There are concerns around demand and supply with Wheat due to the war in the Ukraine and concerns around supply chains. Wheat Futures Price Chart   Read next: Natural GAS (NGAS) and RBOB Gasoline’s (RB) May Futures Expected To Increase Further In 2022. Copper (HG) Prices Also Forecasted To Increase.    Sources: Finance.yahoo.com, agriculture.com

Summary: Major concerns around supply of oil. EU to cut demand for all Russian energy imports within a year. Read next: (HOOD) Can Robinhood Recover From Their Q1 Earnings Announcement ?!  Crude Oil Prices Continue To Surge. The ongoing lockdown in China caused the prices of crude oil to fall, the fall comes despite the production issues around oil. The concerns about supply of oil have become much more serious, according to the International Energy Agency, crude oil demand is meant to increase this year, this outlook remains even taking into account the reduction in demand as a result of the extended lockdowns in China. The concerns around supply have outweighed the fall early this week, especially after the EU’s intentions to stop imports of Crude Oil from Russia within 6 months, and all energy within 1 year. European Union’s plans to ban Russian Crude Oil Imports. The European Union announced their plans to ban imports for Russian crude oil within the next 6 months, the announcement pushed the price of WTI crude oil up by almost 4%. This move comes in an attempt to cut off Russia from the EU and by doing so, starve their economic reserves which are currently funding Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine. WTI Crude Oil Futures Price Chart. Read next: (TWTR) Twitter Share Price Down After Musk Takeover Gets Approved.  Sources: finance.yahoo.com, barrons.com

Summary: The factors affecting the cotton price. The price of copper has been affected largely by the current market environment. EU to cut off Russian energy demand. Read next:Brent Crude Oil Price Continues To Dive, Silver Struggling To Hold Its Price Position & Corn Prices Soaring.  The Cotton supply is under pressure, driving prices upwards Over the past week, cotton prices have seen a surge in prices. The futures for this commodity reached their highest prices since 2011. The price surge is related mainly to adverse weather conditions, droughts in the U.S. being a major factor. The lockdown in China has not decreased demand from the U.S. to China. The demand for cotton has also been impacted by rising energy prices as the price of materials derived from oil has risen. Jul ‘22 Cotton Futures Price Chart Copper prices continue to fall amidst market conditions Copper has lost major ground on the commodity market in the past week, this comes as a result of the extended lockdowns in China, the interest rate hike announcements and a continually strengthening US Dollar. On Monday Copper closed at close to neutral for the first time since May 2020. The continuing adverse market conditions will continue to cause Copper prices to struggle. Jul ‘22 Copper Futures Price Chart Natural Gas Prices Soar The price of Natural Gas has rallied over the past week. On Wednesday the EU announced their plans to phase out importing Russian Crude Oil and other energy imports within 6 months. The Natural Gas Prices are soaring amidst fears that it will be difficult to replace the Russian supply effectively. Jun ‘22 Natural Gas Price Chart Read next: Gold (XAUUSD) Prices Fall As U.S Yields Rise, Wheat Prices Facing Pressure, Palladium Prices In Recovery! - Commodities Today.  Sources: finance.yahoo.com

Summary: In general most commodities apart from crude oil have seen a fall over the past month. Crude Oil Supply facing huge pressure.   Read next: Soybean Prices Reached Almost Record Prices, Platinum Investors Turning To New Suppliers, Copper Prices Struggling To Recover.    Coffee Futures Price Falling Over the past month the price of coffee futures have been falling consistently. The harvest at the world's largest producer in Brazil has been picking up as more fields are becoming ready to harvest. The harvest pushes supply into the market, driving the price down. However, coffee prices are still higher than those seen in 2021. Coffee Jul ‘22 Futures Price Chart Gold futures fare well today despite falling over the past month. Despite the increase in the price of gold since the market opened this morning, the price has been falling over the past month. The hawkish Fed increasing the U.S yields week-over-week has resulted in a negative outlook overall for the price of Gold. Gold is seen as a safe-haven asset and is used as a hedge against inflation, when the Fed pushes up the yields, the opportunity cost of holding Gold increases, driving investors to sell their Gold investment and instead turn to government bonds. This drives the price of gold down. In the past days gold has fared well against the Feds recent yield raise and has seen an increase of almost 0.4%. Gold Jun ‘22 Futures Price Chart Crude Oil prices continue to increase. The price of crude oil futures have been showing a steady upward trend. As global stockpiles of crude decrease, the concerns around demand have become more worrisome. Crude prices are surging as supply falls and demand is starting to increase back to pre-pandemic levels. Washington released a large number of their crude oil reserves in an attempt to control the price, however, the price continues to rise and will likely continue on this path. Crude oil Jun ‘22 Futures Price Chart   Read next: Cotton Prices Reach Highest Prices In Almost 11 Years, Copper Prices Facing Negative Outlook and EU Announces 6 Month Plan To Phase Out Russian Crude Oil Imports    Sources: finance.yahoo.com, tradingeconomics.com

Brent crude is back below $110/bbl, losing 2% since the start of the day on Monday. At the beginning of May, oil largely remained within the trends of previous months. There are still accumulating risks that oil will break down this support, giving the start of a correction. Since last month, bulls and bears have been concentrating on pulling the tug-of-war near the 50-day average Brent maintains an upward trend, but it is also running near a line that passes near the lows of the last five months. Since last month, bulls and bears have been concentrating on pulling the tug-of-war near the 50-day average, which has been pointing upwards since the beginning of the year. Saudi Arabia has cut its oil price premium to buyers in Europe and Asia Positively for oil, the G7 has declared a phase-out of Russian oil purchases, and OPEC has indicated a commitment to a rate increase of 432k a month. But at the same time, Saudi Arabia has cut its oil price premium to buyers in Europe and Asia. Locally, traders should pay attention to the dynamics of Brent near $112 Also playing out locally against oil was the news that Russia has stabilised production after a dip in April. In addition, drilling activity is picking up in the US, which promises a rise in output in the next few months. There is also more incentive for Saudi Arabia to increase its production. Brent remains in a triangle on the technical analysis side, retreating from its upper boundary. Locally, traders should pay attention to the dynamics of Brent near $112, where the area of previous local peaks is located. Bears, for their part, may cheer up in case of consolidation under $104, where purchases were strengthened last week. A move out of the 104-112 range could increase volatility in oil.

Summary: Brent crude oil prices are seeing some decline. Silver prices face downward pressure amidst the US Dollar Strengthening. Corn prices fall amidst worries about falling demand. Read next: (XAUUSD) Gold, Coffee and Crude Oil - Commodities Facing Price Trouble Over the Past Month  Brent crude oil price falls. The price of oil has fallen on Monday amidst concerns around the strengthening US Dollar which hit a two-decade high, making holding oil more expensive for other currencies. The lockdowns in China have raised concerns around the demand for oil from the world's biggest importer. In addition the world's biggest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, lowered the prices of crude for Europe and Asia in June. All of these factors have resulted in the price of Brent Crude Oil falling. Brent Crude Oil Futures Price Chart   Read next: What Is (DYDX)? dYdX Cryptocurrency Supporting Perpetual Trading - Altcoins of Interest | FXMAG.COM    As US yields increase, silver's value falls. The price of silver has been falling over the past week. The price fall comes as the Fed continues with their hawkish attitude. Silver is used as a hedge against inflation, with the Fed increasing the US yields in an attempt to fight inflation, the opportunity cost for holding silver increases. Investors are selling their silver and turning to investments where they can yield a higher return at the same level of risk i.e. US treasury bonds. Silver Jul ‘22 Futures Price Chart Corn prices facing downward price pressure. On monday the price of Corn futures had fallen by almost 1%, there has been a downward price trend for corn futures over the past week. There are still concerns around the lack of supply for corn all over the world, however, with the lockdowns in China, concerns around falling demand have risen. Last week the amount of traders who shorted corn outweighed those who chose to go long, indicating they expected the price to drop. Corn Jul ‘22 Futures Price Chart Read next: Soybean Prices Reached Almost Record Prices, Platinum Investors Turning To New Suppliers, Copper Prices Struggling To Recover.  Sources: Finance.yahoo.com, cnbc.com, reuters.com, barchart.com

Your daily roundup of commodities news and ING views Gas storage tank Energy Oil sold off with risk assets on Monday, but it failed to follow equities higher yesterday. Instead, downward pressure on the market continued, which saw NYMEX WTI settle below US$100/bbl. Growth concerns continue to weigh on commodities, and a stronger USD only adds further downward pressure to the complex. This weakness has continued in early trading this morning after the API reported that US crude oil inventories increased by 1.62MMbbls - the market was expecting a small draw. In addition, API numbers also showed an increase in refined product inventories. Gasoline and distillate fuel oil inventories increased by 823Mbbls and 662Mbbls respectively. If today’s EIA report shows similar numbers, it would be the first weekly increase for US gasoline inventories since late March and the first for distillates since early April. However, the middle distillate market is still very tight and so we would expect US heating oil cracks to remain well supported. In fact, middle distillate cracks around the world should remain well supported, given the tightness in the market and concerns over Russian gasoil exports. The EIA released its latest Short Term Energy Outlook yesterday. The report cut expectations for US oil production growth for 2022 from around 833Mbbls/d to 731Mbbls/d, which implies US oil output averaging 11.91MMbbls/d this year. However, for 2023, supply is expected to grow by 940Mbbls/d (largely unchanged from last month), which would see US output hitting a record 12.85MMbbls/d. Obviously, the biggest concern for the global oil market is around supply in the short to medium term, given the uncertainty over Russian supply. And the downward revisions to 2022 output estimates will do little to ease these concerns. European natural gas prices showed some strength yesterday. TTF rallied by more than 5%, settling close to EUR99/MWh. This strength came after Ukraine’s gas grid operator (GTSOU) declared force majeure on the transit of Russian gas through Sokhranivka, which accounts for about a third of Russian gas transited via Ukraine. GTSOU has said that it is not possible to continue operations through Sokhranivka due to Russia's military aggression in the region. GTSOU said that gas can be rerouted through Sudzha (another entry point), Gazprom has reportedly said that this is not technically possible. Dutch gas network operator, Gasunie has said that it has contracted a second FSRU (floating storage and regasification unit) for the next 5 years, which would allow it to regas LNG imports at Eemshaven in the north of Groningen. The FSRU is expected to arrive in the third quarter of this year, and along with another FSRU already contracted, would provide a total of 8bcm of regasification capacity at Eemshaven. This regasification capacity would exceed the roughly 6bcm of natural gas that the Netherlands imports from Russia every year. The big question though is if there is enough LNG supply to fully use this capacity, particularly with Germany also securing 4 FSRUs, with an annual capacity of as much as 29bcm. Some of this capacity in Germany is also expected to come into operation ahead of the next winter.   Metals Base metals continued to decline in London amid fragile market sentiment. Copper initially rallied but was unable to hold onto these gains at the close. Shanghai is going into the hardest phase of lockdowns, weighing heavily on sentiment as local authorities vow to bring the Covid wave under control at the community level by the end of this week. Meanwhile, the China Car Passenger Association (CAPM) confirmed that retail passenger vehicle sales plunged by 36% in April, its biggest monthly decline since March 2020. LME aluminium prices continue to fall and have largely ignored a steep decline in on-warrant stocks and a large number of cancelled warrants from Asia, signalling further declines. As of Tuesday, on-warrant stocks have fallen to a record low of 294kt, whilst total closing stocks dropped to 560kt - the lowest since 2005. Antaike has reported that China’s aluminium demand fell 5.5% YoY to 3.3mt last month (the biggest decline since March 2020), primarily impacted by the closure of auto producers due to Covid-related lockdowns. In contrast, the impact on Chinese supply has been rather limited so far, with operating capacity rising to 40.31mt by the end of April. As we also pointed out yesterday, Antaike also believes that the recent Covid outbreak has had a larger impact on demand than the early 2020 lockdowns. Agriculture Data from Brazil’s sugar industry group, UNICA show that sugar production in Center-South Brazil increased to 934kt over the 2nd half of April 2022 compared to only around 127kt over the first half of April as more mills started operations; although it is still significantly lower than the 1.52mt of sugar produced over the same period last season. Sugar cane crushing was down around 20% YoY to 23.8mt over the period with the sugar mix falling to 37.2% compared to 44.5% a year ago. Cumulative sugar production so far this season in CS-Brazil is down around 51% YoY to 1.1mt, reflecting a slow start to the crushing season. High energy prices continue to be supportive for ethanol production with mills allocating more cane towards biofuel supply. TagsSugar Russia-Ukraine Natural gas EIA Covid-19 China   Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Oil  Energy traders are bullish on oil prices again as China’s COVID situation shows signs of improving and after the dollar eased following a hot inflation report that did little to change short-term Fed rate hiking expectations. The oil market can’t justify oil prices below USD 100 given the potential shock that will occur once the EU is able to move forward with their ban on Russian crude. ​ ​ WTI crude tentatively pared gains after the EIA crude oil inventory report posted a surprisingly large build with stockpiles. ​ This report was full of surprises as US production declined by 100,000 bpd, the first drop since January. Read next: Stock Market Showing Signs Of Slight Recovery Amidst U.S CPI Report Release| FXMAG.COM The oil market seems to have made up its mind and it will focus on how tight supplies will be and not the eventual demand destruction that might happen later this year. ​ Gold slides after CPI report Gold prices tumbled as the dollar surged following a hotter-than-expected inflation report that will likely force the Fed into delivering more tightening than they were initially thinking. â€‹ Today’s inflation report proves that Fed Chair Powell made a mistake last week when he removed the option of a 75-basis point rate hike at the next policy meeting. The overall takeaway for much of Wall Street however is that the Fed is still poised to deliver consecutive half-point rate increases at the June and July FOMC meetings. Read next: Earnings Season: (DIS) Disney Stock Price Awaits Earnings Announcements| FXMAG.COM Gold gave up a majority of its gains after the inflation report but found massive support around the USD 1830 level, which is where the 200-day simple moving day resides. ​ Gold was close to showing signs of stabilizing as many investors were hoping for a sharper deceleration of pricing pressures, which was supposed to pave the way for a dollar pullback and a peak in with the rally in Treasury yields. Gold is tentatively holding onto the USD 1830 level and should continue to stabilize, but that may get tested if a steady wave of Fed speak raises market expectations for more aggressive tightening later this year. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.

Summary:  Global equity markets have bounced after the US briefly hit new cycle lows yesterday. One development at the margin that has helped is the sharp decline in longer bond yields, even as a couple of Fed members were out with hawkish comments. A strong 3-year US treasury auction showed strong demand. Elsewhere, gold remains under pressure and is on life support. The data focus today swings to the US and the release of April CPI data.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) - the rebound in US equities succeeded closing above the prior session’s close but met resistance above the 12,500 level in Nasdaq 100 futures. However, this morning Nasdaq 100 futures continue to rally trading around the 12,450-level attempting to break above the 12,500 level again which is needed to close Monday’s selloff range. Sentiment is still weak but a pause in the momentum in US 10-year interest rates is providing some support to US equities in the short-term. Q1 earnings results yesterday confirmed the slowdown in gaming and cryptocurrency trading activity. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I). China’s A shares surged with ChiNext rising 4.3% and CSI300 up 2%. Electric equipment, semiconductors, EV battery, consumer electronics, wind and solar names led the charge higher. EV battery maker, CATL (300750) rose 7.7%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 1.7% and Hang Seng TECH Index gained 4.6% by mid-day.  After reporting better than market expected earnings and margin expansion, Li Auto (2015) surged 11%. The COVID related disruption to logistics and production, plus food and daily necessities stockpiling by households seems to make their impact felt on general price levels. China’s April PPI came at +8.0% YoY and CPI at +2.1% YoY, both higher than market expectations.   AUDUSD and USDCAD – the two key commodity currencies broke through key support against the US dollar this week, but so far the reaction to the development has been restrained and would likely take a further slide in risk sentiment, including in the commodity space for a notable extension lower. As the break levels remain nearby, the pairs deserve watching for the trend status and a possible reversal as well – resistance in AUDUSD is 0.7000-0.7050 and support in USDCAD comes in at 1.2900-50. Read next: Don't Worry Coffee Lovers! The Price Of Coffee Futures Falling Amidst Current Market Conditions, Crude Oil (WTI) Recovers Slightly, Palladium Prices Show Steady Downward Price Trend | FXMAG.COM USDJPY and JPY pairs – global sovereign bond yields have tumbled from their highs at the start of the week and crude oil has corrected sharply lower, two developments that support the Japanese yen, as Japan relies so heavily on energy imports and BoJ yield-curve-control policy means that the currency absorbs weakness when the domestic bond market is not “allowed” to. And yet, the JPY bounce on supportive developments has proven surprisingly muted – an opportunity or indication of further weakness to come? Watching for the reactivity in JPY pairs around the US CPI release today and 10-year US T-note auction later today as USDJPY is often one of the more sensitive currencies to US treasury yields. Gold (XAUUSD) dropped below $1850 support yesterday after several Fed officials backed multiple 50 basis point rate hikes. These comments helped drive fresh dollar strength and a continued rise in US real yields ahead of today’s US CPI print. Recent dollar strength, especially against the yuan and rupee has reduced demand from China and India, the world’s two biggest buyers of physical gold. With gold trading near a three-month low, demand for bullion backed ETFs has also ebbed with total holdings falling to a three-week low on Tuesday. Silver (XAGUSD) meanwhile slumped below previous support at $21.5, thereby adding an additional layer of weakness. From a technical perspective, the next key support level in gold is the 61.8% retracement of the March 2021 to March 2022 high at $1827. Crude oil (OILUKJUL22 & OILUSJUN22) traded higher in Asia with Brent bouncing before reaching key support below $100 per barrel. Catalyst for the move ahead of today’s US CPI print was a decline in the Covid19 infections in China providing some cautious optimism about a pickup in demand from the world’s largest importer. The cost of fuel due to lack of refinery capacity and sanctions against Russia remains very elevated with retail gasoline in the US hitting a record. The EIA meanwhile lowered its forecast for US production in 2022 and 2023 while Saudi Arabia and the UAE oil ministers warned that spare capacity is decreasing in all energy sectors. Developments that may offset any slowdown in global consumption due to lower growth and punitive high inflation. Monthly oil market reports from OPEC and IEA on Thursday. US Treasuries (TLT, IEF) – The US yield curve flattened sharply yesterday as hawkish talk from a couple of Fed members (see below) kept the shorter end of the yield curve elevated, while longer yields continued their sharp retreat ahead of a tone-setting 10-year T-note auction today, with the benchmark yield there trading just below 3.00%. The 3-year notes yesterday saw the strongest demand in over a year. What is going on? Fed officials continue to back rate hikes. Fed speakers are back on the wires backing multiple 50 basis point rate hikes, even as that might mean a bumpy ride for the economy and the markets. Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester, in fact, also brought 75bps rate hikes back on the table for H2 if inflation doesn’t recede. US earnings recap. The big negative surprise was Coinbase reporting Q1 revenue of $1.17bn vs est. $1.48bn and a dark Q2 outlook expecting lower trading activity. Unity was in line with Q1 estimates but puts out a very low Q2 revenue figure of $290-295mn vs est. $360mn, but the fiscal year guidance is closer to consensus suggesting timing issues. Electronic Arts surprised investors given the weakness in gaming results recently guiding fiscal year 2023 (the company is not following the traditional calendar year) revenue a bit above consensus. Staying with gaming results, Roblox reported a slowdown in user activity (bookings) as so many other gaming companies have done in Q1. Read next: Stablecoins In Times Of Crypto Crash. What is Terra (UST)? A Deep Look Into Terra Altcoin. Terra - Leading Decentralised And Open-Source Public Blockchain Protocol | FXMAG.COM Philip Morris to buy Swedish Match for SEK 106 per share. This is one of Europe’s largest transactions this year worth $16bn in an all-cash deal translating into a premium of 40%. Philip Morris is acquiring Swedish Match to get assets that are less about visual cigarettes to better cope with increasing regulation around the world against cigarettes. Declining Covid-19 cases in China helped boost sentiment across battered stock markets in Shanghai and Hong Kong overnight. The industrial metal sector has seen a sharp correction during the lockdown with the Bloomberg Industrial Metal Index currently up just 5% on the year after hitting a 39% gain on March 7. As lockdowns start to ease the focus across the sector is likely to return to tight global inventories and the prospect of a revival in demand with the Chinese government likely to initiate projects to support an economic revival. Six major mining companies who derive more than 60% of their revenue from copper have slumped between 25% and 50% from peaks achieved during the past year. What are we watching next? US CPI and 10-year T-note auction today. The 3-year T-note auction yesterday showed the strongest demand for 3-year US paper since early 2021. A 10-year T-note auction is set for today, with yields having retreated to near 3.00% from the highs earlier this week near the 2018 cycle high of 3.25%. Liquidity in the US treasury market is at its weakest levels since the pandemic-outbreak panic moment even before the Fed is set to begin reducing its balance sheet (requiring the market to absorb more treasury issuance). Reactivity in the US treasury market and the US dollar is also worth close observation today on the release of the April CPI data, expected to show the headline rising at only +0.2% MoM, but the core rising +0.4% MoM. The YoY expectations are +8.1%/+6.0% vs. +8.5%/+6.5% in March. EU gas prices jumped on Tuesday and may rise further today after Ukraine’s network operator warned Ukraine won’t accept gas at Sokhranivka, one of two cross-border points handling Russian flows, from today after occupying forces disrupted operation at the compressor station. It’s still possible for gas to be rerouted to the second entry point, Sudzha, allowing European contracts to be fulfilled, it said. How Gazprom reacts to these changes will set the tone in today’s trading. Dutch TTF benchmark gas briefly traded below its 200-day moving average support line at €89/MWh yesterday before ending the day near €100/MWH on the Ukraine news.  Earnings Watch. In Europe this morning the focus is on earnings from E.ON and Siemens Energy given the energy crisis in Europe. Genmab is also important to watch being one of Europe’s largest pure plays within the biotechnology industry. Later in the US session the focus is on Walt Disney given the latest weak results from Netflix and more reopening post the pandemic benefitting Disney’s physical entertainment assets. We will also watch Coupang, the largest e-commerce company in South Korea, given the bad Q1 results from most e-commerce companies. Today: Genmab, E.ON, Siemens Energy, Continental, Toyota, SoftBank, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Delhaize, Mowi, Swedish Match, Walt Disney, Coupang Thursday: Verbund, KBC Group, Brookfield, Fortum, Siemens, Allianz, Merck, Hapag-Lloyd, RWE, Atlantia, Snam, NTT, SoftBank Group, Aegon, Naturgy Energy, Motorola Solutions Friday: Deutsche Telekom, KDDI, Honda Motor, Alibaba Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0715 – ECB's Nagel to speak 0800 – ECB President Lagarde to speak 0800 – ECB’s Vasle to speak 0830 – ECB's Makhlouf to speak 0850 – ECB's Knot to speak 1220 – ECB's Schnabel to speak 1230 – US Apr. CPI 1230 – US Apr. Real Average Hourly Earnings 1600 – US Fed’s Bostic (non-voter) to speak 1800 – US 10-year T-Note auction 2301 – UK Apr. RICS House Price Balance Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Saxo Bank

Summary:  Led by industrial metals, the commodity sector is currently going through a correction. Following a record run in Q1 such a move was long overdue with the main catalyst being driven by China and its no tolerance policy towards Covid-19. In addition, a combative US central bank driving up funding cost and a much stronger dollar together with signs of a global slowdown caused by inflation at the highest level in decades have all helped raised some doubt about the outlook for demand. In this we take a closer look at copper and why we maintain a positive price outlook. The commodity sector is currently going through a correction, and after witnessing a record run higher during the first quarter, such a move was long overdue. The main catalyst for the weakness has undoubtedly been driven by China and the no tolerance policy towards Covid-19, where outbreaks in Shanghai and Beijing have been met with a prolonged period of lockdowns which has hurt economic growth while creating major bottlenecks across global supply chains.In addition, a combative US central bank driving up funding cost and a much stronger dollar together with signs of a global slowdown caused by inflation at the highest level in decades have all helped raised some doubt about the outlook for demand. We have in recent updates and webinars highlighted the need, not only to focus on demand but also the supply side when trying to determine the outlook for the commodity sector. While demand may show signs of easing, the supply side looks equally challenged across several key commodities, spanning from energy to industrial metals and agriculture products. Developments that in our mind may prevent prices from a much needed deep correction in order to ease global price pressures. Example: WisdomTree Industrial Metals, a UCITS eligible ETC (Exchange Traded Commodities) tracks the Bloomberg Industrial Metals Total Return Index. Source: Saxo Group As mentioned, much of the slowing growth focus has so been directed at China, the world’s biggest importer and consumer of raw materials, especially after an initial and failed attempt in late March to prevent the virus from spreading from parts of Shanghai. Six weeks later and the Covid outbreaks in China and restrictions intended to contain them have indirectly added to operating costs, making it tougher for factories to maintain production, obtain raw materials and ship out finished goods. Industrial metals, the most China-centric commodity sector has suffered the most from these developments with the Bloomberg Industrial Metals index having fallen by close to 25% since the March 7 record peak. Other sectors like precious metals (-12%), energy (-10%), grains (-5%) and softs (-6%) have seen smaller declines from their recent peaks. With the industrial metal sector having almost reversed back to levels seen at the start of the year, the question remains what may support an eventual floor under the market. The simple answer is China. China’s current situation was recently described by a major investor in Hong Kong as the worst in 30 years with Beijing’s increasingly fraught zero-Covid policies slowing growth while raising discontent among the population. As a result, global supply chains continue to be challenged with congestions at Chinese ports building, while demand for key commodities from crude oil to industrial metals have seen a clear drop. One of the consequences being the need for the government to launch a major stimulus drive to support a recovery in growth, currently well below the 5.5% target. Such initiatives are likely to support the industrial metal sector given the focus on infrastructure and energy transition, hence our view that following the recent weakness a floor is not far away. A renewed pickup in demand for industrial metals from China will once again expose the precarious low level of available inventories. Adding to this the government supported energy transition, especially in Europe where getting rid of dependency on Russian energy supplies have become a major focus, and the market may quickly turn its focus from demand to tight supply. Inventories of key industrial metals from aluminum and copper to nickel and zinc at exchange monitored warehouses are at multi-year low levels, and with additional supply not easily accompliced, a tight supply outlook may help support the sector finding a floor and move higher. As an example, the recent loss of momentum and China focus has seen the HG copper contract slump to the lower end of its year-long trading range, and in the process speculators have flipped their position back to a net short for the first time in two years. A bounce from current levels without challenging key support towards $4 per pound may trigger an initial short-covering move from recently established short positions. Source: Saxo Group Our bullish view on industrial metals have not changed, but given the risk of weaker economic growth ahead we do not expect a fresh runaway rally. Instead we see steadily higher prices driven by tight supply, China growth initiatives and the green energy transformation. The below table highlights some of the major mining companies involved in copper production. The top six derives more than 60% of their revenues from copper, and the recent correction, driven by general stock market weakness and lower copper prices, have seen these stocks drop between 25% and 48%.

Summary: The future of the Wheat futures prices depend on the supply available as adverse weather conditions and geopolitical tensions continue. As embargos on Russia intensify, Platinum futures prices rise. Read next: Don't Worry Coffee Lovers! The Price Of Coffee Futures Falling Amidst Current Market Conditions, Crude Oil (WTI) Recovers Slightly, Palladium Prices Show Steady Downward Price Trend  Wheat Futures On Monday the price of Chicago Wheat Futures dropped, this came in the wake of the poor performance of the global markets. Since Monday the price of wheat futures have been recovering steadily. There are concerns around the market supply of wheat going forward, with Russia and The Ukraine exports decreasing due to the war, and the possibility of India reducing their exports amidst the heatwave causing their production to reduce. As concerns around supply and demand and weather conditions continue, we are likely to see volatility in the price of Wheat Futures. SRW Wheat Futures Jul ‘22 Price Chart Platinum prices rise amidst concerns over supply. Platinum futures prices seem to be recovering after hitting their one-week low on May 9th. The recovery comes as worries around Russian supply are renewed. The U.K announced GBP1.4 billion worth of import restrictions from Russia and a 35% increase in import tariffs on multiple products, including platinum. Hence, pushing prices up. Platinum Jul ‘22 Futures RBOB Gasoline prices The price of RBOB gasoline futures, along with wheat futures and platinum futures have felt the effects of the poor market conditions this week. However, the price of RBOB gasoline is likely to continue to show bullish signals going forward, this will come as a result of the increasing concerns around supply. RBOB Gasoline Jun ‘22 Futures Price Chart Read next: (XAUUSD) Gold Prices Remain Stable Despite Hawkish Fed, EU Regains Control Of Their NGAS Supplies, Cotton Futures Prices.  Sources: finance.yahoo.com, tradingeconomics.com

A sell-off in the equity market and a new wave of flight to the dollar on Thursday provided the perfect combination to knock out gold, which slipped to $1810 in thin trading on Friday morning, falling to its lowest level since early February. The current decline in the price makes us keep a close eye on further developments Right now, it’s up to gold to decide whether we see a double top formation or whether the bulls are gaining strength and liquidity ahead of a new multi-month rising momentum. The current decline in the price makes us keep a close eye on further developments. Read next: Stablecoins In Times Of Crypto Crash. What is Terra (UST)? A Deep Look Into Terra Altcoin. Terra - Leading Decentralised And Open-Source Public Blockchain Protocol | FXMAG.COM A consolidation of the week under $1830 would reinforce that signal Yesterday, gold took a sharp plunge under the 200 SMA, which is often a bearish factor for the instrument. A consolidation of the week under $1830 would reinforce that signal. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Polkadot (DOT)? Cross-Chain Transfers Of Any Type Of Asset Or Data. A Deeper Look Into Polkadot Protocol | FXMAG.COM A potential bull target, in this case, could be the $2500 area This would open the way for another roughly 25% drop into the $1350 area, the area of the 2015-2018 highs. If we see an uptick in buyers’ in the hours and days ahead, we could say that gold is in a correction. Potentially, a reversal to the upside from these levels could signal the start of a new wave of long-term growth, the first impulse of which was in 2018-2020, followed by a prolonged wide side trend. A potential bull target, in this case, could be the $2500 area.

Summary:  Our weekly Commitment of Traders update highlights futures positions and changes made by hedge funds and other speculators across commodities and forex up until last Tuesday, May 10. A week that saw continued risk off as the combination of high rates and potential recession as inflation surges kept stocks under pressure while lifting bond yields and the dollar. Commodities hurt by the prospect for lower growth, most critically in China, saw broad selling with funds cutting their exposure to a 21 month low. Focus on copper with funds doubling their short position ahead of a potential easing of lockdowns in China Saxo Bank publishes weekly Commitment of Traders reports (COT) covering leveraged fund positions in commodities, bonds and stock index futures. For IMM currency futures and the VIX, we use the broader measure called non-commercial. Link to latest report This summary highlights futures positions and changes made by hedge funds across commodities and forex up until last Tuesday, May 10. A week where a continued sell off in global stocks pushed the S&P 500 below 4,000 for the first time in more than a year while US bond yields climbed to a fresh cycle high. Financial markets have become increasingly challenged by a combination of high rates and a potential recession as inflation surges. In addition the wind has come out of the commodity bull market with China, a major consumer, paying an increasingly high price for its Covid Zero Policy. Adding to this continued dollar strength, and most asset classes from bonds and stocks to cryptos and commodities remain under pressure, and speculators in commodities and forex have adjusting their positions accordingly.  Commodities The Bloomberg Commodity Spot index dropped 3.1% on the week with losses in energy (-4%), industrial metals (-6.1%), precious metals (-2.5%) and softs (-3.7%) while grains managed a small plus led by wheat. Overall hedge funds and money managers responded to these changes by cutting bullish bets across the 24 major futures tracked in this by 9% to a 21 month low at 1.68 million lots, a 25% reduction since the recent peak in late February.  Twenty out of 24 commodity futures tracked in this update traded lower on the week with eighteen of those seeing positions being reduced with four commodities seeing position levels drop to the lowest in at least a year. Latest updates on crude oil, gold and wheat can be found in our daily Quick Take here Energy: Crude oil continued rangebound trading behavior triggered a small amount of net selling of WTI and Brent. The combined long at 410k lots remains near a cycle low with the current price action being high on uncertainty and low on trading signals. The product space was mixed with gas oil and gasoline seeing net reductions while the net long in NY Diesel rose by 20%.Metals: The exodus out of metals, both precious and industrial continued, and the combined long at just 49k lots across the five futures contract tracked, was the lowest in almost three years. Gold, still holding above its 200-day moving average last Tuesday saw its net long reduced for a fourth week to a three-month low at 73.9k lots with most of the 9k reduction being driven by long liquidation, and not fresh short selling. In silver speculators held a neutral position following an 89% slump in the net long to just 1.7k lots, with the bulk of the reduction being by short sellers looking for an even deeper slump.In copper, the net short doubled to a two-year high at 17.7k lots as the price drop extended towards key support at $4/lb. China lockdowns have been the main catalyst behind the recent 25% decline in the Bloomberg Industrial Metal Index. It highlights the potential risk of a price reversal once lockdowns start to ease, a bounce that may now receive some additional momentum from the hedge funds covering some of their short position.Agriculture: The whole sector, except wheat, got caught up in the strong dollar risk off move with the biggest reductions seen in soybeans, sugar, corn and cocoa. In grains, the net long across the six futures contract tracked in this was reduced for a third week, this after reaching a 12-year high last month. Surging wheat prices only managed to attract a small amount of buying, and despite an overriding bullish outlook due to global weather woes and Ukraine war, the net long in Chicago and Kansas wheat remains muted at 58k lots.ForexContinued broad dollar strength drove a 5% increase in the gross dollar long against ten IMM futures and the Dollar Index. However, the muted $1.2 billion increase to $22.8 billion, a four- month high, was caused by speculators (wrongly as it turned out) trying to buy EURUSD ahead of €1.05 support. This action triggered 22.9k lots or $3 billion equivalent of euro buying which helped flip the position back to a net long, just days before the break below force fresh long liquidation.What is the Commitments of Traders report? The COT reports are issued by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the ICE Exchange Europe for Brent crude oil and gas oil. They are released every Friday after the U.S. close with data from the week ending the previous Tuesday. They break down the open interest in futures markets into different groups of users depending on the asset class. Commodities: Producer/Merchant/Processor/User, Swap dealers, Managed Money and otherFinancials: Dealer/Intermediary; Asset Manager/Institutional; Leveraged Funds and otherForex: A broad breakdown between commercial and non-commercial (speculators) The reasons why we focus primarily on the behavior of the highlighted groups are: They are likely to have tight stops and no underlying exposure that is being hedged This makes them most reactive to changes in fundamental or technical price developments It provides views about major trends but also helps to decipher when a reversal is looming

Crude oil has added 15% since last Wednesday, rising to $112/bbl WTI and $113/bbl Brent. Both grades reached new two-month highs on Tuesday morning, despite a decidedly bearish news backdrop. Since early April, WTI has seen a sequence of higher highs and higher lows A sharper than previously estimated slowdown in China and not yet agreed package with Russian Crude oil phased embargo was met with buying in Crude, despite those suggesting lower demand and higher supply. Since early April, WTI has seen a sequence of higher highs and higher lows. Oil’s dip under the uptrend line last week only encouraged buyers, kick-starting the latest upward momentum. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Monero? Explaining XMR. Untraceable Cryptocurrency!? | FXMAG.COM This is the third time Brent has reached that horizon, from which it has rolled back in April and early May. A consolidation above $114 could signal a new buying wave and quickly take prices to the $120 area - near the late March peaks. It should not be surprising if WTI becomes more expensive than the heavier Brent in a few weeks In this case, the North Sea Brent lags behind the US WTI as the supply-demand balance favours the latter. It should not be surprising if WTI becomes more expensive than the heavier Brent in a few weeks, restoring the historic balance broken by tight OPEC+ quotas and once rampant US production. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Polkadot (DOT)? Cross-Chain Transfers Of Any Type Of Asset Or Data. A Deeper Look Into Polkadot Protocol | FXMAG.COM Nevertheless, be prepared that the oil rally that started from lows in April 2020, culminating in the war events in Ukraine, is coming to an end. The global economy and energy consumption are slowing to recover while the cartel continues to raise quotas. Temporarily, due to lower investment in production in previous quarters, OPEC has not kept pace with production increases. Still, this balance will change sooner rather than later, promising to keep the price from rising.

Your daily roundup of commodities news and ING views Learn more on ING Economics Energy The oil market has seen a partial recovery in early morning trading today, after Brent settled more than 2% lower yesterday. Reports that the US is looking to ease some sanctions against Venezuela contributed to yesterday’s weakness, with it thought that the easing could see a partial resumption of Venezuelan oil to Europe. Any increase is likely to be rather limited, at least in the short term.   There are growing concerns over the refined products market. What started out as a tight middle distillate market appears to be spreading into the gasoline market, at least for the US. At a time when US gasoline inventories should be building ahead of the driving season, inventories instead have declined for most of this year. These are now below the low end of the 5-year range.  Gasoline demand should only increase over the coming months and, in the absence of a pick up in refinery runs, the gasoline market is likely to continue to tighten. The tighter gasoline market appears to have also contributed to a narrowing in the WTI/Brent discount, given the  need for higher US refinery runs, which should be supportive for US crude demand. Gasoline stocks in the ARA region of Europe are more comfortable, and are at least at a decade high for this time of the year. Given the tightness on the US East Coast and more comfortable European stock levels, we would expect to see a pick-up in European gasoline flows to the US East Coast in order to help alleviate some of this tightness. API numbers released overnight confirm the tightening in the market. US crude oil inventories are reported to have fallen by 2.4MMbbls, whilst stock levels at Cushing, the WTI delivery hub, fell by 3.1MMbbls. It was the gasoline market which saw the largest decline, with stocks falling by 5.1MMbbls over the last week. EIA numbers will be released later today. The EU carbon market saw some strength yesterday, with the market breaking above EUR91/t. The European Parliament’s Environmental Committee voted yesterday on reforms to the EU ETS. The committee agreed on the need for more aggressive carbon emission reduction targets. The committee would like to see emissions covered by the ETS fall by 67% by 2030 from 2005 levels, this compares to the initial proposal for a 61% reduction. In order to achieve this, the committee has  recommended that the amount of emission allowances should be reduced by 4.2% in the first year the reform starts, and then this reduction should increase by 0.1% each year through until 2030. The committee also wants to see the phasing out of free allowances between 2026 and 2030, and the full implementation of  the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) by 2030, which would be 5 years earlier than currently proposed. In addition,  the Environmental Committee wants to phase out free allocations for the aviation  sector  by 2025, which would  be 2 years earlier than the Commission had proposed. The proposal will also see maritime transport included in the ETS from 2024, which would cover 100% of intra-EU routes, and 50% of emissions from extra-EU routes coming in and out of the EU initially. Finally, the committee also agreed on the implementation of another emission trading  system for commercial buildings and transport, which would start in 2025, whilst private buildings and transportation will be excluded  from this new ETS until at least 2029. This latest proposal will be put to a vote  in parliament next month, after which negotiations between member states will likely start. Metals Latest reports that Shanghai might start relaxing its two-month lockdown after three days of zero community transmission, along with better-than-expected retail sales and consumer spending data from the US, were constructive for risk assets yesterday. Most base metals settled higher on the day, with LME aluminium closing more  than 2% up. Shrinking LME inventories have provided some support  to aluminium. The latest LME data shows that on-warrant inventories for the metal fell for an eighth consecutive day to a new record low of 230kt yesterday. Turning to steel, and China Iron & Steel Association (CISA) said that China will keep its restrictions on new steel capacity intact and would push for more mergers and acquisitions within the industry. Due to ongoing Covid-related restrictions, steel demand has remained under pressure recently, but this should improve as the Covid situation improves. Mysteel expects China’s steel demand over 2H22 to rise by 10% compared to 1H22, whilst YoY growth is expected to hit 15% in 2H22. This growth is expected  to be supported by local government policies. Agriculture CBOT wheat continued to trade firm yesterday, even after India relaxed its stance with its recently announced export ban on wheat. New directives from the Indian government indicate that the restrictions will not apply to wheat shipments that have already been handed over to the customs department for clearance and loadings. However, the export restrictions will still apply to wheat sales where the shipments are not yet finalised through the issuance of irrevocable LoC. Reuters reported that only around 400kt of wheat (out of around 2.2mt of wheat currently at ports) would be eligible for relief and likely to be exported. The relaxation is unlikely to provide much relief to the global market. TagsWheat Oil Metals Gasoline EU carbon Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

The US equity markets rallied yesterday after taking over a positive session from the Europeans. However, the US retail sales data didn’t necessarily hint at slowing spending, and Jerome Powell didn’t say things that investors would normally like to hear. Powell’s words didn’t hit the investor appetite immediate, but mixed activity in US futures hint that appetite may not remain as strong in the coming sessions. In the FX, the US dollar eased from two-decade highs. Gold trades around the $1800 mark and crude oil bumps into solid topsellers approaching above the $115pb   The EURUSD rebounded past the 1.05 and Cable traded past 1.24. Yet, prospects of higher US rates, and the positive divergence between the Fed and other central banks should prevent the dollar from falling significantly. Eurozone’s final inflation data is due today, and should confirm a rise to 7.5% in April, an eye-watering number which should keep the European Central Bank (ECB) hawks and the euro bulls alert, and help the single currency consolidate its latest gains against the US dollar. Gold trades around the $1800 mark and crude oil bumps into solid topsellers approaching above the $115pb. On the earnings front, the US retailers reveal mixed earnings but they all agree on one thing: inflation impacts activity. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:22 Market update 2:06 Jerome Powell is decided to bring inflation down! 2:48 High EZ inflation to keep euro bulls alert 3:41 ...but the dollar may not ease much! 4:42 Gold under the pressure on rising rates 5:31 Crude oil bumps into topsellers past $115pb 6:47 US retailers reveal mixed results, but agree that inflation is an issue Read next: Altcoins: What Is Monero? Explaining XMR. Untraceable Cryptocurrency!? | FXMAG.COM Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020.

Venezuela/Europe send oil lower Overnight, oil prices touched multi-week highs until the US announced it was starting a process, potentially leading to an easing of sanctions on Venezuela. That immediately saw oil reverse all its impressive intraday gains and both Brent crude and WTI finished slightly lower on the day. The EU effectively allowing European importers to pay for Russian gas via roubles should take the edge off European gas prices and flow through to oil prices. Brent crude finished 1.05% lower at USD 112.70 a barrel, having tested USD 116.00 intraday. WTI, by contrast, finished just 0.10% lower at USD 113.60 a barrel, having also tested USD 116.00 intraday. Prices are unmoved in Asia. Tight API inventory data and soaring diesel prices in the US have combined to send WTI to a premium over Brent and is likely to limit the downside for both contracts, Venezuela, or not. Tonight’s official crude inventory data dump will now be closely watched, and sharp falls in gasoline and distillates inventories could increase the WTI premium over Brent crude. Brent crude has resistance at USD 116.00 and support at USD 111.50 a barrel. WTI has taken resistance at USD 116.00 a barrel as well, with support at USD 111.50. Any progress on Venezuela’s supply returning to international markets is potentially a game-changer and should mean the top of my longer-term range, at USD 120.00 a barrel, remains intact. Gold’s price action doesn’t inspire confidence Despite the US dollar falling heavily overnight, and risk sentiment rising generally, gold prices fell 0.53% to USD 1815.00 an ounce overnight, easing to USD 1814.50 in Asia. US yields climbing higher may have played a part, but the direction of the US dollar has been more important of late. When gold falls as the US dollar falls heavily, we should all take that as a warning sign, suggesting lower prices are the path of least resistance. As such, I believe gold’s downside risks have ratcheted higher. Support lies at USD 1789.00, followed by USD 1780.00 an ounce. Failure of the latter suggests a deeper correction to USD 1700.00. That move could occur quite quickly if USD 1780.00 fails. Gold has resistance at USD 1836.00, followed by the 200-DMA at USD 1836.80, and then USD 1850.00 an ounce. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.

Your daily roundup of commodities news and ING views Tank farm for storage of petroleum products in Volgograd, Russia Energy It appears that another week will pass with the EU still unable to agree on a Russian oil ban. While it is taking longer than expected to come to an agreement, we believe that member states will eventually come to a deal. How much of an impact this will have on the market will depend on how watered down the final agreement is relative to the proposal. The effectiveness of the ban will also depend on the actions of countries outside the EU. Bloomberg reports that China is looking to potentially buy Russian crude for its strategic reserves. Although this shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise if China is set to increase its share of Russian oil purchases. The significant discounts available for Russian crude will prove very tempting for some buyers, like China and India. Self-sanctioning will already be affecting Russian oil flows to the EU, even in the absence of an official oil ban. This has left the EU to look elsewhere for alternative supplies, and whilst the US is an obvious candidate (given the expectation of relatively strong supply growth), we could in fact see US crude exports coming under pressure given the narrowing that we have seen in the WTI/Brent discount. The July WTI/Brent discount narrowed to less than US$2/bbl at one stage this week, after starting the month at more than a US$4/bbl discount. Inventories continue to point towards a tightening of the refined products market in Europe. The latest data from Insights Global show that gasoil inventories in the ARA region fell by 31kt over the week to 1.55kt, leaving inventories at multi-year lows. However, the big move over the week was in European gasoline inventories. Gasoline stocks in ARA fell by 342kt to 1.05mt. This decline over the week has seen gasoline inventories fall from more than a 5-year high to just below the 5-year average. Singapore also saw a further tightening in light distillate stocks over the week, with inventory levels declining by 815Mbbls to 13.74MMbbls, leaving them hovering just above the 5-year average. Clearly, the tightness that we are seeing in the US gasoline market is spreading into other regions. And given that the driving season is still ahead of us, we would expect to see further declines in inventories, which should prove supportive for gasoline prices over the summer. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Litecoin (LTC)? A Deeper Look Into The Litecoin Platform| FXMAG.COM European gas prices came under pressure yesterday. TTF fell by more than 3.7%, which saw the market settling at its lowest levels since the start of the war. European gas storage continues to improve due to strong LNG inflows. Storage in Europe is almost 41% full at the moment compared to a 5-year average of around 44% for this stage of the year. The gap between current inventories and the 5-year average continues to narrow. Assuming we go through injection season with no significant disruption to Russian gas flows, Europe should enter the next heating season with a comfortable inventory. However, this is a big assumption, and the risk of disruption is likely to continue to keep the market trading at historically high levels. US natural gas prices also came under pressure yesterday, selling off almost 2.7%. Weekly storage data shows that US gas storage increased by 89Bcf over the week, which was slightly higher than the 5-year average of 87Bcf. Agriculture The latest data from the Indian Sugar Mills Association shows that sugar production in India has increased to around 34.9mt so far this season. The association reported that around 116 sugar mills were still operating as of 15 May. ISMA maintained its export estimate at around 9mt for the current year, with around 8.5mt of export sales already made. The food ministry reported that sugar exports have increased to around 7.5mt as of 18th May, already surpassing last year’s 7.2mt of exports. The ministry estimates that around 3.5mt of sugar equivalent would be diverted to ethanol this year and expects this to grow with targets of around 6mt by 2025. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Monero? Explaining XMR. Untraceable Cryptocurrency!? | FXMAG.COM Read this article on THINK TagsSugar Russian oil ban Natural gas Gasoline shortage Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News

Bioenergy is a crucial pathway to net-zero emissions by 2050. The bioenergy market in the US has been growing and diversifying, with strong growth potential seen in carbon capture and storage (CCS), renewable diesel, and renewable natural gas. Addressing the environmental impact of bioenergy needs clear monitoring and more innovative solutions Bioenergy is a form of renewable energy derived from organic material   Bioenergy, a form of renewable energy derived from organic materials (or biomass), will play a pivotal role in helping the world achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. With a wide range of application options in sectors such as transport, heating, and electricity, bioenergy is forecast to account for 19% of total energy supply in 2050 and will contribute to 13% of the emissions reduction between 2020 and 2030 under the International Energy Agency's (IEA) Net-Zero Emissions (NZE) scenario. Emissions reductions by mitigation measure in the Net-Zero Emissions scenario, 2020-50 Source: International Energy Agency   In the US, the development of bioenergy has been accelerating and expanding. In the transport sector, the US is home to the world’s largest biofuels market, and the demand for biofuels in North America is expected to grow more than any other region through 2026 under the IEA’s baseline scenario. Growth will continue to be led by a diversification of biofuels supply beyond conventional ethanol, as advanced biofuels like renewable diesel and renewable natural gas (RNG) keep gaining momentum. Sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) are another point of growth; these will be covered in a later article. Biofuel demand growth by region in the baseline scenario, 2021-2026 Source: International Energy Agency   But the deployment of and investment in bioenergy is rising in other sectors as well, led by mounting action from corporates and investors across sectors to decarbonise their businesses and portfolios. So, let's take a look at the growth prospects of various bioenergy applications in the US, as well as the challenges they face.   Examples of bioenergy-related corporate climate strategies: Oil and gas: ExxonMobil identifies biofuels as one of its core solutions for its net-zero ambition. The company announced in early 2022 that it would acquire a 49.9% stake in Biojet AS, a Norwegian biofuels company, to receive up to three million barrels of biofuels per year. ExxonMobil is also investing $125m in California-based Global Clean Energy to purchase up to five million barrels per year of renewable diesel. Petrochemicals: Dow sees the creation of a circular economy through recycling and using bio-based materials as a focus area to accelerate sustainability. The company is expanding an agreement with Fuenix Ecogy Group to ramp up circular plastics production. It has also signed agreements with Gunvor Petroleum Rotterdam and Texas-based New Hope Energy to purify pyrolysis oil feedstocks derived from plastic waste. Power: Southern Company last year took ownership of the Meadow Branch Landfill Methane Recovery Facility, the renewable natural gas facility located in Tennessee, to strengthen its RNG capacity as part of the company’s strategy to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Biofuels: Federal policies will have a net positive effect on US production this year The main federal policy to support the US biofuels market is the renewable fuel standard (RFS), which requires refiners to blend certain volumes of biofuels in gasoline each year. The RFS benefited biofuels production – especially that of fuel ethanol – in the past, although in recent years the RFS has become more susceptible to policy uncertainty. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is in charge of setting RFS mandates, last December proposed to retroactively lower biofuel mandates for 2020 and 2021 but set 2022 requirements slightly above pre-pandemic levels. This will put pressure on refiners to blend more biofuel into their gasoline production this year, resulting in a net positive impact on the biofuels industry. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Monero? Explaining XMR. Untraceable Cryptocurrency!? | FXMAG.COM In addition, the EPA has proposed the rejection of all outstanding small refinery exemption (SREs) waivers pending for the 2016-20 compliance years. SREs give small refiners that process less than 75,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil and can demonstrate economic hardship caused by the RFS an exemption from complying with the rules. If implemented, this decision would substantially raise the demand for biofuel credits. A federal policy that will specifically boost the production of ethanol is the Biden administration's plan to allow E15 gasoline, a fuel that uses a 15% ethanol blend, to be sold between June and September. E15 gasoline is typically banned in summer due to worries about air pollution. E15 consumption is low also because of retail availability, automobile compatibility, and safety concerns. But heightened oil prices amid the Russia-Ukraine war have made the case for more E15 gasoline sales to ease prices. State level policies are a powerful addition At the state level, California’s low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS), the backbone of a carbon intensity-based cap-and-trade system, has been playing a substantial role in incentivising biofuels production in and near the state. The LCFS aims to achieve a 20% reduction in the carbon intensity of California’s transportation fuel pool by 2030, with compliance standards set for each year. Carbon intensity (CIs) based on composite of gasoline and diesel fuels under the LCFS Source: California Air Resources Board   Since last year, LCFS credits (supply) generated from low-carbon fuels have increasingly outgrown LCFS deficits (demand), which has led to a 23% fall from the record high LCFS price of $206/metric ton to $158/metric ton in March 2022. This is mainly because the demand for gasoline and LCFS credits has not recovered from the pandemic, whereas the production of low-carbon fuels keeps growing steadily. The biggest driver of recent LCFS credit generation is renewable diesel, followed by electricity, which has been boosted by the continuing adoption of electric vehicles. LCFS total credits and deficits for all fuels reported Note: Cumulative bank refers to total number of banked credits Source: California Air Resources Board LCFS credit generation by fuel type *Hydrogen, Renewable Naphtha, Propane, Innovative Crude & Low Complexity/Low Energy Use Refining, etc.. Note: Project based credits are issued post verification and may not be included. Source: California Air Resources Board   It remains to be seen whether this deficit trend will be temporary or permanent; we also don't know how the expected implementation of similar programmes in adjacent jurisdictions will alter the LCFS system in California. In addition to the Clean Fuels Program in Oregon which is already in place, Washington State is expecting to implement its Clean Fuel Standard in 2023 and a federal fuel standard is set to come into force in Canada in the same year.  Other US states including New Mexico, Colorado, Minnesota, and states in the Northeast and Midwest are also in various stages of developing LCFS-style systems. These programmes will provide effective additions to the federal RFS programme in driving biofuels demand. Renewable diesel takes the lead in advanced biofuel deployment The production of biomass-based diesel – namely biodiesel and renewable diesel – has taken off in the US and is set to increase further. Of the two, biodiesel dominates the bio-based diesel market, but renewable diesel is seeing faster growth. This is partly because renewable diesel is compatible with existing distribution infrastructure and engines. With the same composition as fossil diesel, renewable diesel does not have a blending limit, whereas biodiesel typically accounts for up to 20% of fossil diesel in the US, because of insufficient regulatory incentives despite higher blends being available. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Litecoin (LTC)? A Deeper Look Into The Litecoin Platform| FXMAG.COM Renewable diesel’s ability to lower carbon intensity, particularly in trucking and aviation, has prompted several US refineries to invest in greenfield projects and/or convert traditional plants to process renewable diesel. Refineries set to complete conversion between 2022-23 include Marathon Petroleum’s Martinez refinery in California, CVR Energy’s Wynnewood refinery in Oklahoma, and HollyFrontier’s Cheyenne plant in Wyoming, etc. Planned renewable diesel capacity in the US is expected to reach 6bn gallons by 2025, up from less than 2.4bn gallons estimated for 2021. One major challenge to the growth of both biodiesel and renewable diesel is feedstock availability and costs. It is estimated by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) that the demand for bio-based diesel feedstock will more than double from 2020 to 38.3bn pounds (17.4bn kilograms) in 2022, and soar to over 64bn pounds (19bn kilograms) in 2024. Prices for bio-based diesel feedstock have also climbed since 2020, causing some companies to postpone their renewable diesel projects. US estimated bio-based diesel feedstock use and implied future demand from capacity additions Source: Bloomberg New Energy Finance   In the long term, despite the growth momentum for bio-based diesel, the Energy Information Administration forecasts that bio-based diesel will remain a small part of the diesel market, accounting for less than 8% of US diesel production in 2050. This is partially due to competition from food consumption and electric vehicles (EVs), which will be discussed in a later section. Nevertheless, that 8% still translates into roughly 0.23mn bpd of production, a considerable absolute amount. RNG to see demand build up in the power sector Another promising advanced biofuel which is set for growth is renewable natural gas (RNG), or biogas that has been upgraded to replace fossil gas. RNG production capacity in the US increased at a compound annual rate of 35% between 2017 and 2021, thanks to $1.7bn of investment from oil and gas companies. Looking forward, RNG demand is projected to jump from 0.2 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) today to between 2.3 and 3.2 Tcf in 2040, according to BNEF. The fuel is forecast to be capable of displacing 6-12% of the US natural gas demand. RNG can be produced from various sources. Landfill has the strongest supply and cost advantage – most landfill RNG projects can be economical at $10/MMBtu or lower; landfill accounts for more than 60% of the RNG credits generated under the RFS and more than 90% of the RNG credits under the LCFS. In contrast, RNG produced from manure is more costly – at $30/MMBtu or higher – but remains attractive under the LCFS as it offers one of the lowest carbon intensities of less than -300 gCO2e/MJ. Importantly, although RNG demand from transportation dominates now, the majority of demand for RNG by 2040 will come from the power sector. In California, where the LCFS is advanced, RNG already contributes to 98% of natural gas used for transportation, mostly in municipal buses and trucking. The can add risks to future project returns if the produced RNG cannot be contracted in time. There is a potential in the long term for more RNG to be used in shipping, though it will encounter competition from other biofuels or synthetic fuels. RNG producers are starting to pivot their focus away from the transport sector. Archaea Energy is aiming to sell its RNG to natural gas utilities through long-term offtake agreements. The company plans to allocate 65% of its RNG production to non-transport applications. Admittedly, electricity generation from RNG today is more expensive than from conventional gas and the contribution of RNG to the grid is limited. Yet demand is likely to be sustained in the future, driven by climate commitments from commercial/residential customers and precuring requirements set for utilities. California now mandates utility company SoCalGas to increase RNG’s share of gas deliveries from 4% in 2021 to 12.5% by 2030. ­Oregon passed legislation to allow RNG to account for 30% of a utility’s purchases by 2045; the state is also letting utilities recover prudently incurred costs to meet the target. A handful of other states are considering similar policies. Outlook for US renewable natural gas demand Source: Bloomberg New Energy Finance   The favourable outlook for RNG/biogas can also augment the production of bio-fertilisers, which can be generated from the waste from biogas production. This will help meet the rising demand for bio-fertilisers in the US, spurred by growing preferences for organic food, as well as concerns over the likely harmful effects of chemical fertilisers on both health and the environment. US to pioneer in BECCS development The US is poised to lead the deployment of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology, a high-potential application of bioenergy. BECCS involves converting biomass to heat, electricity, or liquid fuels while capturing and storing the CO2 that is emitted during the conversion process. Since the growing of plant biomass absorbs CO2, BECCS can achieve net negative emissions when the emitted CO2 from bioenergy generation is permanently stored. Indeed, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change highlighted in its most recent report the need for carbon removal technologies for the world to reach net-zero emissions. The US is already a front-runner in CCS – it is home to 36 of the 71 new CCS projects added worldwide during the first nine months of 2021. On top of this, several BECCS networks are emerging in the Midwest thanks to lower costs of bioethanol production. Summit Carbon Solutions, for instance, is progressing with a project to link more than 30 ethanol biorefineries across Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. With a total potential capturing capacity of 8 Mtpa, the network would be the largest of its kind globally. Valero Energy and BlackRock are partnering with Navigator Energy Services to develop an industrial-scale CCS network that would connect biorefineries and other industrial plants across five Midwest states. The challenges facing bioenergy The use of bioenergy is not without controversy. The main challenge is the negative impact of bioenergy generation from excessive land use. From an environmental point of view, growing feedstocks such as soybeans and corn can lead to more deforestation, degradation of soil, and harmful changes to ecosystems. From a social point of view, despite yield growth potentials, the more feedstock is used for biofuels, the less there will be for food production. This has been exacerbated by the Russia-Ukraine war, which has disrupted the global food supply chain as both countries are major exporters of several leading crops. Hence, concerns have arisen in the US that the increasing use of crops for biofuels will limit food supply and add pressure to food prices. To tackle the problem in the long term, there needs to be a switch away from conventional, food-based biofuel feedstocks to advanced biofuels which use non-food crops, municipal solid waste, and agricultural and forest residues. The IEA forests that 60% of the global bioenergy supply in 2050 will need to come from sources that do not need dedicated land use to achieve net-zero emissions. Accelerating advanced biofuel production requires stronger incentives compared to those for conventional biofuels. In the US, the federal Biomass Crop Assistance Program provides financial assistance to producers of advanced biofuel feedstock. The Biden administration has also included in its FY23 budget $245m to accelerate the R&D of next-generation biofuel technologies. Another challenge is that the traditional use of bioenergy (burning wood or traditional charcoal) remains controversial as it can cause more emissions and deforestation. The EU still categorises bioenergy as green in its Taxonomy, but has strengthened the criteria to exclude certain forms of wooden biomass from qualifying as “renewable”. In the US, the EPA sees bioenergy as a cleaner fuel, while also recognising its negative potential if not managed well. Moreover, bioenergy-based solutions face scepticism that the supply chain – which involves biomass growing, transportation, storage, and processing – can emit more CO2 and harm the environment. That is why more precise monitoring and reporting of life-cycle emissions along a bioenergy technology’s supply chain needs to be in place. Finally, competing low-carbon technologies can complicate the growth of bioenergy. In the transport sector, the massive adoption of EVs will be a major threat to the demand for biofuels. As mentioned above, RNG developers are expanding their business footprint to the power sector, though these developers will likely encounter competition from renewable energy. Nonetheless, biofuels are still likely to maintain their niche in transportation, especially in heavy-duty trucks and aeroplanes, as it will be challenging for EVs to provide long-haul services without a step-change in technology. Global bioenergy supply in the Net-Zero by 2050 Scenario, 2010-50 Source: International Energy Agency Read this article on THINK TagsUnited States Renewables Net zero Energy Transition Biofuels Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News

Or just a blip? Gold has very much fallen out of favour over the last month as it fell 10% on the back of coming within a whisker of $2,000. But has something changed? We’ve seen plenty of risk aversion in the markets over the last 24 hours, with stock markets falling heavily, and rather than being particularly supportive for the dollar, it’s gold that has performed well which hasn’t really been the case in recent weeks. Read next: Altcoins: What Is PancakeSwap (CAKE)? A Deeper Look Into The PancakeSwap Platform| FXMAG.COM Perhaps that’s because higher inflation and therefore interest rate expectations have been behind all of the gloom in the markets, which is typically bullish for the dollar. Whereas the last 24 hours seem to have seen a shift. Rather than interest rates, it’s economic fears that are driving the negativity in the markets. Higher inflation is squeezing margins which means higher prices. And the Fed has gone from anticipating a soft landing, to softish and now just a safe one. That shouldn’t fill anyone with confidence. And maybe that’s why we’re seeing investors move back towards gold. Of course, we’ve seen plenty of big sentiment swings in the markets, especially this year, so that could change. But it’s possible that gold may be back in favour. The first test of this comes around $1,850 which has been support and resistance in the past and coincides with the upper end of the 55/89-period SMA on the 4-hour chart. This is followed by $1,875-1,900, a break of which would be a strong signal. A break back below $1,800 on the other hand would suggest quite the opposite unless accompanied by very positive economic news which seems unlikely at this point. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Litecoin (LTC)? A Deeper Look Into The Litecoin Platform| FXMAG.COM This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News

US stocks edged lower as Wall Street became more focused over a deteriorating growth outlook that could see stubbornly high pricing pressures for the Fed into a much more aggressive tightening cycle. It doesn’t seem like we will see a deceleration in pricing pressures and that has many traders worried that the Fed will send the economy into a recession.  Right now markets are functioning properly but if we see another 5% decline with stocks, credit conditions will worsen and that could provide the Fed an excuse to stop tightening so aggressively.  Tighter financial conditions will hurt the parts of the economy that are doing well and further selling of stocks could remain the theme if the S&P 500 enters a bear market.  The S&P 500 is looking vulnerable here as more strategists slash their forecasts as recession risks rise.  Fed (Federal Reserve) Fed’s George affirmed the board’s stance that a half-point rate increase pace is appropriate.  The Fed remains focused with fighting inflation and they will remain aggressive with tightening policy until liquidity becomes a concern.  FX (Forex) The dollar is in freefall as investors buy up Treasuries over concerns that the economy is headed for a rough patch. The dollar was ripe for a pullback and today’s across the board weakness might continue a while longer. Read next: Altcoins: What Is PancakeSwap (CAKE)? A Deeper Look Into The PancakeSwap Platform| FXMAG.COM US Data A wrath of US economic data painted a gloomy picture of the economy: Jobless claims rose, the housing market is clearly cooling, another Fed regional survey showed the weakest print since early in the pandemic and the leading index turned negative.  Weekly jobless claims rose from 197,000 to 218,000. The Philly Fed manufacturing outlook fell sharply from 17.6 to 2.6.  Surging mortgage rates and record home prices led to a drop in April existing home sales  Crude Oil Price Crude prices rallied as the EU nears a key deadline to pay for Russian oil with a roubles account.  The oil market just has too many risks to supplies and still a strong short-term travel outlook both in the EU and US.  WTI crude should be well supported at the $100 level as US production is slowly increasing. Recession fears are rising but that impact won’t be felt for quite a while, which means the oil market won’t see imminent crude demand destruction. Crude inventories are too low for oil traders to turn bearish with WTI crude. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Litecoin (LTC)? A Deeper Look Into The Litecoin Platform| FXMAG.COM Gold Price Gold is acting like a safe-haven again as recession fears are triggering massive demand for Treasuries, which is sending both yields and the dollar lower. The US labor market is showing signs of weakness and that could lead fears that consumer spending will deteriorate much faster than most are expecting. The dollar is getting sold against everything and that is great news for gold. Right now, investors are looking for safety and Treasuries and gold should both outperform in the short-term.   Bitcoin (BTC) Bitcoin is hovering around the $30,000 level as investors continue to shy away from stocks.  A weaker dollar and bear market stock fears are making Bitcoin attractive again.  It seems the fallout from all the stablecoin drama that sent cryptos sharply lower is finally fading.  Bitcoin looks poised to consolidate here, but bulls should be happy to see prices are not mimicking what happens with the stock market.   Read next: Altcoins: What Is Monero? Explaining XMR. Untraceable Cryptocurrency!? | FXMAG.COM This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News

Summary: The post-covid world and the war in the Ukraine caused Crude Oil to rally. Gold futures are on the rise amidst concerns around economic slowdown of the US economy. Cotton prices fall marginally despite concerns around increasing demand and tightening supply. Read next: The UN Is Stepping In To Help Wheat Exports, Platinum Prices Experiencing Volatility and The West Turns To Asia For RBOB Gasoline Supply  XAUUSD Gold prices rally Gold prices pushed up past $1.830 on Friday, the gain comes in the wake of the softening U.S economic data amid the hawkish Federal Reserve and its continuing aggressive monetary policy. The soft economic data has raised concerns around economic growth. The hawkish Fed will continue to hike interest rates despite fears of economic slowdown which is causing the US Dollar to weaken and pushing treasury yields lower. Investors are turning to gold as a hedge against the growth concerns, ultimately driving the gold price up. Gold Jun ‘22 Futures Price Chart WTI Crude Futures Crude Oil Futures pushed above $112 on Friday amidst concerns around demands returning to a normal level as China eases their COVID-19 lockdowns and the embargo in Russian oil looming simultaneously occurring as fears of economic slowdown heighten. The post-covid world is seeing average driving mileage increasing in the U.S causing an increase in demand, as well as the EU pushing the ban on Russian oil to be certain by the end of the month. Crude Oil Jun ‘22 Futures Price Chart Cotton futures Cotton futures prices have faced downward momentum over the past week. However, the prices are still high, the raised prices come in the wake of rising demand and tightening supplies. Cotton Jul ‘22 Futures Price Chart Read next: More Expensive Coffee!? Weather Conditions In South America Can Limit Crops. (WTI) Crude Oil Price Recovering, Palladium Prices Rise Amidst Concerns Around Supply  Sources: tradingeconomics.com, finance.yahoo.com

Summary: Brent crude oil prices are rising in response to increasing demand. Silver prices are rising again. Improved weather conditions is leaving the market hopeful for an improved corn crop. Read next: (XAUUSD) Gold Prices Rise In The Wake Of Concerns Around U.S Economic Slowdown, Crude Oil Prices Rally In Response To Increasing Demand And Concerns Around Supply, Cotton Prices  Brent Crude Oil prices rising With the expected increase in demand for Brent crude oil in both the United States and in China's post-lockdown world, the price of Brent crude oil is rising. U.S gasoline and fuel prices remain at a record high level as the busiest driving season approaches. The market expects the demand for Brent crude to increase with the easing of lockdowns in China, causing further concerns around supply in an already tight market. Brent Crude Oil Futures Price Chart Silver prices rise again. A weakening US Dollar has aided in the rising price of Silver. Silver is considered a safe asset and is commonly used as a hedge against inflation which is attractive in the current economic environment. In addition, the rise in the price of silver also comes with investor need for safe-haven assets with the geo-political tensions and the concerns around the slowing global growth. Silver Jul ‘22 Futures Price Chart Corn futures fall Late last week the price of corn futures fell, this came in the wake of investors buying wheat and selling corn in spread trades amidst signs of improved U.S corn crop planting. The improved corn planting is easing concerns around supply, driving the price lower. Corn Jul ‘22 Futures Price Chart Read next: ECB Offering The Euro Support (EUR/USD), Strengthening Of The Renminbi Supporting The EUR and GBP, SNB Turns Hawkish (EUR/CHF) - Good Morning Forex!  Sources: finance.yahoo.com, tradingeconomics.com

Traders will be looking for a fresh direction when Crude Oil Inventories data is released on Wednesday WTI fell from Monday's high of around $111.90 and is trading at $109.46 in the Asian session as of writing. Oil prices are under downward pressure following EU's proposed ban on Russian oil which looks to be unconvincing. In the meantime, Russian oil continues to be exported, though the risk of price increase still remains. Traders will be looking for a fresh direction when Crude Oil Inventories data is released on Wednesday, and another meeting is scheduled next week by the bloc's leaders to further discuss the situation. Source: https://www.fxstreet.com/news/wti-bears-in-control-as-eus-proposed-ban-on-russian-oil-looks-unlikely-202205240200 Read next: Altcoins: Ripple Crypto - What Is Ripple (XRP)? Price Of XRP | FXMAG.COM Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News

Summary:  Our weekly Commitment of Traders update highlights futures positions and changes made by hedge funds and other speculators across commodities and forex up until last Tuesday, May 17. A week where risk sentiment continued to swing between hot and cold, long end bonds held steady while the dollar showed signs of topping out. The commodity sector rallied strongly with gains in energy, grains and softs more than offsetting fading weakness in precious metals Saxo Bank publishes weekly Commitment of Traders reports (COT) covering leveraged fund positions in commodities, bonds and stock index futures. For IMM currency futures and the VIX, we use the broader measure called non-commercial. Link to latest report This summary highlights futures positions and changes made by hedge funds across commodities and forex up until last Tuesday, May 17. A week where risk sentiment continued to swing between hot and cold before the S&P 500 Index recorded a 2% gain on the week, long end bonds held steady while the dollar showed signs of topping out. The commodity sector rallied strongly with gains in energy, grains and softs more than offsetting fading weakness in precious metals.Latest across market updates on can be found in our daily Financial Market Quick Take here Commodities The Bloomberg Commodity Spot index jumped 5.6% on the week with risk sentiment seeing a revival supported by bouncing stocks and a softer dollar. Gains being led by energy and grains, the two strongest sectors based on current fundamentals. Most notable buying seen in crude oil, soybeans, wheat, sugar and coffee while precious and industrial metals remained challenged by the recent slump. Overall hedge funds responded to these developments by adding length for the first time in four weeks to 13 out of the 24 major commodity futures tracked in this with the combined net long rising 4% to 1.74 million lots. Energy: Money managers increased their bullish bets on WTI and Brent crude oil by 60k lots during a week where a tight product market, especially in the US, triggered a double digit rally in WTI while Brent returned to challenge resistance in the $115 area. The biggest weekly addition in six months lifted the combined net long in WTI and Brent to 469k lots, an 11-week high. Despite supporting price action, the ICE gas oil contract saw continued long liquidation with the net long slumping to a 17 month low at 73k lots, down 50% from the February peak. Metals: The metal sectors share of the total net exposure shrank to a three-year low at just 2% on a combination of net short positions being held in platinum, palladium and copper together with reduced bullish exposure in gold and silver.Speculators cut their net long in gold by 26% to an eight-month low at 54k lots while silver returned to neutral for only the second time in three years. The copper net-short stayed near a two-year high at 17.2k with short-covering being offset by long liquidation as the price rose by 2%. Highlighting the need for an even bigger bounce in order to force a change in the current weak sentiment towards copper and the industrial sector in general. The same goes for gold, which in order to turn more investor friendly, will need to break the next significant hurdle at $1868, the 38.2% retracement of the recent 210-dollar correction.Agriculture: In grains, the net long in Chicago wheat jumped by 71% to 26k lots, a 14 month high, after the price surged by 17% in response to US crop worries and after India’s export ban jolted the market. The soybean complex was mixed with buying of soybeans being offset by selling of meal and oil. In softs, funds increased their Arabica coffee net long by 51% to 29k lots, driven by short-covering, as the price jumped 11.5% on frost worries. Despite persistent worries about the outlook for production in Brazil following last year’s frost damage and current weather worries, the price has been loosing momentum in response to global demand worries. Read next: Altcoins: Ripple Crypto - What Is Ripple (XRP)? Price Of XRP | FXMAG.COM Forex In fx, speculators maintained an unchanged dollar long position in a week where profit taking reigned as the greenback lost ground against all the currencies tracking in this update. Overall the changes were very modest with net selling of the commodity currencies being offset by MXN and another week of euro buying. These changes effectively left the aggregate dollar long against nine IMM currency futures and the Dollar Index unchanged on the week at $22.9 billion.What is the Commitments of Traders report? The COT reports are issued by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the ICE Exchange Europe for Brent crude oil and gas oil. They are released every Friday after the U.S. close with data from the week ending the previous Tuesday. They break down the open interest in futures markets into different groups of users depending on the asset class. Commodities: Producer/Merchant/Processor/User, Swap dealers, Managed Money and otherFinancials: Dealer/Intermediary; Asset Manager/Institutional; Leveraged Funds and otherForex: A broad breakdown between commercial and non-commercial (speculators) The reasons why we focus primarily on the behavior of the highlighted groups are: They are likely to have tight stops and no underlying exposure that is being hedged This makes them most reactive to changes in fundamental or technical price developments It provides views about major trends but also helps to decipher when a reversal is looming Source: Saxo Bank Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News

A paradox seems to be emerging in the oil market. Typically, high prices caused companies to increase investment so they could produce more, boosting their profits and meeting demand. Currently, this may not be the case. Investors were also concerned that high oil prices could reduce fuel consumption around the world Oil prices are still above the $100 per barrel mark, but oil production companies are not expected to invest in exploring new fields or starting new drills. Representatives of the world's largest company, Saudi Aramco, are even announcing that the world may face a serious supply crisis in the oil market. Energy companies may be afraid to invest in this sector in the face of pressure related to politicians' attitude toward energy transformation and renewable energy sources - Reuters reports. Thus, energy companies may keep their current profits to themselves instead of investing until regulations and laws lead to a reduction in their market share. This, in a way, may explain why OPEC may care about high oil prices and why the cartel is not increasing production to the levels it declared earlier. Additionally, investors were also concerned that high oil prices could reduce fuel consumption around the world. Moreover, at the annual economic summit in Davos, political and business representatives highlighted the risk of a global recession in the face of multiple threats. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said she does not expect a recession in major economies, but cannot rule it out. Meanwhile, lingering concerns about tight global supply and hopes for a return of demand in China provided some support for oil prices as Shanghai prepares to reopen and lift restrictions. Read next: Altcoins: Ripple Crypto - What Is Ripple (XRP)? Price Of XRP | FXMAG.COM In contrast, rising oil prices and slowing economic growth will significantly constrain demand growth for the remainder of 2022 and into 2023, according to a May IEA report. In addition, prolonged restrictions in China, where the government is battling the spread of the Covid-19 virus, are causing a significant slowdown in the world's second-largest oil consumer. For the full year, global oil demand is forecast to average 99.4 mb/d in 2022, up 1.8 mb/d year-on-year. If refiners cannot keep up with the pace of demand growth, consumers could come under additional pressure With the easing of restrictions in China, increased summer car traffic and further increases in jet fuel prices, global oil demand will rise by 3.6 mb/d from its April-August low. If refiners cannot keep up with the pace of demand growth, consumers could come under additional pressure. Daniel Kostecki, Director of the Polish branch of Conotoxia Ltd. (Forex service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 80.77% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News

Todays’ Market Summary The Dollar weakening has halted Futures on three main US stock indexes are down Brent is edging lower currently as an agreement on Russian oil imports ban still escapes European Union though German economy minister says he expects EU embargo on Russian oil 'within days'. Gold prices are edging up currently Top daily news Equities are pointing down currently as US Treasury yields inch down while markets rebounded on Monday. Amazon slipped 0.03% amid reports it is planning to sublease some of its warehouse space because the pandemic-fueled surge in online shopping has slowed, Microsoft shares rose 3.2% outperforming market on Monday. Forex news Currency Pair Change EUR USD -0.32% GBP USD -0.04% USD JPY +0.37% AUD USD -0.36% The Dollar weakening has halted currently. The live dollar index data show the ICE US Dollar index, a measure of the dollar’s strength against a basket of six rival currencies, lost 0.5% on Monday. EUR/USD joined GBP/USD’s continuing climbing Monday while the Ifo institute reported German business sentiment continued to improve in May. Both pairs are down currently. AUD/USD resumed its advancing yesterday while USD/JPY continued its climbing with the yen higher against the Greenback currently and Australian dollar retreating. Read next: Altcoins: Ripple Crypto - What Is Ripple (XRP)? Price Of XRP | FXMAG.COM Stock Market news Indices Change Dow Jones Index -0.59% Nikkei Index -1.14% Hang Seng Index -1.62% Australian Stock Index -0.58% Futures on three main US stock indexes are down currently ahead of U.S. manufacturing purchasing managers survey report at 15:45 CET with the yield on benchmark 10-year Treasury notes inching down to 2.841%. US stock market reversed the selloff yesterday as President Biden said that he was considering easing tariffs on China. The three main US stock index benchmarks booked daily gains in the range of 1.6% to 2.0% Monday led by mega-cap growth shares. European stock indexes are down currently after closing up Monday led by banking and mining shares while European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde surprised markets by stating about possible rate hike as early as July. Asian indexes are falling today with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index leading losses while Markit reported Japan's manufacturing activity grew at the slowest pace in three months in May. Read next: Altcoins: Cardano (ADA) What Is It? - A Deeper Look Into Cardano (ADA) | FXMAG.COM Commodity Market news Commodities Change Brent Crude Oil -0.52% WTI Crude -1.31% Brent is edging lower currently as an agreement on Russian oil imports ban still escapes European Union though German economy minister says he expects EU embargo on Russian oil 'within days'. Prices advanced marginally yesterday. US West Texas Intermediate WTI added 0.01% but is lower currently. Brent gained 0.7% to $113.42 a barrel on Monday. Gold Market News Metals Change Gold +0.15% Gold prices are edging up currently. Spot gold yesterday closed up 0.39% at $1852.74 an ounce on Monday.

Oil rally stalls Oil prices are relatively flat on Tuesday as global economic fears and the prospect of tighter restrictions in Beijing take some of the heat out of the rally. Brent and WTI are trading right at the upper end of the range they’ve been within the last couple of months, with tight supplies, easing restrictions in Shanghai and a potential EU ban on Russian oil imports driving the price higher. As has been the case for months now, there are so many countering forces in the market that it can be hard to keep up. Not to mention sentiment in the broader markets drastically changing from one day to the next. It’s quite a challenging market right now but one thing is clear, it’s still extremely tight and those pressures will keep prices elevated. Just not quite as much as it would if not for the recession warnings and Chinese Covid cases. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Polkadot (DOT)? Cross-Chain Transfers Of Any Type Of Asset Or Data. A Deeper Look Into Polkadot Protocol | FXMAG.COM Gold edges higher Gold is aiming for a fifth consecutive winning day on Tuesday as a softer dollar and slightly lower US yields have allowed for a recovery in the yellow metal. It is trading back above USD 1,850, with USD 1,875 and USD 1,900 being the next big tests. If USD 1,850 fails to hold as support, the next test below falls around USD 1,835, with USD 1,800 then being the key support below that. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News

Oil looking for direction Oil prices remain directionless as energy traders try to assess how significant the deceleration in economic activity will be for the short-term crude demand outlook. The oil market remains tight but the COVID situation in China points to a gradual pickup in demand and that might keep this market rangebound a while longer. Saudi Prince Faisal bin Farhan noted that the kingdom has done what it can for global oil markets and that should mean production increases will remain slow. Oil prices will likely remain supported above the USD 100 level for the rest of the year. ​ ​ It looks like the only thing that will send oil back to the pre-COVID levels is demand destruction across the world’s largest economies and that probably won’t happen. WTI crude pared gains after a steady stream of weakening US economic data, but the overall outlook is still ok and a recession is unlikely until 2024. Gold Gold prices are surging as Treasury yields plunge following a wave of risk aversion that stemmed from disappointing earnings and deteriorating economic data from the US. ​ Non-interest bearing gold is a safe-haven again and it could be on the verge of a major breakout if prices can recapture the USD 1885 level. A peak in Treasury yields is in place and now the dollar looks like it is ready for a pullback as the ECB is ready to raise rates which is good news for the euro. ​ Read next: Altcoins: What Is Monero? Explaining XMR. Untraceable Cryptocurrency!? | FXMAG.COM There might be no stopping gold right now as the wall of worry on Wall Street continues to grow. ​ Gold should remain supported as inflationary pressures weigh further, China’s COVID situation remains a big unknown, and corporate America continues to slash outlooks. Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.

Gold price (XAU/USD) is trading on correction towards $1,860 in the Asian session after reaching the high of $1868 yesterday as investors anticipate the release of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) minutes and US Durable Goods data later today. The yellow metal jumped strongly for the past week after reaching the low of around $1,786 printed on May 16. Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News The strength in gold prices is due to the DXY's steep fall below 102.00 after making a record 19-year high of 105.00 on May 13. Following this, further gains in gold cannot be ruled out. Read next: Altcoins: What Is Polkadot (DOT)? Cross-Chain Transfers Of Any Type Of Asset Or Data. A Deeper Look Into Polkadot Protocol | FXMAG.COM Source: Online Trading Platform | Currencies, Commodities, Stocks, Cryptos | ICM.com

Your daily roundup of commodities news and ING views Energy The oil market has traded firmer during the morning session in Asia. API numbers overnight were once again supportive for the market. Crude oil inventories are reported to have increased by 567Mbbls over the last week. However, there were continued product draws, with gasoline and distillate stocks falling by 4.22MMbbls and 949Mbbls respectively. The tightening in the US gasoline market will raise concerns over supply as we move into driving season. Tightness in the US is pulling in gasoline from elsewhere, including Europe, which is also looking increasingly tight. The US energy secretary has also not ruled out restricting petroleum exports, given rising prices. Up until now the US administration has been reluctant to go down this route and instead has focused on releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.  Whilst these releases may offer some relief to crude oil prices, they may do little to ease gasoline shortages if the bottleneck is on the refining side. It’s looking unlikely that differences over an EU ban on Russian oil imports will be resolved at next week’s meeting of EU leaders. The Hungarian Prime Minister has reportedly said that meetings on 30 and 31 May would not be an appropriate place to discuss the ban, whilst the European Commission President has also made similar comments. Therefore, the uncertainty over a Russian oil ban looks as though it will hang over markets for quite a bit longer. We continue to believe that the EU will eventually agree on a ban and, assuming it is not too different to the current proposal, we would expect  the move to be supportive for prices, particularly over 2H22. Austrian Gas Grid Management (AGGM) announced the results of its recent purchase tender for natural gas for strategic reserves. The tender attracted 189 bids, which ended up seeing AGGM buying 7.7TWh of storage at an average price of EUR124.50/MWh including storage costs through until April 2023. This price is well above the current prompt price in Europe of around EUR85/MWh.  Austrian gas storage levels are well below average at the moment - inventories are 29% full compared to a 5-year average of almost 45% at this stage of the year. EU allowances saw somewhat of a recovery yesterday, following the weakness seen over the past week due to EU plans to sell EUR20b worth of allowances from the Market Stability Reserve. The Dec-22 contract rallied by 4% yesterday to settle at EUR81.32/t, although it is still some distance from the more than EUR92/t we saw it trading at early last week. The catalyst for yesterday’s move appears to be comments from an EU official who was more supportive about the role that financial institutions play in the EU carbon market. This comes after the EU Parliament’s Environment Committee supported a proposal to restrict speculative activity in the EU carbon market. Agriculture There appears to be a growing trend of protectionist measures taken by governments around the world, given concerns over food security and inflationary pressures. After India recently surprised the market with a ban on wheat exports, the Indian government has now announced that it will limit sugar exports to 10mt in the current 2021/22 season, which ends in September. India is set to be the third-largest sugar exporter this season, behind Brazil and Thailand. The announcement is somewhat surprising, given that India has had a very strong sugarcane crop this season. However, as reflected in the price action, the market is not too concerned at the moment about this export limit, given that most in the market have been expecting Indian sugar exports this season to total around 9mt, so below the export limit. The bigger concern is that we see other countries taking similar action when it comes to agricultural commodity exports. Apart from the action taken by India, Malaysia is also set to ban chicken exports, whilst Indonesia has gone back and forth on a palm oil export ban. Read this article on THINK TagsSugar Russian oil ban Oil Natural gas EU carbon Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

White House unnerves oil markets Oil prices continued to range trade overnight, finishing almost unchanged in New York. Asia, though, has seen both Brent crude and WTI rise. A couple of items seem to be behind the move. A sharp 4.20 million drop in gasoline inventories late in New York from the API Inventory data is likely supportive, with gasoline prices becoming a major issue in the US. Following on from that, White House officials explicitly refusing to say possible crude export restrictions were off the table appears to have spooked Asian suppliers. The last thing the world needs right now is US crude oil export restrictions with global supplies already tight. That saw both Brent crude and WTI spike 1.0% higher in early Asian trade, although those gains have eased as the session has gone on. Brent crude is 0.90% higher at USD 114.70 a barrel, and WTI is 0.65% higher at USD 110.90 a barrel. The White House likely needs to “clarify” its stance, least it creates unintended consequences by pushing crude prices higher. Brent crude, notably, is testing multi-week resistance today. Brent crude is testing resistance at USD 114.70 today, which is followed by USD 116.00, with support at USD 112.00. Failure of USD 116.00 could set up a retest test of my medium-term resistance at 120.00. ​ WTI is taking comfort from the White House stance and is sitting in a USD 108.00 to USD 112.00 a barrel range. Nevertheless, a topside breakout by Brent crude will almost certainly drag WTI higher as well, precisely what President Biden doesn’t want. Gold rises once again Gold had another decent overnight session, buoyed by lower US yields and a still-weakening US Dollar. Gold finished 0.69% higher at USD 1866.50 an ounce. In Asia, some US dollar strength has seen it weaken slightly by 0.40% to USD 1859.00 an ounce. Overall, although I acknowledge gold’s upward momentum, I remain sceptical of its longevity until it manages to hold on to material gains in the face of US dollar strength. Read next: (TRX) TRON USD Decentralised Blockchain Platform That Focuses On Entertainment And Content Sharing. Altcoins: A Deep Look Into The TRON Network | FXMAG.COM The technical picture continues to remain supportive, and it seems only a marked US dollar recovery will cap gold’s rally. Gold took out resistance at the double top at USD 1865.00 an ounce which becomes intraday support, followed by USD 1845.00 and USD 1840.00 an ounce. It should now target USD 1886.00, its 100-day moving average. That would open up a test of USD 1900.00, although I suspect there will be plenty of option-related selling ahead of that level. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News

Summary: Platinum prices are falling with demand. Russia opens safe corridors for forign exports in the Ukraine. RBOB Gasoline prices continue to rise. Read next: Potential Frost Causing Concerns Around Coffee Supplies, Crude Oil Demand Is Expected To Rise, Palladium Price Falls Amidst Easing Concerns Around Supply And Demand  Platinum futures Platinum prices are well below their $1154 high that was hit in March of this year, the supply of platinum is rising whilst demand is struggling to recover. The lockdowns in China have slowed or stopped auto sector production causing the demand for platinum to fall, however, according to platinum's top supplier, Nornickel, the partial recovery of the global sector could offset the lower consumption in China. The market is expecting to see a surplus of Platinum at the end of the year. Platinum Jul ‘22 Futures Price Chart Easing supply concerns driving Wheat prices down As supply concerns ease, the price of wheat futures are falling. Russia said they would open safe corridors daily for forign ships to leave both Black Sea ports as well as Sea of Azov ports, which will allow commercial shipping to resume in the Ukraine after 3 months of fighting. In addition the Indian government announced an embargo on Wheat exports to try to guarantee food security and to discourage farmers from selling wheat on the private market at higher prices. Wheat Jul ‘22 Futures Price Chart RBOB Gasoline prices The prices of RBOB Gasoline have been rising amidst concerns around supply and the expected increasing demand. US President Joe Biden may limit US Gasoline exports in an attempt to decrease the prices in the US. RBOB Gasoline Jun ‘22 Futures Price Chart Read next: XAUUSD Prices Rise As Investors Turn To Safer Assets, Cotton Prices, NGAS Prices Still Rising As Concerns Around Supply Continue  Sources: finance.yahoo.com, tradingeconomics.com

Oil markets slumber Oil prices had another comatose session by their standards, barely rising from the day before. Nevertheless, both Brent crude and WTI have held on to all their recent gains, suggesting the weaker side is the upside in prices for now. While China slowdown fears are receding in the minds of traders, for now, fears persist around the increasing tightness of the US diesel market, and I suspect not ruling out export controls has unnerved international markets, and rightly so. I expect prices to remain firm for the rest of the week, with the global data calendar fairly light. Brent crude rose 0.60% to USD 114.35 overnight, where it remains in an equally quiet Asian session. WTI rose 0.40% to USD 110.70, adding just 20 cents to USD 110.90 a barrel in Asia. Brent crude has resistance at USD 115.00 and USD 116.00 today, with support at USD 112.00. A rally through USD 116.00 could set up a retest test of my medium-term resistance at USD 120.00. ​ WTI is taking comfort from the White House stance and is sitting in a USD 108.00 to USD 112.00 a barrel range. Nevertheless, a topside breakout by Brent crude will drag WTI higher as well, allowing a test of the USD 115.00 to USD 116.00 resistance zone. Gold weakens on US dollar strength Gold fell by 0.70% to USD 1853.25 an ounce overnight, retreating another 0.45% to USD 1845.00 an ounce in Asia. As I have touched on before, the true test of gold’s underlying strength will be maintaining gains in the face of a US dollar rally. The fall by gold over the last 24 hours in the face of modest US dollar strength does not fill me with confidence. Further US dollar strength could see gold face one of its ugly downside shakeouts. Read next: Altcoins: Tether (USDT), What Is It? - A Deeper Look Into The Tether Blockchain| FXMAG.COM Gold has nearby support at USD 1842.00, followed by USD 1836.00 an ounce. Failure sees the possibility of a mini-capitulation by longs that could reach as far as USD 1780.00 an ounce. On the topside, gold has resistance at USD 1870.00, followed by USD 1886.00 an ounce, its 100-day moving average. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News

Your daily roundup of commodities news and ING views Tank farm for storage of petroleum products in Volgograd, Russia Energy Oil finished last week off strongly. ICE Brent settled above US$119/bbl, which took its gains for the week to more than 6%. Tightness in the refined products market continues to prove supportive for crude oil prices, as healthy refinery margins should see refiners maximize their run rates. Last week, there were also reports that the US administration was talking to the domestic industry to see whether they could bring back shut refining capacity in order to help improve refined product supply. Over the weekend, EU diplomats failed to come to an agreement on the EU’s proposed ban on Russian oil ahead of a 2-day summit with EU leaders starting today. There are reports that despite concessions provided to Hungary, which would exclude oil that flows through the Druzhba pipeline from the ban, Hungary is still blocking the agreement. Hungary wants EU funding in order to help them increase pipeline capacity from Croatia and also for refiners to be able to switch to alternative crude. Diplomats are expected to meet ahead of the summit today, however, it’s unlikely that members come to an agreement when they meet, given that talks have not progressed enough.   The latest positioning data show that speculators increased their net long positions in ICE Brent by 12,639 lots over the last reporting week, which left them with a net long of 197,072 lots. This is the largest position that speculators have held since early March. However, it is still some distance from the roughly 333k lots they held back in October last year. The move over the week was driven predominantly by fresh longs, with the gross long increasing by 8,831 lots. Given the move that we have seen in the market since last Tuesday, the current net-long position is likely to be even larger. OPEC+ are set to meet on Thursday to discuss their production policy for July. We continue to expect no change in the group’s approach and expect confirmation that they will increase output levels by a little over 400Mbbls/d over the month. However, as we have seen for several months now, it is unlikely that members will produce anywhere near their agreed output levels. Metals Base metals rebounded on Friday along with other risk assets. A weaker dollar last week offered a temporary boost to the metals complex. LME nickel jumped over 7% at one stage on Friday, which saw the market hit an intraday high of US$29,100/t (highest since May 9). Total open interest in the LME nickel market dropped to 161,884 contracts on Wednesday last week, the lowest since 2012. Over the weekend, Shanghai said it would remove ‘unreasonable curbs’ on businesses and manufacturers from 1 June. The city also unveiled fresh economic support measures. It is set to abolish the so-called whitelist, allowing more businesses to resume from 1 June; however, some doubt that workers will be able to leave their compounds to return to work from this week. Among the 50 policy measures announced by Shanghai officials, the city will cut some purchase taxes, issue more quotas for car plates, and subsidise electric vehicle purchases. These policy measures for Shanghai may provide some relief, but are unlikely to turn around the overall slowdown in demand.  The focus will be on how quickly economic activity improves following the easing of restrictions. More importantly, the scale of stimulus is an important factor to keep an eye on. Major base metal inventories have remained in a downward trajectory in the China onshore market after logistics improved, and are still low compared to historical levels. This suggests that markets have a relatively smaller pile of metal to work with if business returns to normality. However, as market dynamics move back towards a favourable import arb, the scale of import flows remains to be seen. Agriculture CBOT corn saw speculators liquidating longs over the last reporting week with a pick-up in US corn plantings. CFTC data shows that money managers reduced their net long position by 48,242 lots over the last week to 291,469 lots. The move was predominantly driven by longs liquidating. Money managers reduced gross longs by 30,976 lots over the week, whilst increasing fresh shorts by 17,266 lots. The speculative net long in CBOT corn has now dropped to the lowest level in more than six months. Read this article on THINK TagsRussian oil ban Russia-Ukraine Refined product Nickel China Covid Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Summary:  Commodities have seen hefty prices increases in the past two years, which is bad for inflation and for life in general but is one of very few asset classes where a profit can be made in very depressed markets.​ It’s hardly news that the cost of living – or inflation – is going up at a rate which the world hasn’t seen for decades. Food is getting more expensive, electricity is going up, it is more costly to buy and build stuff. In short, everything you want to do and consume costs (a lot) more than it did a year ago.There is one area – or in finance lingo, asset class – which is the root cause of this situation, and it has politicians and economists scratching their heads to find solutions: commodities. Commodities are the basic input to everything we do. It covers energy production, raw materials, metals, food, etc.When you look at commodities from a societal point of view, there isn't a lot of good news:“In short, what happens in the commodity sector is troubling. The Bloomberg Commodity Index is up 24% on the first quarter and if you look at average annual returns it has almost doubled since 2020,” says Ole Hansen, Head of commodity strategy at Saxo. In this quote, Hansen points to something interesting when dealing with an asset class like commodities, because it affects both the financial markets, and day-to-day life. When investing in an index, which is up that much in such a short time, you would usually be celebrating, but it isn’t always a good thing for commodities to climb so high, so fast.“Commodities are the basic input for everything we do, which means that when they get more expensive, so does everything else. Commodities need to find a more stable level for consumers and companies alike to feel comfortable, which no one is now,” says Hansen.As Hansen describes, surging commodity prices can have grave effects on society at large especially in less wealthy parts of the world, and its solution can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. “Most people will have to wind back on their spending. This will cause an economic slowdown, which hurts, but unfortunately seems to be the only cure right now against high inflation,” he says.The other edge While commodities need to become more stable for its societal impact, the asset class remains an enticing investment opportunity in a market where it seems like it is almost the only one you can look for a profit, even if there’s an economic slowdown. This is due to the supply and demand dynamics we are experiencing right now.Central banks are hiking rates to kill – or slow – the demand side, which is yet another reason why companies and thus equities are struggling. This should, in theory, also push the prices of commodities down, but then let’s turn our heads towards the supply side.Here, especially the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the strict COVID-19 lockdowns in China, suppress the supply of many key commodities. This creates a dramatic imbalance between supply and demand, which means that even a global economic slowdown most likely wouldn’t bring it back to an equal footing.“If I had to pick one area to look for inspiration, it would be the metal industry. There’s a lot of amped up construction in China due to the lockdowns, which means that once they are lifted, the metal space could see a substantial increase in demand from them,” says Hansen.Queued up construction in China can push metal prices, which also could be a long play on the mining sector within equities."The equity market is probably the most difficult since the 2007-2009 financial crisis years due to a combined factor of persistently high inflation and equity valuation compression from higher interest rates. We believe that the world will be in a commodity super cycle and thus should be exposed to this through mining companies both short and long term. China's slowdown is just short-term noise. It changes nothing regarding mining companies over the coming years," says Peter Garnry, Head of Equity strategy.

Asian markets rally on positive Wall Street and China hopes S&P 500, Nasdaq And Dow Jones US markets closed out the week on another positive note after US data alleviated inflation fears and thus, future Fed tightening, and showed strength among US consumers still. Realistically, after such a positive week, it would have taken a lot to knock the FOMO gnomes of Wall Street off their path of bottom-picking nirvana. The S&P 500 rallied by 2.48%, while the Nasdaq leapt by an impressive 3.33%, with the Dow Jones climbed by 1.76%. The rally has continued in Asia, with Nasdaq futures 0.90% higher, with S&P 500 futures up 0.40%, and Dow futures edging 0.10% higher. US OTC markets are closed for Memorial Day. End Of COVID Restrictions? Asia is also turning in a positive performance, following the impressive New York close, and boosted by hopes that China’s Beijing and Shanghai hubs are reopening from virus restrictions and a package of stimulus measures released by the Shanghai local government. Nikkei 225 And CSI 300 Japan’s Nikkei 225 has coat-tailed the Nasdaq 2.10% higher today, with South Korea’s Kospi gaining 1.25%, and Taipei rallying by 1.60%. In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite is a more cautious 0.30% higher, with the CSI 300 rising by just 0.40%. The ever-optimistic Hong Kong, however, had leapt 2.50% higher, boosted by hopes of an Evergrande bond deal. Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News Metals In regional markets, Singapore is up just 0.20%, while Kuala Lumpur has fallen 0.25%, and Jakarta is 0.60% lower. A Goldman Sachs report suggesting metals prices have peaked is likely weighing on all three markets, as risk sentiment swings back to more growth-stock orientated markets. Bangkok has gained 0.65%, while Manila has rallied by 1.25%. Australian markets have also liked what they have seen with Wall Street and China, the ASX 200 and All Ordinaries climbing by 1.25% today. Read next: Altcoins: Tether (USDT), What Is It? - A Deeper Look Into The Tether Blockchain| FXMAG.COM Russian Oil Friday’s New York close and Asia’s rally today should be enough to lift European equity markets this afternoon, although the still simmering EU import ban on Russian oil and Brent crude above USD 120.00 a barrel will temper bullish animal spirits. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.

Brent crude rises above USD 120.00 The disconnect between energy prices and optimism in equity markets continues today in Asia. On Friday, oil prices surged once again, driven by an unrelenting squeeze on refined products, notably diesel and gasoline, globally, with the US driving season about to begin in earnest. Brent crude rose by 1.63% to USD 119.20 a barrel on Friday, rallying another 0.70% to USD 120.05 this morning. WTI rose by 0.85% to USD 115.10 a barrel on Friday, rallying another 0.83% higher to USD 116.05 in Asia today. Markets pricing in peak virus in Beijing and Shanghai are behind the rally in oil prices today, with a China reopening likely leading to increased oil consumption. Unlike recent times, markets seem unconcerned about oil moving back to March highs, emphasising how much pent-up risk-sentiment demand there appears to be out there. We can expect no solace from OPEC+ on production increases on Thursday. The grouping cannot pump to meet its present quotas as it is, and a 430,000 bpd increase is all we can expect. Additionally, the EU Russian oil import ban is still a work in progress and if it gets over the line this week, expect supplies to tighten again. As such, the risks are now increasing of a move towards the post-Ukraine highs we saw in February. Both Brent crude and WTI are at the top of my expected medium-term ranges at USD 120.00 and USD 115.00 respectively. A weekly close above these levels would be a major signal indicating more gains ahead. Brent crude’s next technical resistance is at USD 124.00 a barrel, and then USD 132.00, with support at USD 116.00. WTI has resistance nearby at USD 116.70 a barrel, with nothing afterwards until USD 127.00 a barrel. Support is at USD 115.00 and USD 113.00 a barrel. Gold trades sideways Gold seems determined to bore traders to death after another inconclusive overnight range-trading session. It finished Friday 0.13% lower at USD 1853.00 an ounce, before gaining 0.44% to USD 186.75 an ounce in Asia today. Gold’s price action continues to suggest caution, with the US dollar sell-off not translating to any meaningful gold strength. If global risk sentiment turns lower, gold could quickly follow. Gold has nearby support at USD 1840.00, followed by USD 1836.00 an ounce. Failure sees the possibility of a mini-capitulation by longs that could reach as far as USD 1780.00 an ounce. Gold has resistance here at USD 1862.00, ​ then USD 1870.00, followed by USD 1886.00 an ounce, its 100-day moving average. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.

Oil prices jumped after EU leaders reached an agreement late Monday to ban 90% of Russian crude by the end of the year. U.S. crude futures up 2.81% to $118.29 (Contracts for July) Brent crude futures up 0.93% to $122.80 (Contracts for July) U.S. crude up 2.84% to $115.42 (Contracts for August) Brent up 1.17% to $118.98 (Contracts for August) Read next: Altcoins: Cardano (ADA) What Is It? - A Deeper Look Into Cardano (ADA) | FXMAG.COM Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News

German inflation hit a fresh record high of 8.7% in May, above the 8.1% penciled in by analysts. The data gave a boost to the European Central Bank (ECB) hawks and helped the EURUSD extend gains to 1.0780. Crude oil extended rally as the European leaders finally announced their decision to partially ban the Russian oil. Can The EU Affect OPEC's Move? Bitcoin's Rally And people started asking, would the European decision to ban the Russian oil would impact the OPEC’s decision about production; would the OPEC nations pump more to replace the Russian oil for European exports? Elsewhere, the softish US yields help gold consolidate above 200-DMA, while other precious metals also gain, Bitcoin rallies above $31K and the US markets are back after a long-weekend break!   Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:25 German inflation hits record, revives ECB hawks 1:31 Europe announces to partially ban Russian oil, oil rallies 4:08 Go deeper: will EU decision affect OPEC strategy? 5:38 US LNG stocks extend rally 6:32 DAX, FTSE recover¨ 8:00 Precious metals update. Gold, platinum, palladium 9:07 Bitcoin rallies, but gains remain vulnerable Read next: Altcoins: Ripple Crypto - What Is Ripple (XRP)? Price Of XRP | FXMAG.COM Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. Follow FXMAG.COM on Google News  

Summary: Wheat prices dropping as supply concerns ease. As China begins to lift covid-19 restrictions, demand for platinum is rising. RBOB gasoline prices rally in the wake of EU oil embargo. Read next: EU Reaches An Agreement On The Banning Of Russian Crude Oil, Coffee Prices Rise, Palladium Prices Decline Along With Supply Concerns  Wheat prices reach their lowest in four weeks Chicago wheat futures reached their lowest in four weeks on Thursday, as commodity traders carefully monitor the possible maritime trade corridors for Ukrainian wheat and fertilizers. The Russian president, Putin said that Russia was willing to open safe corridors to allow foreign ships to leave the both the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov ports, which would allow commercial shipping of Ukrainian grains after three months of war in the country, should western countries lift sanctions. In the United States there are higher projections for wheat in the future and in addition, the wheat prices remain supported thanks to India’s decision to impose a wheat embargo in an attempt to guarantee food security. Chicago Wheat Futures Price Chart Platinum Prices increased As China begins to re-open their economy after their covid-19 lockdown restrictions, the demand for platinum is increasing. Although the global outlook for metal use in car manufacturing will decline overall in 2022, concerns around supply and demand are still driving the price fluctuations of Platinum. Platinum Futures Price Chart RBOB gasoline RBOB Gasoline prices have risen to a new high at the start of the summer season. The latest rally comes in the wake of the European Union implementing a ban of seaborne oil imports from Russia, creating further concerns around supplies. RBOB Gasoline Futures Price Chart Read next: XAUUSD Prices Fall As The US Dollar Rebounds, Inflationary Pressures Driving Cotton Demand Down, NGAS Price Rising  Sources: finance.yahoo.com, tradingeconomics.com

Summary: On Friday the price of gold neared its one month high. Crude oil prices have jumped up and down over the past week. Supply may increase to meet demand. Read next: Wheat Prices Enter June On A Four Week Low Platinum Prices Rising Again, RBOB Gasoline Prices Reach New High  Gold prices rise again On Friday the price of gold neared its one month high. The price of gold has been elevated by the weakness of the US Dollar, putting gold on track for its third weekly gain. The dollar weakened overnight in the wake of data that showed US payroll rose less than expected in May. Therefore, U.S Dollar backed gold became more attractive to overseas buyers. The current geopolitical tensions and the chances of the global economy falling into a recession also increased demand for the safe-haven asset. XAUUSD Price Chart WTI Crude Oil prices. Crude oil prices have jumped up and down over the past week. The price has dropped slightly during trading on Friday in the wake of news that Saudi Arabia will increase its oil output. Saudi Arabia indicated to its allies in the West that it would increase its oil output to try to balance the fall the region is experiencing from its Russian oil embargo. WTI Crude Oil Price Chart Soybeans The price of soybeans have been volatile over the past two days. Late April saw Soybean prices hit record high prices amidst supply and demand concerns. A top palm oil producer based in Indonesia indicated that it would reinstate a requirement to allocate a certain amount to the domestic market as it lifts the most recent export embargo. However supply may increase to meet demand, however it will be tight. Soybeans Price Chart Read next: EU Reaches An Agreement On The Banning Of Russian Crude Oil, Coffee Prices Rise, Palladium Prices Decline Along With Supply Concerns  Sources: finance.yahoo.com, fxmag.com, tradingeconomics.com

Summary: Saudi Arabia hiked their crude oil prices for July. Hopes of higher corn supplies thanks to hopeful USDA reports and easing trade restrictions between the major producers. Increased demand for Silver as a safe-haven asset drives the prices up. Read next: Saudi Arabia Indicates Plans To Increase Their Oil Output (EUR/USD), ECB Plans To Start Tightening Monetary Policy Still Set For July (EUR/GBP), (USD/JPY, USD/CHF)  Brent Crude oil prices surge as Saudi Arabia Increase prices On Monday Saudi Arabia hiked their crude oil prices for July, driving the price of Brent crude oil up to almost $121 per barrel. This move tightened global supplies even after OPEC+ agreed to increase its output at a faster pace in the coming months. The premium for the barrels heading to the U.S remained steady, whilst the premiums for the barrels heading for Asia and Northwest European countries were raised by Saudi Arabia. Despite OPEC+ promises to increase its output by 50% than previously planned, there are still doubts around whether or not they can meet the demand as member countries are struggling to meet the demand. The price rise and the demand and supply concerns are happening in the peak of the U.S driving season and increased demand as China comes out of its Covid-19 lockdowns, and their economy starts again. Brent Crude Oil Futures Price Chart Silver prices rise again The price of silver reached the highest in a month, this comes in the wake of increased demand for the safe-haven asset. The increased demand is being caused by continuing geopolitical tensions, inflation and persistent concerns around slowing global growth. Silver Jul ‘22 Price Chart Corn prices low Corn futures are trading at eight week lows on Monday amidst strong hopes of higher supplies thanks to hopeful USDA reports and easing trade restrictions between the major producers. With planting progress strong and expectations for exports to resume from the Ukraine, prices are dropping. In addition, Brazil and Beijing came to a conclusion regarding beginning exports from Brazil to China. Corn Dec ‘22 Futures Price Chart Sources: finance.yahoo.com, tradingeconomics.com

Oil struggling to hold above USD 120 Oil is continuing to struggle around USD 120 on Tuesday, with Brent and WTI very slightly lower. We’ve seen USD 120 broken on a few occasions over the last week but each time it’s been quickly repelled in a sign of momentum starting to run a little thin. The fundamentals remain bullish for oil prices as China continues to reopen and the OPEC+ “production hike” does little to alleviate the tightness in the market. Still, it’s been a very strong run over the last month, with the price up more than 20% from the May lows. We could potentially see some profit-taking in the short-term but it’s hard to imagine it being too severe, barring significant growth downgrades or a surge in Covid cases in China. Gold consolidation continues As has so often been the case in recent weeks, gold is continuing to fluctuate around USD 1,850 today and showing little sign of a burst in either direction. It struggled once more around USD 1,870 on Friday, reinforcing it as a key area of resistance to the upside, while USD 1,830 continues to be the first line of support below. We may have to wait for the inflation data at the end of the week for an interesting move in either direction. For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar: www.marketpulse.com/economic-events/ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Oil clutching to US 120, gold drifting - MarketPulseMarketPulse

Summary: Markets await the US crude inventory report. Disappointing Brazilian coffee supplies. Expectations that the palladium market will close in balance at the end of 2022 Read next: (XAUUSD) Gold Should Be Bullish, NGAS Reaches Highest Price Since August 2008, Cotton Crop Planting Is Ahead Of Schedule  WTI Crude Oil prices rising as supplies tighten further On Wednesday, WTI Crude oil futures prices are nearing the near 14 year high that was hit in March, this price rise comes in the wake of expected increase in demand as China comes out of lockdowns, tight global supplies and the summer driving season in the US. The markets are also awaiting a report that will indicate the official US crude inventories, which is expected to have fallen, highlighting the tightness in crude supplies, globally. The CEO of global commodities trader, Trafigura said that the energy markets were in a “critical” state due to sanctions placed on Russian oil inlight of their invasion of the Ukraine which has just built on already tight supplies which were created by years of under-investment. WTI Crude Jul ‘22 Futures Price Chart Coffee prices volatile amidst changing supply and demand concerns Coffee futures prices hit a peak on June 1st amidst general real strength and concerns over tight supplies. Coffee dealers indicated to traders that the market is well supported by limited flow from Brazil and Central America, the top Brazilian grower lagging on its historical average. The concerns around coffee supplies and demand are driving the futures prices. Coffee Sep ‘22 Futures Price Chart Palladium prices are normalising Palladium prices have been falling consistently over the past week due to easing concerns around both demand and supply. The world's largest palladium producer, Nornickel, expects the palladium market to close in balance at the end of 2022. The company also promised they would continue producing in order to meet its obligations, despite logistic obstacles. In addition, global supply demand is expected to increase by only 3% in 2022 as Covid-19 lockdowns and continuing supply chain bottlenecks will likely delay recovery of chip supplies until at least 2023, thus undermining car production. Palladium Sep ‘22 Futures Price Chart Sources: finance.yahoo.com, tradingeconomics.com

Summary: Sanctions on Russia and protests in South Africa are causing problems for platinum exports. As shortage concerns continue, the price of wheat futures continue to rise. Read next: Coffee Supplies Remain Tight, Supply and Demand Concerns Are Easing For Palladium , WTI Crude Oil Nearing March High  Platinum faces a future of tight supplies Platinum futures rose above $1000 per tonne during the trading week, the highest price in over 2 months. The price rise comes in the wake of concerns around tight supplies and the demand recovery for the biggest platinum consumer, China. China’s platinum consumption is due to increase as the government lifts most of the Covid-19 health restrictions in Shanghai and announced support measures to help boost the economy. In addition, supply chain issues are persisting as the war in Eastern Europe continues and more sanctions are being placed on Russia, the top exporter of platinum. South Africa’s production of platinum is also set to fall amidst risks of extended strikes, as workers continue to protest for wage-negotiations. Platinum Jul ‘22 Futures Price Chart West unlikely to ease sanctions on Russia, wheat supply concerns persist As shortage concerns continue, the price of wheat futures continue to rise. The expectations of higher trading activity from Ukraine remained low as the west is unlikely to relax the sanctions on Russia, meaning Putin is unlikely to open Ukrainian ports and allow trade. Investors are remaining alert to any possible changes in India's export ban that was passed in May, following news that India’s government may allow exporters to ship some of the wheat that is currently stuck in cargos. Wheat Sep ‘22 Futures Price Chart RBOB Gasoline Prices of RBOB gasoline continue to rise as the concerns around energy supplies persist, globally. The continuing sanctions on Russia, is causing supply insecurity as the US enters into its summer driving season, driving demand up. RBOB Jul ‘22 Futures Price Chart Read next: (XAUUSD) Gold Should Be Bullish, NGAS Reaches Highest Price Since August 2008, Cotton Crop Planting Is Ahead Of Schedule  Sources: finance.yahoo.com, tradingeconomics.com

Summary: US inflation data should offer the market guidance on the Federal Reserve's interest rate hike timeline. Natural gas futures prices dropped on Thursday as investors reacted positively to information from the EIA. Coffee futures prices remain supported by limited supplies and general real strength. Read next: Concerns Around Increasing Demand and Tightening Supply For Platinum, RBOB Gasoline, West Is Unlikely To Ease Sanctions On Russia Causing Wheat Supply Concerns Persist  (XAUUSD) Gold prices falling as US Dollar strengthens Gold futures prices eased on Friday in the wake of a strengthening US Dollar and rising Treasury yields weighed on the safe-havens appeal in the run-up to the release of US inflation data that should offer the market guidance on the Federal Reserve's interest rate hike timeline. The Fed is set to implement two more 50 basis point interest rate hikes at both its June and July meetings, following a move similar to the one in May, which has recently put pressure on gold. Meanwhile, global economic outlook risks that have arisen from the war in the Ukraine, persisting supply chain disruptions, high commodity prices and rising borrowing costs are all factors that are offering gold prices support. XAUUSD Aug ‘22 Futures Price Chart NGAS futures supported by rising demand and tight supplies Natural gas futures prices dropped on Thursday as investors reacted positively to information from the EIA showing that the natural gas storage is built primarily in line with expectations. NGAS prices faced heavy pressure earlier in the trading week after an explosion at the Freeport oil and gas export terminal in Texas, which is set to leave fuel supplies stranded in the domestic market despite the soaring international demand. Still, NGAS prices remained high this week amidst record demand for power in Texas, a fall in output and an intense rally for NGAS as Russia’s war on Ukraine sends energy markets scrambling. NGAS Jul ‘22 Futures Price Chart Coffee is supported by general real strength Coffee futures prices remain supported by limited supplies and general real strength. Coffee dealers indicated that the market remains well supported by a limited flow from both Central America and Brazil, with Brazil, who is the top harvester and grower, lagging their historical average. Coffee Sep ‘22 Futures Price Chart Sources: finance.yahoo.com, tradingecnomics.com  

Summary: Rising covid cases in China and 40-year high US Inflation. The global economic outlook remains dim due to the rising borrowing costs, the war in Ukraine, high commodity prices and ongoing supply disruptions. Failed talks between Russia and Ukraine puts corn supplies under pressure. Read next: (XAUUSD) Gold Prices Falling In The Run-Up To US Inflation Data Release, NGAS Prices Fall But Remain Elevated, Coffee Prices  Brent Crude prices fall for third session Brent crude oil futures prices have fallen on Monday for their third session as investors have been monitoring the covid situation in China and have remained concerned that rising inflation may hinder growth and negatively impact the demand for oil. Major cities in China are fighting rising covid-19 cases with officials warning of “ferocious” Covid spread in Beijing. In addition, U.S inflation hit a 40-year high of 8.6% last month, which increases the likelihood of more aggressive interest rate hikes from the FED. On Saturday US Fuel prices went above $5 per gallon, extending the surge in fuel costs that is driving rising inflation. Goldman Sachs indicated on Friday that energy prices needed to increase further before achieving a destruction in demand that is sufficient for market rebalancing. Brent Crude Oil Price Chart Silver prices reaches its lowest level in 4 weeks Investors' worries around the global economic outlook and a more hawkish attitude from the Federal Reserve have been strengthening, pushing silver prices down to its lowest level in four weeks. The global economic outlook remains dim due to the rising borrowing costs, the war in Ukraine, high commodity prices and ongoing supply disruptions. The Fed is due to continue tightening its monetary policy during the coming week after US inflation reached 41-year highs during May, in addition the ECB and RBA have also chosen a more hawkish path as inflation shows no signs of peaking. Silver Jul ‘22 Futures Price Chart Corn Prices rising amidst concerns around supply. Corn prices reached nearly eight week highs in the wake of new concerns around grain supplies. Talks failed between two of the major corn suppliers, Russia and the Ukraine around the resuming of Ukrainian exports despite the Turkish efforts to negotiate a safe passage for grain stuck at the Black Sea Ports. Russian President Putin said free shipment depended on an end to sanctions on Russia. Corn Dec ‘22 Futures Price Chart Sources: finance.yahoo.com, tradingeconomics.com

Summary: Gold prices are under pressure from a rallying US Dollar. NGAS prices have dropped as expectations of cooling demand strengthened as the summer season approaches. Inflationary pressures and re-imposed Chinese lockdowns vs Cotton prices Read next: Brent Crude Oil Prices, Silver Prices Hit Lowest Price In Four Weeks, Corn Prices Rise Amid Supply Concerns  XAUUSD prices falling in the wake of broad market sell-off On Tuesday Gold futures are trading at around four-week lows after falling nearly 3% during Monday's trading session. Gold prices remain under pressure from a rallying US Dollar and Treasury yields as investors are bracing themselves for more aggressive monetary policy tightening from the Federal Reserve Bank. Aggressive interest rate hikes have also instilled fears of a recession in the US economy which drove further selling and forced liquidation across the financial markets, including with gold. XAUUSD Price Chart Natural Gas demand falling as the summer season approaches Natural gas prices dropped in the past two trading sessions in the wake of investors' expectations of cooling demand strengthened as the summer season approaches. In addition, a recent explosion at a major Texas LNG terminal has made room for more natural gas to enter the market, due to the facility being offline for at least another 3 weeks. The extra supply in the market could bridge the gap between the current inventory levels and the 5-year average, which has been one of the driving forces behind the quarters natural gas rally. NGAS Futures Price Chart Demand weakening for Cotton Cotton futures prices are trading near 2-month lows due to expectations of higher supply and weaker demand. Cotton demand is expected to decrease due to inflationary pressures and the largest consumer, China re-imposes covid-19 lockdowns. Cotton Futures Price Chart Sources: finance.yahoo.com, tradingeconomics.com

Summary:  The commodity sector traded lower in a week where central banks took centre stage after several rate hikes were announced in an ongoing effort to curb runaway inflation. Most notably the 75 basis point hike from the US FOMC, a strong move that raised the prospect of this action also hurting global growth, and with that demand for commodities. Responding to these developments, the Bloomberg Commodity Index recorded its biggest weekly loss in three months, with all sectors (apart from grains) suffering setbacks. Central banks took centre stage this past week after they announced rate hikes in an ongoing effort to curb runaway inflation. The 75-basis point rate hike – and promises of more to follow – announced by the FOMC on Wednesday, added to an ongoing rout in global stocks and bonds. In fact, global equities were headed for their steepest weekly decline in two years after the SNB (Swiss National Bank) and BoE (Bank of England) joined in, thereby adding to concerns that tighter monetary policies could undermine the post-Covid global economic recovery.The price recent price actions and changes seen in bonds and stocks have gone straight to the history books. An example being the S&P 500 which, in five out of the last seven trading days, has seen more than 90% of its stocks decline. Since 1928, we have not seen such an overwhelming display of selling. Together with the rout in Cryptos and blockchains, this was indeed a week where investors had trouble finding a haven, with some commodities being the exception. Global growth worries helped push the Bloomberg Commodity index to its biggest weekly loss in three months, with all sectors (apart from grains) suffering setbacks. The most notable decline was seen in the energy sector after a prolonged outage at a major LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) plant triggered a selloff in US natural gas, with more being available for domestic consumption. Inadvertently, the disruption in US gas supplies to Europe and Russia turning down the taps to Germany and Italy, saw European gas prices jump by more than 50%. A development which, together with already record high prices for diesel and gasoline, once again highlight Europe as the epicentre of growth concerns – mostly stemming from Russia’s war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, crude oil and fuel products refused to be dragged into the narrative of lower growth – leading to lower demand and lower prices. The current level of market tightness driven by supply issues is simply too big of a factor to ignore. As a result, we are seeing low availability of fuels into the peak summer demand season. Along with this, we are seeing a continued surge in the margins refineries earn from their production of fuels, especially diesel – the fuel that keeps the world and economies on the move. Being such an important input to the global economy, a small weekly loss amid rising growth fears from aggressive central bank rate hikes highlights the current predicament of tight supplies, driven by years of lower investments. These have been caused by historically bad returns, high volatility and uncertainty about future demand, ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) and the green transformation. Several OPEC+ members, for various reasons, included those mentioned are close to being maxed out. With spare capacity being increasingly concentrated among a few Middle East producers, the prospect for a continued rise in demand over the coming years will be challenging.Sanctions against Russia and other multiple disruptions have led to the OPEC+ group trailing its own production target by more than 2.5 million barrels per day. The risk of even tighter markets was highlighted by the IEA (International Energy Agency) in their monthly update when it said that world oil supply will struggle to meet demand in 2023. A post-Covid resurgent Chinese economy and tighter sanctions on Russia being the main reasons and, despite emerging growth clouds, the Paris-based agency still expect demand to accelerate by 2.2 million barrels per day to 101.6 million barrels per day, only 0.3 million barrels per day above a recent forecast from the US Energy Information Administration.Following several failed attempts to break resistance in the $125 per barrel area, Brent instead went looking for support at lower prices. However, once again, the setback proved very shallow, with support being found ahead of $115 – a previous resistance-turned-support level.Industrial metals suffered a fresh setback as the Bloomberg Industrial Metal Spot Index hit a fresh low for the year – down 28.5% since the March record peak. The peak came just before Covid-19 outbreaks in China (the world’s top consumer of metals) helped trigger a sharp reversal. Between May and early June, the index went through a small recovery phase as China began lifting Covid-related restrictions, thereby boosting the prospect for growth initiatives. However, renewed lockdowns in Shanghai, the prospect of restrictions potentially not being lifted until next year as well as renewed focus on a central bank-driven global growth reversal helped send the sector sharply lower this week.Aluminium dropped to an 11-month low after US data stoked recession fears. This was while copper drifted lower towards key support in the $4 per pound ($8900 per tons) area, thereby setting up the potential for a challenge at a level from where prices have bounced on several occasions during the past fifteen months. As long as inventory levels in exchange monitored warehouses continue to fall, as opposed to rising given the current softness, we maintain our long held bullish view on the direction of the sector.A break in copper below the mentioned levels may trigger a temporary downward push which, in our opinion and using Fibonacci’s retracement numbers, could trigger a downward extension to $3.86 or in a worst-case scenario drop of around 12% to $3.50. Source: Saxo Group Precious metals: Gold and silver traded lower this week but well above levels that otherwise could be expected, given the adverse movements seen across other markets – most notably the dollar and US treasury yields both rising in response to the FOMC 75 basis point rate hike. However, as we highlighted in our most recent update gold has increasingly been showing signs of disconnecting from its normal strong inverse correlation with US real yields. Based on ten-year real yields at 0.65%, up from –1% at the beginning of the year, some will argue that gold trades too expensive by around 300 dollars.While rising dollar and yields in recent weeks have acted as a drag on gold, thereby raising discussions about its inflation hedging credentials, it is safe to say that other supporting drivers are currently at play. The most important being the risk of current central bank actions driving a hard landing, meaning that a US recession could emerge before inflation is being brought under control – thereby creating a period of stagflation, periods which historically has been bullish for gold.We believe that hedges in gold against the rising risk of stagflation, traders responding to the highest level of inflation in 40 years and turmoil in stocks and cryptos are some of the reasons why gold has not fallen at the pace dictated by rising real yields. With that in mind, we are watching what investors do (not what they are saying) through the ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) flows. During the past week, total holdings in bullion-backed ETFs have seen a small decline of less than 0.25% – again, a development highlighting investor maintaining exposure to offset the tumultuous conditions seen across other markets and sectors.Our long held bullish view on gold and silver has been strengthened by developments this past week. We still see the potential for gold hitting a fresh record high during the second half, as growth slows and inflation continues to remain elevated. The weekly chart shows that if $1,780 support is broken, there is no strong support before around $1,670 while a daily close above $1,880 is needed to change the current rangebound market behavior. Source: Saxo Group Source: WCU: Commodities drop as inflation battle heats up | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Oil prices start reversing the Friday slump As I outlined above, oil futures have started reversing the Friday price slump as speculative capitulation collides with the reality of tight energy markets in the real world. Brent crude held USD 112.00 overnight, finishing 0.92% higher at USD 114.05 a barrel. It has added another 0.85% to USD 115.15 a barrel in Asian trading today. WTI held USD 108.50 overnight, finishing 0.20% higher at USD 110.05 a barrel. It has jumped 1.20% higher to USD 111.50 a barrel in Asian trading.   Friday’s falls have bought my six-month support lines back into focus. On Brent crude, that is at USD 107.00 a barrel today, just below its 100-day moving average (DMA) at USD 107.95. Ahead of this, it has support at USD 112.00, with resistance at USD 116.00 a barrel. WTI’s six-month support line is at USD 106.25 a barrel, just ahead of its 100-DMA at 105.25. It has interim support at USD 108.50, and resistance at USD 112.50 a barrel.   Of the two, WTI looks the more vulnerable, having fallen further and closed closer to its multi-month support zone. If the US cuts federal fuel taxes this week, or US housing data is very soft, that could be enough to tip the scales lower. It is hard to see either contract moving lower than USD 100.00 a barrel given the state of the physical market. From a technical perspective, I would like to see one of either contract tracing out a couple of daily closes below the longer-term support lines and the 100-DMAs, before reassessing my longer-term bullish outlook.   Gold range continues It was another wax-on, wax-off day for gold overnight thanks to US markets being closed. It edged 0.11% lower to USD 1839.00 an ounce. In Asia, it has gained slightly by 0.12% to USD 1840.60 an ounce as comatose trading conditions continue.   Despite the noise of the past week, it remains anchored in the middle of its one-month range. The overnight price action shows that the inverse correlation to the US dollar is as strong as ever.   Gold has resistance at USD 1860.00 and USD 1880.00, the latter appearing an insurmountable obstacle for now. Support is at USD 1805.00 and then USD 1780.00 an ounce. Failure of the latter sets in motion a much deeper correction, while I would need to see a couple of daily closes above USD 1900.00 to get excited about the upside. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Oil moves higher, gold range-trades - MarketPulseMarketPulse

Despite attempts at rebounding equity markets, moderate pressure on gold has persisted for the third consecutive trading session. This pressure is directly linked to rising long-term bond yields on US debt and several other developed countries. Bonds and gold work like communicating vessels: rising real long-term yields draw capital to the debt markets away from gold. Over the last two years, the inverse correlation between gold and US 10-year Treasury yields has been very strong: gold prices peaked in August 2020, while yields rose from 0.5%. Last week, when the 10-year Treasury yield was rising temporarily to 3.5%, it tested the $1800 area. However, there are several essential points to understand in this correlation. First, the 10-year Treasury yields touched 11-year highs last week, while gold has retreated only to the levels last seen at the start of the year. In other words, an active capital outflow from gold only occurs when yields decline sharply, whereas the long-term trend favours the shiny metal. This correlation can easily be explained by inflation, which eats into the purchasing power of money in the long term. Secondly, 10-year yields are not so much influenced by short-term Fed interest rates as economic growth forecasts. Increased chances of a recession in the foreseeable future have dampened long-term yields. In addition, there are signs that the upward movement in UST yields was too fast, setting up a corrective pullback in the near term. In our opinion, the potential danger for gold is a further tightening of the Fed’s tone, i.e. hints of new steps of a 75-point rate hike and a willingness to keep rates above inflation. But so far, we have seen a significant outperformance of inflation over key rates, and comments from FOMC members indicate a willingness to stop with a tightening in the 3.5-4.0% area, with no attempt to ride out inflation and a reversal to a rate cut as early as 2024. Such outlooks are keeping long-term bond yields in check and, at the same time fuelling interest in a strategy of buying gold during intense downturns. Locally, creeping upward bond yields are working for sellers of gold. This also has a bearish signal in the form of consolidation below the 200-day moving average. However, gold’s resilience drew attention when markets overestimated expectations of a rate hike from 50 to 75 points and multiple buying gains on dips under the 200-day moving average since December last year.

Summary: Natural gas futures prices are dropping. As the dollar strengthens and global monetary policy tightening continues, the price of gold remains under pressure. Cotton demand expected to decrease as supplies are set to increase. Read next: Brent Crude Oil Prices At 5 Week Lows, Silver Prices Affected By Aggressive Monetary Policy, New Concerns Around Corn Supplies  NGAS futures closed at two month lows Natural gas futures closed at their lowest level in two months in the wake of rising domestic inventories. Freeport LNG indicated that it did not expect the terminal to return to full operations until late 2022, however, partial operations could return within three months. The recent explosion at one of the largest US natural gas export terminals is keeping the US supplies, despite ever rising international demand, which is releasing the domestic price pressure. NGAS Jul ‘22 Futures Price Chart   Gold prices falling amidst a wave of monetary policy tightening The price of gold remains under pressure from rising treasury yields and a strong US Dollar. Gold prices fell around 2% last week amidst a global wave of monetary tightening which aimed at bringing inflation down, the wave was led by the Federal Reserve's 75 basis point hike. The gold prices fell due to the fact that investors tend to shy away from the non-yielding metal as interest rates rise. Gold Aug ‘22 Futures Price Chart Cotton demand weakens as supply rises Cotton futures were trading at almost 4 week lows on prospects of higher supplies and weaker demand. Demand for cotton is seemingly weakening across the world as inflationary pressures resume and as the world’s largest cotton consumer, China, re-enters into Covid-19 lockdowns. In addition, the production is due to increase in both Egypt and other West African countries, whilst demand is expected to drop from Vietnam, Mexico and Bangladesh. Cotton Oct ‘22 Futures Price Chart Sources: finance.yahoo.com, tradingeconomics.com

Relevance up to 14:00 2022-06-23 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Technical analysis: Gold has been trading upside today and I saw the breakout of the downside channel, which is good sign for further rally. Trading Recommendation: Due to the breakout of the downside channel and rejection of the lower trend-line, I see potential for further rise. Watch for buying opportunities on the intraday dips with the upside objectives at $1.847 and $1.860. Stochastic is showing bull condition, which is another confirmation for the rally. Key support is set at the price of $1.821 Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/281311   Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/281311

Summary: UK, US, Japan and Canada all ban Russian gold imports. NGAS domestic inventories are rising. Favourable weather conditions are causing more hope of solid Cotton yields in top growing regions. Read next: G7 Leaders Discussed A Price Cap On Russian Brent Crude Oil, China Eases Covid-19 Restrictions, Corn Prices Are Trading At 2 Week Lows  Gold prices trading at 2 week lows The price of gold is trading at almost 2 week lows on Tuesday, this comes in the wake of continuous elevated US treasury yields. The metal struggled to hold onto Monday’s gains that came in the wake of the UK, US, Japan and Canada all officially banning the imports of Russian gold, the move has been viewed by the markets as largely symbolic as Russia’s exports to the west have already dried up. Although gold is widely considered as a hedge against inflation and economic uncertainties, higher interest rates raise the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion. Gold Aug ‘22 Futures Price Chart NGAS price recovery Natural Gas prices rose again, however they remain under pressure due to rising domestic inventories and milder temperatures which weighed on the demand for cooling. In addition, the most recent EIA report showed that US utilities injected more cubic feet of gas into underground storage than was expected. NGAS Jul ‘22 Futures Price Chart Cotton prices due to be impacted by a recession Cotton futures prices dropped to 9 month lows in the wake of growing recessionary concerns and increased prospects of a lower demand. Cotton is known to be a recession sensitive commodity, thus, cotton prices are set to be impacted by major banks’ rising interest rates in an attempt to fight inflation and the slowdown in both consumption and economic activity. In addition, favourable weather conditions are causing more hope of solid yields in top growing regions. Cotton Oct ‘22 Futures Price Chart Sources: finance.yahoo.com, tradingeconomics.com

Relevance up to 13:00 2022-06-29 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Technical analysis: Gold has been trading downside as I expected. The price reached first downside objective at $1819. Trading recommendation: Due to the rejection of the trendline in the background and breakout of the mini rising wedge, I see potential for further downside movement. Watch for potential selling opportunities on the intraday rallies with the downside objective at $1.805. Stochastic is showing oversold condition but with no signs for further reversal. Key resistance is set at the price of $1.840     Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/282245

Summary: Platinum prices plunged amidst prospects of a weaker demand for the metal Wheat prices touched four-month lows on June 27th but have since recovered somewhat. Prospects of a recession could cause a decrease in oil demand are driving oil prices down. Platinum prices plunged on Thursday Platinum prices plunged amidst prospects of a weaker demand for the metal outweighed the fear of tighter supplies. As major central banks all over the world continue to raise interest rates in an attempt to control inflation despite the possibility of a recession, a slowdown in economic activity (including vehicle production) is inevitable. As the war in the Ukraine shows no signs of slowing, global platinum supplies are expected to remain subdued. Platinum Oct ‘22 Futures Price Chart Wheat prices supported by increased importer demand Wheat prices touched four-month lows on June 27th but have since recovered somewhat, supported by increased demand from importers. In the wake of a muted demand period, state tenders from Bangladesh, Jordan and signs of future tenders from Egypt all contributed to lifting buying expectations. However, currently there is a record supply of wheat from Russia and a strong harvest that was stronger than expected in North America. Investors continue to monitor the possibility of seaborne exports from Ukraine, after Italian Prime Minister Draghi hinted that trade corridors may open soon. Wheat Sep ‘22 Futures Price Chart RBOB Gasoline Oil futures prices fell on Thursday in the wake of a weekly increase in U.S gasoline and distillate supplies raising worries over the demand outlook, and major oil producers are expected to remain on track to boost production in August. The market uncertainty over future OPEC+ output and recession fears which could cause a decrease in oil demand are driving oil prices down. RBOB Gasoline Jul ‘22 Futures Price Chart Sources: finance.yahoo.com. tradingeconomics.com

Summary: Concerns around tight Brent supplies outweighed concerns around a global recession dampening demand. Silver prices falling in the wake of an aggressive Fed. Traders weighed weak demand and favourable weather prospects against fears of tight supplies. Read more: Gold Futures Fell To Near 7 Week Lows, Investors Weighing Supply v Demand For WTI Crude, Platinum Prices  Brent Crude Oil prices are up on Monday Brent crude oil prices are up on Monday as concerns around tight supplies outweighed concerns around a global recession dampening demand. A Reuters survey showed that output from 10 OPEC members fell during June. In addition, exports from Libya also declined below expected levels and Norway's daily output is expected to decline due to a planned strike by Norwegian energy sector workers. Brent Crude Futures Price Chart Silver prices reaching 2 year lows Silver prices have been consistently declining to prices not seen since July of 2020, as they close in toward the $20 per-ounce mark. The price declines come in the wake of aggressive monetary policy tightening by the Federal Reserve to try to control high inflation levels which caused investors to turn away from the non-yielding metal. The Fed has reiterated their commitment to fighting inflation, setting expectations for a back-to-back 75 bps interest rate hike in July. Silver Sept ‘22 Futures Price Chart Investors weighing weak demand and favourable weather against tight supply fears Corn prices hovered around $7.5 per bushel as traders weighed weak demand and favourable weather prospects against fears of tight supplies. More corn crop has been planted than the March recordings, the crop flourished in its early stages of development after a late start to planting, this is due to the wet and cool conditions around most of the Midwest. Meanwhile, traders are watching the weather forecasts for the coming weeks as the corn enters its pollination phase which will determine the yields during the harvest that starts in September. At the same time, aggressive monetary tightening is raising fears of economic slowdown and demand destruction is causing concerns around demand for the grain. Corn Dec ‘22 Futures Price Chart Sources: tradingeconomics.com, finance.yahoo.com

Crude slides as recession risks build The US inflation data caused shockwaves throughout financial markets, with oil also sliding on the back of the release. A recession is now the primary bear case for crude given the tightness in the market and it’s clear here as much as anywhere how serious the economic risk is being taken. Both Brent and WTI are now back below USD 100, down around 20% over the last month, and they may well remain below there which would have been inconceivable in mid-June. Central banks are in panic-tightening mode and the inflation data isn’t easing up. Throw in more Chinese Covid restrictions and the market will start to look far more balanced, just not in the way anyone wanted. Will gold demand soon return? Gold has recovered the post-CPI release losses after threatening at one stage to break below USD 1,700. While this may come as a relief to some, it may not last considering the moves we’ve seen in interest rate expectations, yields and the dollar. The yellow metal is looking pretty vulnerable at the minute but if a recession becomes the base case, that may change. It is a safe haven after all and there may come a point where the economy buckles under the weight of inflation and interest rates and gold will increasingly find itself in demand. For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar: www.marketpulse.com/economic-events This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Crude slumps on inflation, gold recovers - MarketPulseMarketPulse

WTI Starts The Week On A Positive Ground West Texas Intermediate (WTI) begins the week with a rebound after slipping to a low of $92.75 on Monday in Asia. The black gold price increased despite market fears related to lockdowns in China. The gain came after the dollar edged lower from its 20 years high. Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden's promise of increased oil supplies looks to be unachievable following his visit to Saudi Arabia, without a firm commitment from Saudi Arabia to increase their production. Disclaimer: Any information contained on this post is provided as general market information for educational purposes only, and does not constitute investment advice.

Oil prices slump overnight Although OPEC+ was a damp squib, rising recession fears saw oil prices slump once again overnight after a negative global outlook from the Bank of England policy meeting. Both Brent crude and WTI have now comprehensively broken lower through their 200 DMA’s, a negative technical development. Although Saudi Arabia continues raising prices for their crude grades to Asian and US customers in the real world, futures markets suggest this may be a last hurrah. Brent crude slumped by 3.55% to USD 93.55 a barrel overnight. WTI fell by 3.10% to USD 88.00 a barrel. In Asia, the overnight dip in prices has been irresistible to local buyers, sending Brent crude 0.75% higher to USD 94.25 and WTI 1.00% higher to USD 88.90 a barrel. Brent crude broke below its 2022 uptrend at USD 109.00 in early July, and it seems unlikely we will see USD 110.00 Brent again this year, barring Eastern European shocks. The 200-DMA at USD 98.35 is the initial resistance, followed by USD 102.50 a barrel. Support is at USD 93.55, and failure clears the road to USD 90.00 a barrel. Failure of USD 90.00 could trigger another wave of capitulation selling. WTI’s 2022 trendline failed at USD 108.35 in early July, never to be seen again. US recession fears continue to weigh on WTI prices. Resistance lies at USD 95.20 barrel, the 200-DMA, followed by USD 102.00. Support is at USD 87.50 and then USD 82.00 a barrel. As noted in earlier newsletters, the avalanche of USD 200.00 a barrel, end of the world Brent crude forecasts, proved an uncannily accurate indicator of the impending peak in oil prices. Gold rallies, did I just say that? My four days away in Bali have seen gold’s impressive recovery rally continue. Overnight gold rose an impressive 1.45% to USD 1791.50 an ounce, edging to USD 1792.00 an ounce in Asian trading. It continues to benefit from a weaker US dollar, in turn, driven by falling US bond yields, as markets continue to price in peak inflation and a US recession. Notably, gold prices based, mid-July, at critical long-term support at USD 1680.00 an ounce. The ensuing rally remains a powerful bullish technical pattern which seems to be now attracting plenty of interest. Gold should remain well supported on dips to USD 1775.00 now, with a test of USD 1800.00 imminent. ​ Gold’s technical picture suggests it will continue grinding towards the USD 1900.00 region in the coming weeks. Until such a time as bond markets decide that inflation will be stickier than anticipated and yields start to rise again. The first test of that will come in the form of the US Non-Farm Payrolls this evening. A soft US payroll number, though, will likely support gold’s upward momentum, as it is likely to result in another bout of US dollar weakness as yields fall. My last commentary closes with a bullish outlook on gold; who would have thought? And with that, dear readers, all I can say is thank you very much; you’ve been a wonderful audience. Jeff has left the building……. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Oil slides, gold rally continues - MarketPulseMarketPulse

There’s no such thing as a quiet week in the markets these days and this week has undoubtedly been no different. The jobs report was always expected to be the highlight but the Bank of England gave it a good run for its money on Thursday, hiking by the most in 27 years while putting out some pretty dire economic forecasts. It would appear we have very little to look forward to for the next couple of years here in the UK. While I believe other central banks are slowly gravitating toward the economic reality of soaring energy costs, high and widespread inflation, and rapidly rising interest rates, the BoE has very much been at the forefront of accepting the country’s fate. That’s probably as much a reflection of the fundamental shortcomings as much as anything but the latest forecasts really were especially bleak and may make some other countries, particularly across Europe, a little nervous. The US may already be in a technical recession, depending on your definition, but the economy is still in very good shape. The jobs report is expected to show that once more today, with 250,000 jobs forecast to have been added last month leaving the unemployment rate at 3.6%. The question everyone is asking though is what constitutes an ideal jobs report. That may seem a silly question, but having drifted back into a “bad news is good news” environment where more rate hikes are to be feared as they may cause a recession but a recession is ok as it means potentially fewer rate hikes, it’s no longer that straightforward. With that in mind, perhaps the goldilocks report is one in which payrolls are strong but not overly so (so in line with forecasts), unemployment remains low but wage growth moderates a little. That would certainly fit the narrative of not a real recession while a slight moderation of wage growth could help build a case for inflation indicators easing, allowing for slower hikes into the end of the year. Of course, there are many other factors at play but with oil 20% off its highs and supply chains improving, the Fed may feel that pressures are abating. Of course, a decline in the headline figure is what it ultimately wants to see and there’ll be a couple of opportunities at that before the next meeting in September. Bitcoin only gets a mild lift from the Blackrock deal There was, what has become, a rare good news headline for bitcoin on Thursday after Coinbase was chosen to provide crypto services to Blackrock’s clients. This is a big show of support for an asset class that’s had a frankly terrible year so far. But clearly, there remains strong demand for cryptos which bodes well for the future. In the near-term, it’s not provided much of a lift which is perhaps a little surprising given how much the space has craved some more positive headlines recently but perhaps that’s a sign of the environment. Bitcoin continues to trade around USD 23,000, with a break above USD 25,000 now the next big test to the upside. For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar: www.marketpulse.com/economic-events/ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. The Goldilocks report - MarketPulseMarketPulse

Relevance up to 08:00 2022-08-10 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade.   According to the latest weekly gold survey, prices cannot rise above $1,800 an ounce. Some market analysts said Friday's employment report killed hopes for gold to break the $1,800 level anytime soon.     Ahead of the latest survey results, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics said 528,000 jobs were created in July. The data far exceeded the expectations of economists, who had forecast job gains of around 250,000. The report also notes a solid increase in wages. While some analysts continue to see upside potential, many are neutral and bearish. Retail investors remain firmly optimistic about gold. Last week, 16 Wall Street analysts took part in the gold survey. Among the participants, four analysts, or 24%, were bullish in the short term. At the same time, seven analysts, or 41%, were bearish. And six analysts, or 35%, voted neutral. In online polls on Main Street, 579 votes were cast. Of these, 379 respondents, or 65%, expected gold prices to rise this week. Another 124 voters, or 21%, announced a reduction, while 76 voters, or 13%, were neutral.     Economists believe the July jobs report has changed market sentiment as investors now expect the Federal Reserve to maintain its aggressive monetary stance in September. The CME FedWatch tool shows that there is more than a 70% chance of a 75 basis point move next month. Ahead of the employment report, markets estimated the likelihood of an aggressive move at 34%. Adrian Day, president of Adrian Day Asset Management, has a neutral view of gold prices during the week. Because the latest employment data will make gold investors more cautious. However, he added that he remains an optimist in the long term. Frank McGhee, precious metals dealer at Alliance Financial, is bearish as the precious metal can no longer fight the Fed. However, some analysts remain optimistic about the precious metal, noting that prices remain supportive. Jim Wyckoff said there is still technical bullish momentum in the market, which could lead to higher gold prices this week.   Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/318286

Relevance up to 10:00 2022-08-14 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Strong statistics on American employment crossed out the hopes of pessimists for an early recession. Stock markets are growing by leaps and bounds, safe-haven assets are being sold, but the fall in oil suggests that not everything is so simple. Black gold still does not rule out a recession in the global economy. The 24% collapse of Brent from the levels of June highs is associated with fears about a slowdown in global demand. Fears that supply could increase due to Iran pushed the North Sea grade below $100 a barrel. According to Goldman Sachs, normalizing supply chains and eliminating other one-time factors will reduce US inflation to 4%, but after that, there will be a lot of excess heat in the economy, which will be very difficult to eliminate. The Fed will be forced to raise the federal funds rate above 4% and hold it there longer than currently expected. This will trigger a recession, but later. Probably in 2023. The oil market remains in an unsustainable deficit at current prices. They are too low to significantly reduce demand. The bank is forecasting Brent to rally to $110 in the third quarter. Dynamics of the stock market and oil     Fears that consumption will not be as strong as expected really dropped the futures quotes very much. The black gold market is on the verge of transition from a "bullish" conjuncture, backwardation, to a "bearish" contango. Spreads between nearby contracts narrowed over the week from $1.9 to $1.54 per barrel. In my opinion, a significant share of the negative about global demand has already been priced in, and factors such as a strong labor market, falling gasoline prices in the US, which will increase interest in buying cars and oil products, as well as the growth of Chinese oil imports to 8.79 million b/d, more than June's 4-year low, gives hope to Brent bulls. Another thing is that the supply may increase. Investors are actively discussing the possibility of a deal between the West and Iran, which is ready to throw an additional 1.5 million b/d of exports on the market, equivalent to 1.5% of world supply. This factor has so far been ignored by the market, so the signing of the agreement will be a real blow to fans of the North Sea variety.     As for ousting Russia, investors seem to have gotten used to the idea that this is unrealistic. Moscow is reorienting the flow of black gold from West to East. China and India accounted for 41.4% of Russian exports in July 2022 compared to 21.7% of the same month last year. At the same time, the appetites of Beijing and Delhi are beginning to fall—in the second month of summer, China purchased 843,000 b/d of oil from the Russian Federation, while in June and May, this figure reached 1.33 million b/d. Technically, a Wolfe Wave pattern was formed on the Brent daily chart. We take profits on the shorts formed on the rebound from $102.4 and use the rebound from the $89–91 convergence zone or break through the resistance at $97.2 per barrel for purchases.   Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/318434

Brent eyes $100 after mixed headline week The oil market has bounced back this week, with Brent once more flirting with triple-figures. There’s been a lot to digest this week, with Iran nuclear talks ongoing, US inventories rising, US output also rising, the Druzhba pipeline saga and the various forecasts. Even the forecasts themselves offered contrasting views, with OPEC downgrading demand growth and expecting the oil market to tip into surplus this quarter. The IEA, meanwhile, anticipates stronger demand growth due in part to the gas to oil switch as some countries react to sky-high prices. All things considered, the price moves highlight just how tight the market remains and how sensitive it therefore still is to spikes. A deal between the US and Iran could go some way to changing that but I think it’s clear traders are not banking on that given how the talks have gone until this point. A compelling bullish case for gold Gold is holding onto gains despite struggling to capture $1,800. The yellow metal briefly traded above here after the inflation data but it seems traders quickly changed their minds, with risk assets instead being favoured. The fact that it continues to hold onto the bulk of the gains without any significant correction may suggest there’s still an appetite for it, with slower tightening seen as a favourable outcome. This will be an interesting test for gold as $1,800 could represent an interesting rotation point from a technical perspective if there is no desire to see it above here but ultimately the case for bullish gold remains quite compelling. For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar: www.marketpulse.com/economic-events/ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Oil rebounds, gold consolidates - MarketPulseMarketPulse

Summary:  US treasury yields at the long end of the yield curve jumped higher yesterday to multi-week highs, a challenge to widespread complacency across global markets. The USD found a modicum of support on the development, though this was insufficient to reverse the recent weakening trend. It will likely take a more determined rise in US yields and a tightening of financial conditions, possibly on further Fed pushback against market policy expectations, to spark a more significant USD comeback. FX Trading focus: US yields jump, not yet enough to reverse recent USD dip A very interesting shift in the US yield curve yesterday as long yields jumped aggressively higher, with the 30-year yield getting the most focus on a heavy block sale of US “ultra” futures and a softer than expected 30-year T-bond auction from the US treasury. The 30-year benchmark yield jumped as much as 15 basis points from the prior close, with the 10-year move a few basis points smaller. We shouldn’t over-interpret a single day’s action, but it is a technical significant development and if it extends, could be a sign of tightening liquidity as the Fed ups its sales of treasuries and even a sign that market concern is growing that the Fed will fail to get ahead of inflation. As for the market reaction, the USD found some support, but it was modest stuff – somewhat surprisingly in the case of the normally very long-US-yield-sensitive USDJPY. Overnight, a minor shuffle in Japanese PMI Kishida’s cabinet has observers figuring that there is no real determined pushback yet against the Kuroda BoJ’s YCC policy, with focus more on bringing relief to lower income households struggling with price rises for essentials. Indeed, BoJ policy is only likely to come under significant pressure again if global yields pull to new cycle highs and the JPY finds itself under siege again. As for USDJPY, it has likely only peaked if long US yields have also peaked for the cycle. Chart: EURUSD EURUSD caught in limbo here, having pulled up through the resistance in the 1.0275+ area after a long bought of tight range trading, but not yet challenging through the next key layer of resistance into 1.0350+. It wouldn’t take much of a further reversal here to freshen up the bearish interest – perhaps a dip and close below 1.0250 today, together with a bit of follow through higher in US yields and a further correction in risk sentiment. Eventually, we look for the pair to challenge down well through parity if USD yields retest their highs and beyond. Source: Saxo Group Elsewhere – watching sterling here as broader sentiment may be at risk of rolling over and as we wind our way to the conclusion of the battle to replace outgoing Boris Johnson, with Liz Truss all but crowned. Her looser stance on fiscal prudence looks a sterling negative given the risks from UK external deficits. Her instincts seem pro-supply side on taxation, but the populist drag of cost-of-living issues has shown her to be quick to change her stripes – as she has often been, having reversed her position on many issues, including Brexit (was a former remainer). Today’s reminder of the yawning trade deficit (a current run rate of around 10% of GDP) and the energy/power situation together with dire supply side restraints on the UK economy have us looking for sterling weakness – a start would be a dip below 1.2100 in GBPUSD, which would reverse the reaction earlier this week to the US July CPI release. The week ahead features an RBNZ on Wednesday (market nearly fully priced for another two meetings of 50 basis points each). NZDUSD has looked too ambitious off the lows – there is no strong external surplus angle for the kiwi like there is for the Aussie – might be a place to get contrarian to the recent price action if global risk sentiment is set to roll over again finally now that the VIX has pushed all the way to 20 (!).  A Norges Bank meeting on Thursday may see the bank hiking another 50 basis points as it continues to catch up to inflationary outcomes. The US FOMC minutes are up next Wednesday and may be a bit of a fizzle, given that the bulk of the easing financial conditions that the Fed would like to push back against came after the meeting. Table: FX Board of G10 and CNH trend evolution and strength. The US dollar hasn’t gotten much from the latest development in yields – watching the next couple of sessions closely for direction there, while also watching for the risk of more sterling downside, while NZD looks overambitious on the upside. Source: Bloomberg and Saxo Group Table: FX Board Trend Scoreboard for individual pairs. The EURGBP turn higher could follow through here – on the lookout for that development while also watching GBPUSD status in coming sessions and whether the EURUSD move higher also follows through as per comments on the chart above. Source: Bloomberg and Saxo Group Upcoming Economic Calendar Highlights (all times GMT) 1400 – US Fed’s Barkin (non-voter) to speak 1400 – US Aug. Preliminary University of Michigan sentiment Share Source: FX Update: US yield jump brings USD resilience if not a reversal.

Summary:  The correction that for some commodities already started back in March has since the end of July increasingly been showing signs of reversing, driven by recent economic data strength, dollar weakness and signs inflation may have peaked. With the broad position adjustments having run their course, the focus has returned to supply which in many cases remains tight, thereby providing renewed support, especially across the sectors of energy and key agriculture commodities. The correction that for some commodities already started back in March has since the end of July increasingly been showing signs of reversing. According to the Bloomberg commodity sector indices, the correction period triggered peak to bottom moves of 41% in industrial metals, 31% in grains and 27% in energy. The main reason for the dramatic correction following a record run of strong gains was the change in focus from tight supply to worries about demand. Apart from China’s slowing growth outlook due to its zero-Covid policy and housing market crisis hitting industrial metals, the most important driver has been the way in which central banks around the world have been stepping up efforts to curb runaway inflation by forcing down economic activity through aggressively tightening monetary conditions. This process is ongoing but recent economic data strength, dollar weakness and signs inflation may have peaked have all helped support markets that have gone through weeks and in some cases months of sharp price declines, and with that an aggressive amount of long liquidation from financial traders as well as selling from macro-focused funds looking for a hedge against an economic downturn.With the broad position adjustments having run their course, the focus has returned to supply which in many cases remains tight, thereby providing renewed support and problems for those who have been selling markets looking for even lower prices in anticipation of recession and lower demand. Backwardation remains elevated despite growth worries The behaviour of spot commodity prices, as seen through first month futures contracts, rarely gives us the full fundamental picture with the price action often being dictated by technical price-driven speculators and funds focusing on macroeconomic developments, as opposed to the individual fundamental situation. The result of this has been a period of aggressive selling on a combination of bullish bets being scaled back but also increased selling from funds looking to hedge an economic slowdown.An economic slowdown, or in a worst-case scenario a recession, would normally trigger a surplus of raw materials as demand falters and production is slow to respond to a downturn in demand. However, during the past three months of selling, the cost of commodities for immediate delivery has maintained a healthy premium above prices for later deliveries. The chart below shows the spread measured in percent between the first futures and the 12-month forward futures contract, and while the tightness has eased a bit, we are still seeing tightness across a majority, especially within energy and agriculture. A sign that the market has sold off on expectations more than reality, and it raises the prospect of a strong recovery once the growth outlook stabilises. Crude oil The downward trending price action in WTI and Brent for the past couple of months is showing signs of reversing on a combination of the market reassessing the demand outlook amid continued worries about supply and who will and can meet demand going forward. The recovery from below $95 in Brent and $90 in WTI this week was supported by signs of softer US inflation reducing the potential peak in the Fed fund rates, thereby improving the growth outlook. In addition, the weaker dollar and improving demand, especially in the US where gasoline prices at the pumps have fallen below $4 per gallon for the first time since March.In addition, the International Energy Agency (IEA) lifted its global consumption estimate by 380 kb/d, saying soaring gas prices amid strong demand for electricity is driving utilities to switch from expensive gas to fuel-based products. Meanwhile, OPEC may struggle to raise output in the coming months due to limited spare capacity. While pockets of demand weakness have emerged in recent months, we do not expect these to materially impact on our overall price-supportive outlook. Supply-side uncertainties remain too elevated to ignore, not least considering the soon-to-expire releases of crude oil from US Strategic Reserves and the EU embargo of Russian oil fast approaching. With this in mind, we maintain our $95 to $115 range forecast for the third quarter. Gold (XAUUSD) The recently under siege yellow metal was heading for a fourth weekly gain, supported by a weaker dollar after the lower-than-expected US CPI and PPI data helped reduce expectations for how high the Fed will allow rates to run. However, rising risk appetite as seen through surging stocks and bond yields trading higher on the week have so far prevented the yellow metal from making a decisive challenge at key resistance above $1800/oz, and the recent decline in ETF holdings and low open interest in COMEX futures points to a market that is looking for a fresh and decisive trigger. We believe the markets newfound optimism about the extent to which inflation can successfully be brought under control remains too optimistic and together with several geopolitical worries, we see no reason to exit our long-held bullish view on gold as a hedge and diversifier. Gold has found some support at the 50-day moving average line at $1783, and needs to hold $1760 in order to avoid a fresh round of long liquidation the short-term. While some resistance is located just above $1800 gold needs a decisive break above $1829 in order to trigger the momentum needed to attract fresh buying in ETFs and managed money accounts in futures. Source: Saxo Group Industrial metals (Copper)   Copper has rebounded around 18% since hitting a 20-month low last month, thereby supporting a general recovery across industrial metals, the hardest hit sector during the recent correction. Supported by a softer dollar, data showing the US economy remains robust, easing concerns about the demand outlook in China and not least disruptions to producers in Asia, Europe as well as South America potentially curtailing supply at a time when exchange-monitored inventories remain at a decade low. All developments that have forced speculators to cut back recently established short positions.The potential for an improved demand outlook in China and BHP's recent announcement that it has made an offer for OZ Minerals and its nickel and copper-focused assets, is the latest in a series of global acquisitions aimed at shoring up supplies of essential metals for the energy transition. With its high electrical conductivity, copper supports all the electronics we use, from smartphones to medical equipment. It already underpins our existing electricity systems, and it is crucial to the electrification process needed over the coming years in order to reduce demand for energy derived from fossil fuels.Following a temporary recovery in the price of copper around the beginning of June when China began easing lockdown restrictions, the rally quickly ran out of steam and copper went on to tumble below key support before eventually stabilizing after finding support at $3.14/lb., the 61.8% retracement of the 2020 to 2022 rally. Since then, the price has recovered strongly but may temporarily pause after reaching finding resistance in the $3.70/lb area. We maintain a long-term bullish view on copper and prefer buying weakness instead of selling into strength. Source: Saxo Group The grains sector traded at a five-week high ahead of Friday’s supply and demand report from the US Department of Agriculture. The Bloomberg Grains Index continues to recover following its 28% June to July correction with gains this past week being led by wheat and corn in response to a weaker dollar and not least hot and dry weather in the US and another heatwave in Europe raising concerns about yield and production. Hot and dry weather at a critical stage for yield developments ahead of the soon-to-be-harvested crop has given the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report some additional attention with surveys pointing to price support with the prospect of lower yields lowering expectations for the level of available stocks ahead of the coming winter. Cotton, up 8% this month has seen the focus switch from growth and demand worries, especially in China, to deepening global supply concerns as heatwaves in the US and China hurt production prospects. Friday’s monthly supply and demand report (WASDE) from the US Department of Agriculture was expected to show lower US production driving down ending stocks by around 10% to 2.2 m bales, an 11-year low. Arabica coffee, in a downtrend since February, has also seen a steady rise since bouncing from key support below $2/lb last month. A persistent and underlying support from South American production worries has reasserted itself during the past few weeks as the current on-season crop potentially being the lowest since 2014. Brazil’s drought and cold curbed flowering last season and severe frosts in July 2021 led farmers to cut down coffee trees at a time of high costs for agricultural inputs, notably fertilizer. In addition, Columbia another top producer, has seen its crop being reduced by too much rainfall. Source: WCU: Commodity correction may have exhausted itself

Summary:  The weaker-than-expected economic data from China caught much of the attention and dragged U.S. bond yields and commodities lower. U.S. equities have been in a 4-week rally. Investors are weighing if the U.S. economy is heading into a soft-landing or a recession and if the Chinese economy can recover in the coming months. What is happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I)  U.S. equities opened lower on weak economic data prints from China as well as a weaker-than-expected Empire State manufacturing survey but climbed towards midday and finished higher. S&P 500 rose 0.4%. Nine of its 11 sectors gained, with shares of consumer staples and utilities outperforming. Nasdaq 100 rose 0.75%, led by a 3% jump in Tesla (TSLA:xnas).  U.S. treasury yields fell Treasury yields fell across the front end to the belly of the curve after a bunch of weak economic data from China and the Empire State manufacturing survey came in at -31.3, much weaker than 5.0 expected. Two-year yields fell by 7bps to 3.17% and 10-year yields declined 5bps to 2.78%.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and mainland Chinese equities tried to move higher in early trading but soon reversed and turned south, Hang Seng -0.7%, CSI300 -0.1%.   The People’s Bank of China cut its policy on Monday but the unexpected move did not stir up much market excitement. The visit of another delegation of US lawmakers to Taiwan within 12 days of Speaker Pelosi’s visit stirred up concerns about the tension in the Sino-American relationship.   Container liner, Orient Overseas (00316:xhkg) plunged nearly 15%.   Stocks that have a dual listing of ADRs, in general, declined on Monday’s trading in Hong Kong following Friday’s decisions for five central SOEs to apply for delisting from the New York Stock Exchange, PetroChina (00857:xhkg/PTR:xnys) -3.4%, Sinopec (00386:xhkg/SNP:xnys) -2.9%, Alibaba (09988:xhkg/BABA:xnys) -1.2, Baidu (09888:xhkg/BIDU:xnas) -1%, Bilibili (09626:xhkg/BILI:xnas) -1%. SMIC (00981:xhkg) dropped more than 6% on analyst downgrades.  Chinese property names dropped as home prices continued to fall in China.  USD broadly firmer against G10 FX, expect JPY The US dollar started the week on the front foot, amid a weaker risk sentiment following a miss in China’s activity data and the disappointing US manufacturing and housing sentiments. The only outlier was the JPY, with USDJPY sliding to lows of 132.56 at one point before reversing the drop. The 131.50 level remains a key area of support for USDJPY and a bigger move in the US yields remains necessary to pierce through that level. The commodity currencies were the hardest hit, with AUDUSD getting in close sight of 0.7000 ahead of the RBA minutes due this morning. NZDUSD also plunged from 0.6450 to 0.6356. The Chinese yuan weakened and bond yields fell after disappointing economic data and surprising rate cuts USDCNH jumped more than 1% from 6.7380 to as high as 6.8200 on Monday following the weak credit data from last Friday, disappointing industrial production, retail sales, and fixed assets investment data released on Monday morning, and unexpected rate cuts by the People’s Bank of China. The 10-year Chinese government bond yield fell 8bps to 2.67%, the lowest level since April 2020, and about 20bps below the yield of 10-year U.S. treasury notes. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil prices had a variety of headwinds to deal with both on the demand and the supply side. While demand concerns were aggravated due to the weak China data, and the drop in US Empire State manufacturing – both signaling a global economic slowdown may be in the cards – supply was also seen as being possibly ramped up. There were signs of a potential breakthrough in talks with Iran as Tehran said it sent a reply to the EU's draft nuclear deal and expects a response within two days. Meanwhile, Aramco is also reportedly ramping up production. WTI futures dropped back below $90 while Brent touched $95/barrel. Metals face the biggest brunt of China data weakness Copper led the metals pack lower after China’s domestic activity weakened in July, which has raised the fears of a global economic slowdown as the zero-Covid policy is maintained. Meanwhile, supply side issues in Europe also cannot be ignored with surging power prices putting economic pressure on smelters, and many of them running at a loss. This could see further cuts to capacity over the coming months. Iron ore futures were also down. What to consider? Weak Empire State manufacturing survey and NAHB Index Although a niche measure, the United States NY Empire State Manufacturing Index, compiled by the New York Federal Reserve, fell to -31.3 from 11.1 in July, its lowest level since May 2020 and its sharpest monthly drop since the early days of the pandemic. New orders and shipments plunged, and unfilled orders also declined, albeit less sharply. Other key areas of concern were the rise in inventories and a decline in average hours worked. This further weighed on the sentiment after weak China data had already cast concerns of a global growth slowdown earlier. Meanwhile, the US NAHB housing market index also saw its eighth consecutive monthly decline as it slid 6 points to 49 in August. July housing starts and building permits are scheduled to be reported later today, and these will likely continue to signal a cooling demand amid the rising mortgage rates as well as overbuilding. European power price soared to record high European power prices continue to surge to fresh record highs amid gas flow vagaries, threatening a deeper plunge into recession. Next-year electricity rates in Germany advanced as much as 3.7% to 477.50 euros ($487) a megawatt-hour on the European Energy Exchange AG. That’s almost six times as much as this time last year, with the price doubling in the past two months alone. UK power prices were also seen touching record highs. European Dutch TTF natural gas futures were up over 6%, suggesting more pain ahead for European utility companies. China’s activity data China’s July industrial production (3.8% YoY vs consensus 4.3% & June 3.9%), retail sales (2.7% YoY vs consensus 4.9% & June 3.1%), and fixed asset investments (5.7% YTD vs consensus 6.2% & June 6.1%) released this more were weak across the board.  Property investment growth dropped to -6.4% YTD or -12.3% YoY in July, well below market expectations of -5.7% YTD.  Surprising rate cuts from the PBOC met with muted market reactions The People’s Bank of China cut its policy 1-year Medium-term Lending Facility Rate by 10bps to 2.75% from 2.85% and the 7-day reverse repo rate by 10bps to 2.0% from 2.1%.  Market reactions to the surprising move were muted as credit demand, as reflected in the aggregate financing and loan growth data was weak in China. BHP ‘s FY22 results better than expected The Australian mining giant reported FY22 results beating analyst estimates with strong EBITDA and EBITDA margin. Coal segment performance was ahead of expectations while results from the copper and iron ore segments were slightly below expectations.  The company announced a larger-than-expected dividend payout and a higher capex plan for 2023. RBA minutes due to be released this morning Earlier in the month, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) raised the cash rate by 50bps to 1.85% and the accompanying Statement on Monetary Policy emphasized an uncertain and data-dependent outlook. The RBA releases its minutes from the July meeting today, and the market focus will be on the range of options discussed for the August hike and any hint of future interest rate path.  US retailer earnings eyed After disappointing results last quarter, focus is on Walmart and Home Depot earnings later today. These will put the focus entirely on the US consumer after the jobs data this month highlighted a still-tight labor market while the inflation picture saw price pressures may have peaked. It would also be interesting to look at the inventory situation at these retailers, and any updated reports on the status of the global supply chains.     For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: APAC Daily Digest: What is happening in markets and what to consider next – August 16, 2022

Summary:  Weak data out of China overnight, together with a surprise rate cut from the PBOC and collapsing energy prices later on Monday saw the Japanese yen surging higher across the board. Indeed, the two key factors behind its descent to multi-decade lows earlier this year, rising yields and surging energy prices, have eased considerably since mid-June with only modest reaction from the yen thus far. Is that about to change? FX Trading focus: JPY finding sudden support on new disinflation narrative Weaker than expected Chinese data overnight brought a surprise rate cut from the Chinese central bank and seems to have sparked a broadening sell-off in commodities, which was boosted later by a crude oil drop of some five dollars per barrel on the news that Iran will decide by midnight tonight on whether to accept a new draft on the nuclear deal forward by the Euro zone. In response, the Chinese yuan has weakened toward the highs for the cycle in USDCNH, trading 6.78+ as of this writing and  (there was a spike high to 6.381 back in May but the exchange rate has been capped by 6.80 since then), but the Japanese yen is stealing the volatility and strength crown, surging sharply across the board and following up on the move lower inspired by the soft US CPI data point. US long yields easing considerably lower after an odd spike last Thursday are a further wind at the JPY’s back here. In the bigger picture, it has been rather remarkable that the firm retreat in global long-date yields since the mid-June peak and the oil price backing down a full 25% and more from the cycle highs didn’t do more to support the yen from the yield-spread angle (Bank of Japan’s YCC policy less toxic as yields fall) and from the current account angle for Japan. Interestingly, while the JPY has surged and taken USDJPY down several notches, the US dollar is rather firm elsewhere, with the focus more on selling pro-cyclical and commodity currencies on the possible implication that China may be content to export deflation by weakening its currency now that commodity prices have come down rather than on selling the US dollar due to any marking down of Fed expectations. Still, while the USD may remain a safe haven should JPY volatility be set to run amok across markets, the focus is far more on the latter as long as USDJPY is falling Chart: EURJPY As the JPY surges here, EURJPY is falling sharply again, largely tracking the trajectory of longer European sovereign yields, which never really rose much from their recent lows from a couple of weeks back, making it tough to understand the solid rally back above 138.00 of late. After peaking above 1.90% briefly in June, the German 10-year Bund, for example, is trading about 100 basis points lower and is not far from the cycle low daily close at 77 basis points. The EURJPY chart features a rather significant pivot area at 133.50, a prior major high back in late 2021 and the recent low and 200-day moving average back at the beginning of the month. After a brief JPY volatility scare in late July and into early August that faded, are we set for a second and bigger round here that takes USDJPY down through 130.00 and EURJPY likewise? A more significant rally in long US treasuries might be required to bring about a real JPY rampage. Source: Saxo Group The focus on weak Chinese data and key commodity prices like copper suddenly losing altitude after their recent rally has the Aussie shifting to the defensive just after it was showing strength late last week in sympathy with strong risk sentiment and those higher commodity prices. Is the AUDUSD break above 0.7000-25 set for a high octane reversal here? AUDJPY is worth a look as well after it managed to surge all the way back toward the top of the range before. The idea that a weak Chine might export deflation from here might be unsettling for Aussie bulls. The US macro data focus for the week is on today’s NAHB homebuilder’s survey, which plunged to a low since 2015 in June (not including the chaotic early 2020 pandemic breakout months), the July Housing Starts and Building Permits and then the July Retail Sales and FOMC minutes on Wednesday. With a massive relief in gasoline prices from the July spike high, it will be interesting to see whether the August US data picks up again on the services side. The preliminary August University of Michigan sentiment survey release on Friday showed expectations rising sharply by over 7 points from the lowest since-1980 lows of June, while the Present Situation measure dropped a few points back toward the cycle (and record) lows from May. Table: FX Board of G10 and CNH trend evolution and strength. The JPY is the real story today, but as our trending measures employ some averaging/smoothing, the move will need to stick what it has achieved today to show more. Watch out for a big shift in the commodity currencies in coming days as well if today’s move is the start of something. Elsewhere, the JPY comeback is merely taking CHF from strength to strength, although even the might franc has dropped against the JPY today. Source: Bloomberg and Saxo Group Table: FX Board Trend Scoreboard for individual pairs. Big momentum shift afoot today and watching whether this holds and the JPY pairs and pairs like AUDUSD and USDCAD to see if we are witnessing a major momentum shift in themes here. Also note NOK pairs like USDNOK and EURNOK here. Source: Bloomberg and Saxo Group Upcoming Economic Calendar Highlights (all times GMT) 1400 – US Aug. NAHB Housing Market Index 0130 – Australia RBA Meeting Minutes Source: FX Update: JPY jumps on deflating energy prices, fresh retreat in yields.

Relevance up to 12:00 2022-08-17 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade.   The African nation announced last week that it would launch a domestic gold buying program in September. The central bank said it would pay for the precious metal at market prices but make payments online. Ghana's Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia said the new program represents a significant and sustainable addition to Ghana's foreign exchange reserves and will strengthen the country's balance of payments. The new program has been in development for over a year. In a June 2021 presentation, Bank of Ghana Governor Ernest Addison said the plan would allow the country to double its gold reserves over the next five years. The central bank said that, along with building foreign exchange reserves, the program will also support the national gold mining industry. Ghana is the largest gold producer in Africa and the sixth largest in the world. Last year, the country produced over 117 tons of gold. Ghana has become the latest central bank to announce plans to increase its gold reserves. Earlier this year, a World Gold Council survey showed that of 57 central banks, a quarter planned to add more gold to their foreign exchange reserves. Much of the demand comes from central banks in developing countries. Many economists and market analysts view the growing interest of central banks in gold as part of growing de-dollarization trend. Countries are trying to reduce their dependence on the US dollar.   Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/319032

Two-way risk for oil as a decision on JCPOA nears? Oil prices are sliding once more after tumbling on Monday following some woeful Chinese data. The unexpected MLF rate cut from the PBOC may have further spooked traders as it’s unlikely to have any positive impact and just looked a little desperate. Throw in the country’s disappointing refinery data – with output falling to 12.53 million barrels per day – and things aren’t looking particularly good in the world’s second-largest economy. ​ It’s hard to say how much of a factor the Iran nuclear talks are as a deal looks both close and unlikely depending on who’s talking. It’s possible that with an agreement or not imminent, the potential for a deal is being priced in which creates two-way risk for the oil price if a final announcement does come this week. But the primary driver of the weakness, which could keep prices around $90 or lower is the threat of recession around the world and the Chinese lockdowns. Positive signs for gold? There’s been a lot of pushback in gold early this week, with the yellow metal trading in the red for a second day. This comes amid another day of gains for the US dollar even as yields remain relatively flat. The fact that gold isn’t shedding too much of its recent gains could be a positive sign over the medium term, although it would have to overcome what has become a strong barrier of resistance this past week. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Oil extends decline, gold edges lower - MarketPulseMarketPulse

Overview: After retreating most of last week, the US dollar has extended yesterday’s gains today. The Canadian dollar is the most resilient, while the New Zealand dollar is leading the decline with a nearly 0.75% drop ahead of the central bank decision first thing tomorrow. The RBNZ is expected to deliver its fourth consecutive 50 bp hike. Most emerging market currencies are lower as well, led by central Europe. Equities in Asia Pacific and Europe are mostly higher today. Japan and Hong Kong were exceptions, and China was mixed with small gains in Shanghai and Shenzhen composites, but the CSI 300 slipped. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is stretching its advance for the fifth consecutive session. It is at two-month highs. US futures are softer. The US 10-year yield is slightly firmer near 2.80%, while European benchmark yields are mostly 2-4 bp higher, but Italian bonds are under more pressure and the yield is back above the 3% threshold. Gold is softer after being repulsed from the $1800 area to test $1773-$1775. A break could signal a test on the 20-day moving average near $1761. October WTI tested last week’s lows yesterday near $86 a barrel on the back of the poor Chinese data. It is straddling the 200-day moving average (~$87.95). The market is also watching what seems like the final negotiations with Iran, where a deal could also boost supply. US natgas prices are more than recouping the past two days of losses and looks set to challenge the $9 level. Europe’s benchmark leapt 11.7% yesterday and is up another 0.5% today. Iron ore has yet to a base after falling more than 5.5% in the past two sessions. It fell almost 0.65% today. September copper has fallen by almost 2.5% over the past two sessions and is steady today. Lastly, September wheat is slipping back below $8 a bushel and is trading heavily for the third consecutive session. Asia Pacific Japan's 2.2% annualized growth in Q2 does not stand in the way of a new government support package  Prime Minister Kishida has been reportedly planning new measures and has instructed the cabinet to pull it together by early next month. He wants to cushion the blow of higher energy and food prices. An extension of the subsidy to wholesalers to keep down the gasoline and kerosene prices looks likely. Kishida wants to head off a surge in wheat prices. Without a commitment to maintain current import prices of wheat that is sold to millers, the price could jump 20% in October, according to reports. Separately, and more controversially, Kishida is pushing for the re-opening of nine nuclear plants that have passed their safety protocols, which have been shut since the 2011 Fukushima accident.  The minutes from the Reserve Bank of Australia's meeting earlier this month signaled additional rate hikes will be forthcoming  After three half--point hikes, it says that the pace going forward will be determined by inflation expectations and the evolving economic conditions. The minutes noted that consumer spending is an element of uncertainty given the higher inflation and interest rates. Earlier today, the CBA's household spending report shows a 1.1% jump month-over-month in July and a 0.6% increase in June. The RBA wants to bring the cash target rate to neutral (~2.50%). The target rate is currently at 1.85% and the cash rate futures is pricing in about a 40% chance of a 50 bp hike at the next RBA meeting on September 6. It peaked near 60% last week. On Thursday, Australia reports July employment. Australia grew 88.4k jobs in June, of which almost 53k were full-time positions. The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey envisions a 25k increase of jobs in July.  The offshore yuan slumped 1.15% yesterday  It was the biggest drop since August 2019 and was sparked by the unexpected cut in rates after a series of disappointing economic data. The US dollar reached almost CNH6.82 yesterday, its highest level in three months. It has steadied today but remains firm in the CNH6.7925-CNH6.8190 range. China's 10-year yield is still under pressure. It finished last week quietly near 2.74% and yesterday fell to 2.66% and today 2.63%. It is the lowest since May 2020. As we have noted, the dollar-yen exchange rate seems to be more sensitive to the US 2-year yield (more anchored to Fed policy) than the 10-year yield (more about growth and inflation)  The dollar is trading near four-day highs against the yen as the two-year yield trades firmer near 3.20%. Initial resistance has been encountered in Europe near JPY134.00. Above there, the JPY134.60 may offer the next cap. Support now is seen around JPY133.20-40. The Australian dollar extended yesterday's decline and slipped through the $0.7000-level where A$440 mln in options expire today. It also corresponds with a (50%) retracement of the run-up form the mid-July low (~$0.6680). The next area of support is seen in the $0.6970-80 area. The greenback rose 0.45% against the onshore yuan yesterday after gapping higher. Today it gapped higher again and rose to almost CNY6.7975, its highest level since mid-May. It reached a high then near CNY6.8125. The PBOC set the dollar's reference rate at CNY6.7730, slightly less than the median in Bloomberg's survey (CNY6.7736). The takeaway is the central bank did not seem to protest the weakness of the yuan. Europe The euro has been sold to a new seven-year low against the euro near CHF0.9600 The euro has been sold in eight of the nine weeks since the Swiss National Bank hiked its policy rate by 50 bp on June 16. Half of those weekly decline were 1% or larger. The euro has fallen around 7.4% against the franc since the hike. Swiss domestic sight deposit fell for 10 of 11 weeks through the end of July as the SNB did not appear to be intervening. However, in the last two weeks, as the franc continued to strengthen, the Swiss sight deposits have risen, and recorded their first back-to-back increase in four months. This is consistent with modest intervention. The UK added 160k jobs in Q2, almost half of the jobs gain in the three months through May, illustrating the fading momentum  Still, some 73k were added to the payrolls in July, well above expectations. In the three months through July, job vacancies in the UK fell (~19.8k) for the first time in nearly two years. Average weekly earnings, including bonuses, rose 5.1% in Q2. The median forecast was for a 4.5% increase. Yet, real pay, excluding bonuses and adjusted for inflation slid 3% in the April-June period, the most since at least 2001. The ILO measure of unemployment in Q2 was unchanged at 3.8%. The Bank of England warns it will rise to over 6%. The market still favors a 50 bp hike next month. The swaps market has it at a little better than an 80% probability. The euro is extending its retreat  It peaked last week, near $1.0365 and tested this month's low near $1.0125 in the European morning. The intraday momentum indicators are stretched, and that market does not appear to have the drive to challenge the 1.2 bln euros in options struck at $1.0075 that expire today. With yesterday's loss, the euro met the (50%) retracement objective of the bounce off the mid-July 22-year low (~$0.9950). The next retracement objective (61.8%) is near $1.0110. Nearby resistance may be met near $1.0160-70. Sterling has been sold for the fourth consecutive session. It approached the $1.20-level, which may be the neckline of a double top. If violated it could signal a return to the low seen in mid-July around $1.1760. Sterling is holding in better than the euro now. The cross peaked before the weekend in front of GBP0.8500 and is approaching GBP0.8400 today. A break would look ominous and could spur a return to the GBP0.8340 area. America The Empire State manufacturing survey and the manufacturing PMI line up well  Both bottomed in April 2020 and peaked in July 2021. The outsized decline in the August Empire State survey points to the downside risks of next week's preliminary August manufacturing PMI. Recall that the July manufacturing PMI fell to 52.2, its third consecutive decline and the lowest reading since July 2020. There was little good in the Empire survey. Orders and shipments fell dramatically. Employment was also soft. Prices paid softened to the lowest this year, but prices received edged higher. The US reports housing start and permits and industrial output today The housing market continues to slow from elevated levels. Housing starts are expected to have fallen 2% in July, matching the June decline. It would be the third consecutive decline, and the longest declining streak since 2018. Still, in terms of the absolute level of activity, anything above 1.5 mln units must still be regarded as strong. They stood at almost 1.56 mln in June. Permits fell by 10% in April-May before stabilizing in June. The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey projects a 3.3% decline. Permits were running at 1.685 mln in June. From April 2007 through September 2019, permits held below 1.5 mln. The industrial production report may attract more attention Output fell in June (-0.2%) for the first time this year, and even with it, industrial product has risen on average by 0.4% a month in H1 22, slightly above the pace seen in H1 21. Helped by manufacturing and utility output, industrial production is expected to rise by around 0.3%. In the last cycle, capacity use spent four months (August-November 2018) above 80%. It had not been above 80% since the run-up to the Great Financial Crisis when it spent December 2006 through March 2008 above the threshold and peaked slightly above 81.0%. Last month was likely the fourth month in this cycle above the 80% capacity use rate. Note that the Atlanta Fed's GDPNow tracker will be updated later today. The update from August 10 put Q3 GDP at 2.5%. Housing starts in Canada likely slow last month, which would be the first back-to-back decline this year  The median forecast (Bloomberg's survey) calls for a 3.6% decline after an 8.4% fall in June. Still, the expected pace of 264k is still 10% higher since the end of last year. On Monday, Canada reported that July existing home sales fell by 5.3%, the fifth consecutive decline. They have fallen by more than a third since February. Canada also reports its monthly portfolios. Through May, Canada has experienced C$98.5 bln net portfolio inflows, almost double the pace seen in the first five months last year. However, the most important report today is the July CPI. A 0.1% increase, which is the median forecast in Bloomberg's survey would be the smallest of the year and the year-over-year pace to eased to 7.6% from 8.1%. If so, it is the first decline since June 2021. Similar with what the US reported, the core measures are likely to prove sticky. After the employment data on August 5, the swaps market was still leaning in favor a 75 bp hike at the September 7 meeting (64%). However, since the US CPI report, it has been hovering around a 40% chance. While the US S&P 500 rose reached almost four-month highs yesterday, the Canadian dollar found little consolation  It held in better than the other dollar-bloc currencies and Scandis, but it still suffered its biggest decline in about a month yesterday. The greenback reached almost CAD1.2935 yesterday and is consolidating in a narrow range today above CAD1.2890. The next important chart point is near CAD1.2975-85 and the CAD1.3050. After testing the MXN20.00 level yesterday, the US dollar was sold marginally through last week's low (~MXN19.8150). It is consolidating today and has not been above MXN19.8850. It has come a long way from the month's high set on August 3 near MXN20.8335. The greenback's downside momentum seems to have eased as it stalls in front of MXN19.81 for the third consecutive session.     Disclaimer   Source: Greenback Remains Firm

Summary:  Equities traded higher still yesterday as treasury yields fell further back into the recent range and on hopes that an Iran nuclear deal will cement yesterday’s steep drop in oil prices. The latest data out of the US was certainly nothing to celebrate as the July US Homebuilder survey showed a further sharp drop in new housing interest and a collapse in the first regional US manufacturing survey for August, the New York Fed’s Empire Manufacturing.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures extended their gains yesterday getting closer to the 200-day moving average sitting around the 4,322 level. The US 10-year yield seems well anchored below 3% and financial conditions indicate that S&P 500 futures could in theory trade around 4,350. The news flow is light but earnings from Walmart later today could impact US equities should the largest US retailer lower their outlook for the US consumer. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) Hong Kong and mainland Chinese equities were mixed. CSI300 was flat, with electric equipment, wind power, solar and auto names gained. Hang Seng Index declined 0.5%. Energy stocks fell on lower oil price. Technology names were weak overall, Hang Seng TECH Index (HSTECH.I) declined 0.9%. Sunny Optical (02382:xhkg) reported worse than expected 1H22 results, revenues -14.4% YoY, net profits -49.5%, citing weakening component demand from the smartphone industry globally. The company’s gross margin plunged to 20.8% from 24.9%. Li Auto’s (02015:xhkg/LI:xnas) Q2 results were in line with expectations but Q3 guidance disappointed. The launch L9 seems cannibalizing Li ONE sales. USD: strength despite weak US data and falling treasury yields and strong risk sentiment Yesterday, the JPY tried to make hay on China cutting rates and as global yields eased back lower, with crude oil marked several dollars lower on hopes for an Iran nuclear deal. But the move didn’t stick well in USDJPY, which shrugged off these developments as the USD firmed further across the board, despite treasury yields easing lower, weak data and still strong risk sentiment/easy financial conditions. A strong US dollar is in and of itself is a tightening of financial conditions, however, and yesterday’s action has cemented a bullish reversal in some pairs, especially EURUSD and GBPUSD, where the next important levels pointing to a test of the cycle lows are 1.0100 and 1.2000, respectively. Elsewhere, USDJPY remains in limbo (strong surge above 135.00 needed to suggest upside threat), USDCAD has posted a bullish reversal but needs 1.3000 for confirmation, and AUDUSD is teetering, but needs a close back below 0.7000 to suggest a resurgent US dollar and perhaps widening concerns that a Chinese recession will temper interest in the Aussie. Crude oil Crude oil (CLU2 & LCOV2) trades lower following Monday’s sharp drop that was driven by a combination softer economic data from China and the US, the world’s top consumers of oil, and after Iran signaled a nuclear deal could be reached soon, raising the prospect of more Iranian crude reaching the market. The latest developments potentially reducing demand while adding supply forced recently established longs to bail and short sellers are once again in control. Brent needs to hold support at $93 in order to avoid further weakness towards $90. Focus on Iran news. Copper Copper (COPPERUSSEP22) led the metals pack lower, without breaking any key technical levels to the downside, after China’s domestic activity weakened in July. Meanwhile, supply side issues in Europe also cannot be ignored with surging power prices putting economic pressure on smelters, and many of them running at a loss. HG copper jumped 19% during the past month and yesterday’s setback did not challenge any key support level with the first being around $3.50/lb. BHP, the world’s top miner meanwhile hit record profits while saying that China is likely to offer a “tail wind” to global growth (see below). EU power prices hit record high on continued surge in gas prices ... threatening a deeper plunge into recession. The latest surge being driven by low water levels on Europe’s rivers obstructing the normal passage for diesel, coal, and other fuel products, thereby forcing utilities to use more gas European Dutch TTF benchmark gas futures (TTFMU2) has opened 5% higher at €231/MWh, around 15 times higher than the long-term average, suggesting more pain ahead for European utility companies. Next-year electricity rates in Germany (DEBYF3) closed 3.7% higher to 477.50 euros ($487) a megawatt-hour on the European Energy Exchange AG. That is almost six times as much as this time last year, with the price doubling in the past two months alone. UK power prices were also seen touching record highs. US Treasuries (IEF, TLT) see long-end yields surging. Yields dipped back lower on weak US economic data, including a very weak Empire Manufacturing Survey (more below) and another sharp plunge in the NAHB survey of US home builders, suggesting a rapid slowdown in the housing market. The survey has historically proven a leading indicator on prices as well. The 10-year benchmark dipped back further into the range after threatening to break up higher last week. The choppy range extends down to 2.50% before a drop in yields becomes a more notable development, but tomorrow’s US Retail Sales and FOMC minutes offer the next test of sentiment. What is going on? Weak Empire State manufacturing survey and NAHB Index Although a niche and volatile measure, the United States NY Empire State Manufacturing Index, compiled by the New York Federal Reserve, fell to -31.3 from 11.1 in July, its lowest level since May 2020 and its sharpest monthly drop since the early days of the pandemic. New orders and shipments plunged, and unfilled orders also declined, albeit less sharply. Other key areas of concern were the rise in inventories and a decline in average hours worked. This further weighed on the sentiment after weak China data had already cast concerns of a global growth slowdown earlier. Meanwhile, the US NAHB housing market index also saw its eighth consecutive monthly decline as it slid 6 points to 49 in August. July housing starts and building permits are scheduled to be reported later today, and these will likely continue to signal a cooling demand amid the rising mortgage rates as well as overbuilding. China's CATL plans to build its second battery factory in Europe CATL unveiled plans to build a renewable energy-powered factory for car battery cells and modules in Hungary. It will invest EUR 7.34 billion (USD 7.5bn) on the 100-GWh facility, which will be its second one in Europe. To power the facility CATL will use electricity from renewable energy source, such as solar power. At present, CATL is in the process of commissioning its German battery production plant, which is expected to roll out its first cells and modules by the end of 2022. Disney (DIS) shares rise on activist investor interest Daniel Loeb of Third Point announced a significant new stake in Disney yesterday, helping to send the shares some 2.2% higher in yesterday’s session. The activist investor recommended that the company spin off its ESPN business to reduce debt and take full ownership of the Hulu streaming service, among other moves. Elliott exits SoftBank Group The US activist fund sold its stake in SoftBank earlier this year in a sign that large investors are scaling back on their investments in technology growth companies with long time to break-even. In a recent comment, SoftBank’s founder Masayoshi Son used more cautious words regarding the investment company’s future investments in growth companies. BHP reports its highest ever profit, bolstered by coal BHP posted a record profit of $21.3bn supported by considerable gains in coal, nickel and copper prices during the fiscal year ending 30 June 2022. Profits jumped 26% compared to last year’s result. The biggest driver was a 271% jump in the thermal coal price, and a 43% spike in the nickel price. The world’s biggest miner sees commodity demand improving in 2023, while it also sees China emerging as a source of stable commodity demand in the year ahead. BHP sees supply covering demand in the near-term for copper and nickel. According to the company iron ore will likely remain in surplus through 2023. In an interview Chief Executive Officer Mike Henry said: Long-term outlook for copper, nickel and potash is really strong because of “unstoppable global trends: decarbonization, electrification, population growth, increasing standards of living,” What are we watching next? Australia Q2 Wage Index tonight to determine future RBA rate hike size? The RBA Minutes out overnight showed a central bank that is trying to navigate a “narrow path” for keeping the Australian economy on an “even keel”. The RBA has often singled out wages as an important risk for whether inflation risks becoming more embedded and on that note, tonight sees the release of the Q2 Wage Index, expected to come in at 2.7% year-on-year after 2.4% in Q1. A softer data point may have the market pulling back expectations for another 50 basis point rate hike at the next RBA meeting after the three consecutive moves of that size. The market is about 50-50 on the size of the RBA hike in September, pricing a 35 bps move. RBNZ set to decelerate its guidance after another 50 basis point move tonight? The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is expected to hike its official cash rate another 50 basis points tonight, taking the policy rate to 3.00%. With business and consumer sentiment surveys in the dumps in New Zealand and oil prices retreating sharply the RBNZ, one of the earliest among developed economies to tighten monetary policy starting late last year, may be set for more cautious forward guidance and a wait and see attitude, although wages did rise in Q2 at their second fastest pace (+2.3% QoQ) in decades. The market is uncertain on the future course of RBNZ policy, pricing 44 bps for the October meeting after tonight’s 50 bps hike and another 36 bps for the November meeting. US retailer earnings eyed After disappointing results last quarter, focus is on Walmart and Home Depot earnings later today. These will put the focus entirely on the US consumer after the jobs data this month highlighted a still-tight labor market while the inflation picture saw price pressures may have peaked. It would also be interesting to look at the inventory situation at these retailers, and any updated reports on the status of the global supply chains.   Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Walmart and Home Depot with analysts expecting Walmart to report 7% revenue growth y/y and 8% decline y/y in EPS as the US retailer is facing difficulties passing on rising input costs. Home Depot is expected to report 6% growth y/y in revenue and 10% growth y/y in EPS as the US housing market is still robust driving demand for home improvement products. Sea Ltd, the fast-growing e-commerce and gaming company, is expected to report revenue growth of 30% y/y in Q2 but worsening EBITDA margin at -16.2%. The previous winning company is facing headwinds in its gaming division and cash flow from operations have gone from positive $318mn in Q1 2021 to negative $724mn in Q1 2022. Today: China Telecom, Walmart, Agilent Technologies, Home Depot, Sea Ltd Wednesday: Tencent, Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing, Analog Devices, Cisco Systems, Synopsys, Lowe’s, CSL, Target, TJX, Coloplast, Carlsberg, Wolfspeed Thursday: Applied Materials, Estee Lauder, NetEase, Adyen, Nibe Industrier, Geberit Friday: China Merchants Bank, CNOOC, Shenzhen Mindray, Xiaomi, Deere Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – Germany Aug. ZEW Survey 0900 – Eurozone Jun. Trade Balance 1200 – Poland Jul. Core CPI 1215 – Canada Jul. Housing Starts 1230 – US Jul. Housing Starts and Building Permits 1230 – Canada Jul. CPI 2030 – API Weekly Report on US Oil Inventories 2350 – Japan Jul. Trade Balance 0130 – Australia Q2 Wage Index 0200 – New Zealand RBNZ Official Cash Rate announcement 0300 – New Zealand RBNZ Governor Orr Press Conference  Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – August 16, 2022

Summary:  Today we look at a confusing market backdrop as the US dollar rose across the board despite weak US data and US treasury yields easing lower again. While measures of risk sentiment and financial conditions look very strong here, we need to remember that the US dollar is a financial condition unto itself and one of the most import exchange rates, the USDCNH rate should be on every trader's radar. As well, the US S&P 500 index is pushing up against a major resistance level. Crude oil, copper, earnings reports ahead and more on today pod, which features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast  Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com. Source: Podcast: The US dollar is a financial condition, too

Commodities have come under pressure. Poor macro data from China and a rebound in the USD have weighed heavily on the complex. Specifically for oil, the prospect of an Iranian nuclear deal is certainly not helping   Energy - edging closer to a nuclear deal Oil is under further pressure. ICE Brent settled more than 3% lower yesterday, whilst WTI broke below US$90/bbl. This weakness has carried through into early morning trading today. Weaker than expected Chinese data has raised demand concerns once again, not just for oil, but for the broader commodities complex. As mentioned in yesterday’s note, refinery activity in July fell to its lowest levels since March 2020, whilst apparent demand was down around 10% YoY. These demand concerns have coincided with a recovery in the USD, which surged yesterday. Prospects of an Iranian nuclear deal have only weighed further on the market. Iran has reportedly responded to the EU’s proposal for a resumption of the Iranian nuclear deal. And the Iranians expect to receive a response in the next couple of days. The Iranian foreign minister is of the view that a deal could be reached in the next few days, although it will require some ‘flexibility’ from the US. As for the US’ stance, they will reportedly relay their views directly to EU negotiators. A revival of the deal and lifting of oil sanctions could potentially see Iran increasing oil supply in the region of 1.3MMbbls/d over time, which would help to ease some of the expected tightness in the oil market over 2H23. While the short term outlook appears more negative, the longer term outlook is still somewhat constructive. US drilling activity is increasing, although the pace has been slower than we have seen in previous upcycles. US producers still seem to be relying on drilled but uncompleted wells (DUCs). The latest drilling productivity report released by the EIA yesterday shows that DUC inventory fell by 20 over July, to leave the total number of DUCs at 4,277- the lowest since at least December 2013. We have seen 25 consecutive months of declines in the DUC inventory, falling by 4,530 over that period. US producers have relied on DUCs to sustain production post Covid, however, given the low inventory, producers will be unable to rely on DUCs moving forward, instead we will need to see a further increase in drilling activity.   Hot weather in Europe has provided a boost to European natural gas prices. TTF settled almost 6.8% higher yesterday, whilst prices hit EUR230/MWh at one stage yesterday- levels we have not seen since early March. However, European gas storage continues to edge higher, reaching almost 75%, which is in-line with the 5-year average and well above the 62% seen at this stage last year. Assuming we do not see any further reductions in Russian gas flows, the EU should hit its target of having storage 80% full by 1 November. However, that is a big assumption to make in the current environment. Metals - power shortages in Sichuan province The announcement of an interest-rate cut from the People's Bank of China (PBoC) failed to stop a slide in the metals complex yesterday. Instead market participants continue to be concerned about the demand outlook, following the latest poor economic data from China, as well as the domestic Covid situation. A stronger USD only applied further pressure to metal markets. Whilst there are clear demand concerns, supply risks are growing. Sichuan province in China has ordered some industrial plants to halt activities from 15 August until 20 August, as heat waves have led to power shortages. The region has been struggling with high temperatures and dry weather since July, and relies heavily on hydro for power generation. According to the Shanghai Metals Market, around 390ktpa of capacity in Sichuan province has been affected by the power shortages. Turning to ferrous metals, the SGX’s most active iron ore contract fell close to 4% yesterday, given the weaker macro data from China. The latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that crude steel output fell 6.4% YoY to 81.43mt in July, as demand from the property sector continues to worsen. Cumulatively, output fell 6.4% YoY to 609.3mt over the first seven months of the year. Shandong province (the third largest steel producing hub) in East China, plans to cap steel output at around 76mt in 2022, slightly lower than the 76.5mt produced last year. Agriculture - Russian grain exports off to a slow start The latest numbers from the Russian Grain Union shows that Russia exported 4.67mt of wheat in the season that began on 1 July, down 13% compared to a year earlier. It is also estimated that the number of nations buying Russian wheat has reduced from 43 a year ago to just 23. Total grain exports declined 12% YoY to 5.6mt over the same period. The USDA’s latest weekly crop progress report for the US shows that 90% of the winter wheat crop was harvested as of 14 August, compared to 86% a week ago and 97% at the same stage last season. For corn, the USDA rated 57% of the crop in good-to-excellent condition, down from 58% a week ago and 62% last year. 58% of the soybean crop was rated good-to-excellent, marginally down from 57% last year. Read this article on THINK TagsRussia Power shortages Oil Iran nuclear deal Aluminium Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Summary:  S&P500 index broke above the key 4,300 resistance level while the NASDAQ pushed lower amid mixed economic data and better-than-feared earnings from Walmart and Home Depot. US housing data continues to worsen, but the focus now turns to FOMC minutes due later today, as well as the US retail sales which will be next test of the strength of the US consumer. Asia session may have trouble finding a clear direction, but Australia’s wage price index and RBNZ’s rate hike may help to provide some bounce. What is happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I)  U.S. equities were mixed. Tech names had an initial pullback, followed by short-coverings that narrowed the loss of the Nasdaq 100 to 0.23% at the close. S&P500 edged up 0.19% to 4,305 on better-than-feared results from retailers, moving towards its 200-day moving average (4,326). Walmart (WMT:xnys) and Home Depot (HD:xnys) reported Q2 results beating analyst estimates. Walmart gained 5% on strong same-store sales growth and a deceleration in inventory growth. Home Depot climbed 4% after reporting better than expected EPS and same-store sales but with an acceleration in inventory buildup. The declines in housing starts and building permits released on Monday and the downbeat comments about the U.S. housing market from the management of Compass (COMP:xnys), an online real estate brokerage, highlighted the challenges faced in the housing sector.  Short-end U.S. treasury yields rose as the long-end little changed The bigger than expected increases in July industrial production (+0.6% MoM), manufacturing production (+0.7% MoM), and business equipment production (+0.6%) triggered some selling in the short-end of U.S. treasury curve, pushing the 2-year yield 8 bps higher to 3.25% as 10-year yield edged up 1bp.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) China internet stocks were sold off on Tuesday afternoon after Reuters ran a story suggesting that Tencent (00700:xhkg) plans to divest its 17% stake (USD24 billion) in Meituan (03690:xhkg).  The shares of Meituan collapsed 9% while Tencent gained 0.9%.  After the close of the Hong Kong market, Chinese media, citing sources “close to the matter” suggested that the divesture story is not true. However, the ADRs of Meituan managed to recover only 1.7% in New York trading. The newswire story also triggered selling on Kuaishou (01024:xhkg), -4.4%, which has Tencent as a major investor. The decline in internet stocks dragged the Hang Seng Index 1% lower. On the other hand, Chinese developers soared on another newswire report that state-owned China Bond Insurance is going to provide guarantees to new onshore debts issued by several “high quality” developers, including Country Garden (02007:xhkg) +9%, Longfor (00960:xhkg) +12%, CIFI (00884:xhkg) +12.9%, and Seazen (01030:xhkg) +7.6%.  Shares of Chinese property management services also surged higher.  GBPUSD bounced off the 1.2000 support, NZD eyeing RBNZ A mixed overnight session for FX as the US yields wobbled. Risk sentiment held up with the mixed US data accompanied by a less bad outcome in the US retailer earnings than what was expected. This made the safe-haven yen a clear underperformer, and USDJPY rose back above 134. But a clear trend in the pair is still missing and a break above 135 is needed to reverse the downtrend. Cable got lower to remain in close sight of the 1.2000 big figure, but rose above 1.2100 subsequently. UK CPI report due today may confirm the need for further BOE action after labor data showed wage pressures. NZDUSD remains near lows of 0.6320 but may see a knee-jerk higher if RBNZ surprises on the hawkish side. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil prices remain under pressure due to the prospect of Iran nuclear deal, and printed fresh lows since the Ukraine invasion. Some respite was seen in early Asian session, and WTI futures were last seen at $87/barrel and Brent is below $93. The EU submitted a final proposal to salvage the Iran nuclear deal, and prospects of more energy supply are dampening the price momentum. It has been reported that Iran’s response was constructive, and they are now consulting with the US on a way ahead for the protracted talks. The API reported crude inventories fell by 448,000 barrels last week, while gasoline stockpiles increased by more than 4 million barrels. Government data is due later Wednesday. European Dutch TTF benchmark gas futures (TTFMU2) touched €250/MWh, but has cooled off slightly recently, but still signals the heavy price that Europe is paying for the dependence on Russian gas. Copper holding up well despite China slowdown concerns Despite reports of weaker financing and activity data from China earlier this week, Copper remains well supported and registered only modest declines. BHP’s results provided some offset, as did the supply side issues in Europe. Only a break below the key 350 support will turn the focus lower. Meanwhile, zinc rallied amid concerns of smelter closures in Europe. What to consider? US housing scare broadens, industrial production upbeat Housing starts fell 9.6% in July to 1.446 mn, well beneath the prior 1.599 mn and the expected 1.537 mn. Housing starts are now down for five consecutive months, and suggest a cooling housing market in the wake of higher borrowing costs and higher inflation. Meanwhile, building permits declined 1.3% in July to 1.674 mn from 1.696 mn, but printed above the expected 1.65 mn. There will be potentially more scaling back in construction activity as demand weakens and inventory levels rise. On the other hand, industrial production was better than expected at 0.6% m/m (prev: -0.2%) possibly underpinned by holiday demand but the outlook is still murky amid persistent inflation and supply chain issues. US retailer earnings come in better than feared Walmart (WMT:xnys) and Home Depot (HD:xnys) reported better-than-feared results on Tuesday. Walmart’s Q2 revenues came in at USD152.9 billion (+8.4% YoY, consensus USD150.5bn). Same-store sales increased 8.4% YoY (vs consensus +6.0% YoY).  EPS of USD1.77, down 0.8% from a year ago quarter but better than the consensus estimate of USD1.63. While inventories increased 25.5% in Q2, the rate of increase has moderated from the prior quarter’s +32.0%. The company cited falls in gas prices, market share gain in grocery, and back-to-school shopping key reasons behind the strength in sales.  Home Depot reported Q2 revenues of USD43.9 billion (vs consensus USD43.4bn), +6.5% YoY.  Same-store sales grew 5.8%, beating analyst estimates (+4.9%).  EPS rose 11.5% to $5.05, ahead of analyst estimates (USD4.95). However, inventories grew 38% YoY in Q2, which was an acceleration from the prior quarter. The management cited inflation and pulling forward inventory purchases given supply chain challenges as reasons for the larger inventory build-up. Target (TGT:xnys) is scheduled to report on Wednesday. Eyes on US retail sales US retail sales will be next test of the US consumer after less bad retailer earnings last night. Retail sales should have been more resilient given the lower prices at pump improved the spending power of the average American household, and Amazon Prime Day in the month possibly attracted bargain hunters as well. However, consensus expectations are modest at 0.1% m/m compared to last month’s 1.0%. A cooling labor market in the UK UK labor market showed signs of cooling as job vacancies fell for the first time since August 2020 and real wages dropped at the fastest pace in history. Unemployment rate was steady at 3.8%, and the number of people in employment grew by 160,000 in the April-June period as against 256,000 expected. There was also a sprinkle of good news, with the number of employees on payrolls rising 73,000 in July, almost triple the pace expected. Also, wage growth was strong at 4.7% in the June quarter from 4.4% in the three months to May, which may be key for the BOE amid persistent wage pressures. Australia Q2 Wage Index to determine future RBA rate hike size? The RBA Minutes out on Tuesday showed a central bank that is trying to navigate a “narrow path” for keeping the Australian economy on an “even keel”. The RBA has often singled out wages as an important risk for whether inflation risks becoming more embedded and on that note, today sees the release of the Q2 Wage Index, expected to come in at 2.7% year-on-year after 2.4% in Q1. A softer data point may have the market pulling back expectations for another 50 basis point rate hike at the next RBA meeting after the three consecutive moves of that size. The market is about 50-50 on the size of the RBA hike in September, pricing a 35bps move. RBNZ set to decelerate its guidance after another 50 basis point move today? The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is expected to hike its official cash rate another 50 basis points tonight, taking the policy rate to 3.00%. With business and consumer sentiment surveys in the dumps in New Zealand and oil prices retreating sharply the RBNZ, one of the earliest among developed economies to tighten monetary policy starting late last year, may be set for more cautious forward guidance and a wait and see attitude, although wages did rise in Q2 at their second fastest pace (+2.3% QoQ) in decades. The market is uncertain on the future course of RBNZ policy, pricing 45bps for the October meeting after today’s 50bps hike and another 37bps for the November meeting. FOMC minutes to be parsed for hints on future Fed moves The Federal Reserve had lifted rates by 75bps to bring the Fed Funds rate at the level that they consider is neutral at the July meeting, but stayed away from providing any forward guidance. Meeting minutes will be out today, and member comments will be watched closely for any hints on the expectation for September rate hike or the terminal Fed rate. The hot jobs report and the cooling inflation number has further confused the markets since the Fed meeting, even as Fed speakers continue to push against any expectations of rate cuts at least in ‘early’ 2023. We only have Kansas City Fed President Esther George (voter in 2022) and Minneapolis Fed President Kashkari (non-voter in 2022) speaking this week at separate events on Thursday, so the bigger focus will remain on Jackson Hole next week for any updated Fed views.   For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: APAC Daily Digest: What is happening in markets and what to consider next – August 17, 2022

Summary:  Today we look at the US equity market rolling over a bit after hitting a key resistance point in the form of the S&P 500's 200-day moving average. We continue to note the resilient US dollar and the risk of USDCNH suddenly commanding the market's attention again if China moves to devalue its currency. We also zero in on weak Antipodean currencies as AUDUSD struggles and NZD can't get a boost from the RBNZ overnight. Crude oil, industrial metals, the latest on the dire power emergency in the EU, danger of meme stocks, earnings ahead and more on today's pod, which features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are found via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: Watching for signs of altitude sickness

Overview: The biggest development today in the capital markets is the jump in benchmark interest rates.  The US 10-year yield is up five basis points to 2.86%, which is about 10 bp above Monday’s low.  European yields are up 9-10 bp.  The 10-year German Bund yield was near 0.88% on Monday and is now near 1.07%.  Italy’s premium over German is near 2.18%, the most in nearly three weeks.  Although Asia Pacific equities rallied, led by Japan’s 1.2% gain, but did not include South Korea, European equities are lower as are US futures.  The Stoxx 600 is struggled to extend a five-day rally.  The Antipodeans are the weakest of the majors, but most of the major currencies are softer. The euro and sterling are straddling unchanged levels near midday in Europe.  Gold is soft in yesterday’s range, near its lowest level since August 5.  While $1750 offers support, ahead of it there may be bids around $1765. October WTI is pinned near its lows around $85.50-$86.00.  The drop in Chinese demand is a major weight, while the market is closely monitoring developments with the Iranian negotiations.  US natgas is edging higher after yesterday 6.9% surge to approach last month’s peak.  Europe’s benchmark is 4.5% stronger today after yesterday’s 2.7% pullback.  Iron ore fell (3.9%) for the fourth consecutive decline. The September contract that trades in Singapore is at its lowest level since July 22.  September copper is a little heavier but is still inside Monday’s range.  September wheat is extending its pullback for the fourth consecutive session.  It had risen in the first four sessions last week. It is moving sideways in the trough carved over the past month.    Asia Pacific   The Reserve Bank of New Zealand delivered the anticipated 50 bp rate hike and signaled it would continue to tighten policy    It did not help the New Zealand dollar, which is posting an outside day by trading on both sides of yesterday's range.  The close is the key and below yesterday's low (~$0.6315) would be a bearish technical development that could spur another cent decline.  It is the RBNZ's fourth consecutive half-point hike, which followed three quarter-point moves.  The cash target rate is at 3.0%.  Inflation (Q2) was stronger than expected rising 7.3% year-over-year.  The central bank does not meet again until October 5, and the swaps market has a little more than a 90% chance of another 50 bp discounted.    Japan's July trade balance deteriorated more than expected    The shortfall of JPY1.44 trillion (~$10.7 bln) form JPY1.40 trillion in June.  Exports slowed to a still impressive 19% year-over-year from 19.3% previously, while imports rose 47.2% from 46.1% in June.  The terms-of-trade shock is significant in both Japan and Europe.  Japan's ran an average monthly trade deficit of about JPY1.32 trillion in H1 22 compared with an average monthly surplus of JPY130 bln in H1 21.  The eurozone reported an average shortfall of 23.4 bln euros in H1 22 compared with a 16.8 bln average monthly surplus in H1 21.  The two US rivals, China, and Russia, have been hobbled by their own actions, while the two main US economic competitors, the eurozone and Japan are experiencing a dramatic deterioration of their external balance,     The 11 bp rise in the US two-year yield between yesterday and today has helped lift the US dollar to almost JPY135.00, a five-day high   It has met the (50%) retracement target of the downtrend since the multiyear peak in mid-July near JPY139.40.  The next target is the high from earlier this month around JPY135.60.  and then JPY136.00.  Initial support now is seen near JPY134.40.  After recovering a bit in the North American session yesterday, the Australian dollar has come under renewed selling pressure and is trading at five-day lows below the 20-day moving average (~$0.6990).  It has broken support in the $0.6970-80 area to test the trendline off the mid-July low found near $0.6965.  A break could signal a move toward $0.6900-10.  The gap created by yesterday's high US dollar opening against the Chinese yuan was closed today as yuan recovered for the first day in three sessions.  Monday's high was CNY6.775 and yesterday's low was CNY6.7825.  Today's low is about CNY6.7690.  For the second consecutive session, the PBOC set the dollar's reference rate a little lower than the market (median in Bloomberg's survey) expected (CNY6.7863 vs. CNY6.7877).  The dollar has risen to almost CNH6.82 in the past two sessions and still trading a little above CNH6.80 today but was sold to nearly CNH6.7755 where is has found new bids.      Europe   The UK's headline CPI accelerated to 10.1% last month from 9.4% in June    It was above market expectations and the Bank of England's forecast for a 9.9% increase.  Although the rise in food prices (2.3% on the month and 12.7% year-over-year) lifted the headline, the core rate, which excludes food, energy, alcohol, and tobacco rose to 6.2% from 5.8% and was also above expectations (median forecast in Bloomberg's survey was for 5.9%).  Producer input prices slowed, posting a 0.1% gain last month for a 22.6% year-over-year pace (24.1% in June).  However, output prices jumped 1.6% after a 1.4% gain in June.  This puts the year-over-year pace at 17.1%, up from 16.4% previously.  The bottom line is that although the UK economy contracted in Q2 and the BOE sees a sustained contraction beginning soon, the market recognize that the monetary policy will continue to tighten.  The market swaps market is fully pricing in a 50 bp hike at the mid-September meeting and is toying with the idea of a larger move (53 bp of tightening is discounted).    What a year of reversals for Germany    After years of pressure from the United States and some allies in Europe, Germany finally nixed the Nord Stream 2 pipeline with Russia.  Putin also got Germany to do something that several American presidents failed to achieve and that is boost is defense sending in line with NATO commitments. The energy crunch manufactured by Russia is forcing Germany to abandon is previous strategy of reducing coal and closing down its nuclear plants.  Ironically, the Greens ae in the coalition government and recognize little choice.  A formal decision on three nuclear plants that were to be shuttered before the end of the year has yet to be made, but reports confirm it is being discussed at the highest levels.     Germany's one-year forward electricity rose by 11% to 530.50 euros a megawatt-hour in the futures market years, a gain of more than 500%     France, whose nuclear plants are key to the regional power grid, is set to be the lowest in decades, according to reports.  France has become a net importer of electricity, while the extreme weather has cut hydropower output and wind generation is below seasonal norms.  The low level of the Rhine also disrupts this important conduit for barges of coal and oil. Starting in October, German households will have a new gas tax (2.4-euro cents per kilowatt hour for natural gas) until 1 April 2024. Economic Minister Habeck estimated that for the average single household the gas tax could be almost 100 euros a month, while a couple would pay around 195 euros.  Also, starting in October, utilities will be able to through to consumers the higher costs associated with the reduction of gas supply from Russia.  This poses upside risk to German inflation.     The euro held technical support near $1.0110 yesterday and is trading quietly today in a narrow (~$1.0150-$1.0185) range today    Yesterday was the first session since July 15 that the euro did not trade above $1.02.  The decline since peaking last week a little shy of $1.0370 has seen the five- and 20-day moving averages converge and could cross today or tomorrow for the first time since late July. We note that the US 2-year premium over German is testing the 2.60% area.  It has not closed below there since July 22.  Sterling held key support at $1.20 yesterday and traded to almost $1.2145 today, which met the (50%) retracement objective of the fall from last week's $1.2275 high.  The next retracement (61.8%) is closer to $1.2175.  The UK reported employment yesterday, CPI today, and retail sales ahead of the weekend.  Retail sales, excluding gasoline have fallen consistently since last July with the exception of October 2021 and June 2022.  Retail sales are expected to have slipped by around 0.3% last month.     America   The Empire State manufacturing August survey on Monday and yesterday's July housing starts pick up a thread first picked up in the July composite PMI, which fell from 52.3 to 47.7 of some abrupt slowing of economic activity  The Empire State survey imploded from 11.1 to -31.3.  Housing starts fell 9.6%, more than four-times the pace expected (median Bloomberg survey -2.1%).  It was small comfort that the June series was revised up 2.4% from initially a 2.0% decline.  The 1.45 mln unit pace is the weakest since February 2021 and is about 9% lower than July 2021.  However, offsetting this has been the strong July jobs report and yesterday' industrial production figures.  The 0.6% was twice the median forecast (Bloomberg's survey) and the June decline (-0.2%) was revised away. The auto sector continues to recover from supply chain disruptions, and this may be distorting typically seasonal patterns.  Sales are rose in June and July, the first back-to-back gain in over a year. To some extent, supply is limiting sales, which would seem to encourage production.  Outside of autos, output slowed (year-over-year) for the third consecutive month in July.     Today's highlights include July retail sales and the FOMC minutes     Retail sales are reported in nominal terms, which means that the 13% drop in the average retail price of gasoline will weigh on the broadest of measures.  However, excluding auto, gasoline, building materials, and food services, the core retail sales will likely rise by around 0.6% after a 0.8% gain in June.  The most important thing than many want to know from the FOMC minutes is where the is bar to another 75 bp rate hike.  The Fed funds futures market has it nearly 50/50.     Canada's July CPI was spot on forecasts for a 0.1% month-over-month increase and a 7.6% year-over-year pace (down from 8.1%)     However, the core rates were firm than average increased.  The market quickly concluded that this increases the likelihood that the central bank that surprised the market with a 100 bp hike last month will lift the target rate by another 75 bp when it meets on September 7.  In fact, the swaps market sees it as a an almost 65% probability, the most since July 20.  Canada reports June retail sales at the end of the week.  The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey is for a 0.4% gain, but even if it is weaker, it is unlikely to offset the firm core inflation readings.     The dollar-bloc currencies are under pressure today, but the Canadian dollar is faring best, off about 0.25% in late morning trading in Europe     The Aussie is off closer to 0.75% and the Kiwi is down around 0.5%.  US equities are softer. The greenback found support near CAD1.2830 and is near CAD1.2880.  Monday and Tuesday's highs were in the CAD1.2930-5 area and a break above there would target CAD1.2985-CAD1.3000.  However, the intraday momentum indicators are overextended, and initial support is seen in the CAD1.2840-60 area. The greenback has forged a shelf near MXN19.81 in recent days.  It has been sold from the MXN20.83 area seen earlier this month.  It has not been above MXN20.05 for the past five sessions.  A move above there, initially targets around MXN20.20.  The JP Morgan Emerging Market Currency Index is off for the third consecutive session. If sustained, it would be the longest losing streak since July 20-22.     Disclaimer   Source: Markets Look for Direction

Dutch TTF Gas is resuming uptrend taking out July peak testing the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement at around €242.75.RSI has broken its falling trend and is likely to trade out/cancel the divergence since mid-July. If Dutch gas closes above the 0.618 retracement the 0.764 retracement at around 281.82 is next level likely to be reached. The upper rising trend line is likely to be reached and possibly broken in a gas price that seems to accelerate.To reverse the uptrend a close below 187.50 is needed.However, a correction over the next couple of days is not unlikely given the Spinning Top Candle formed yesterday. IT is often a top and reversal indicator but needs to be confirmed by a bearish candle the following day. IF Dutch Gas closes above its peak the potential top and reversal is demolished. Source: Saxo Group Henry Hub Gas has taken out resistance at the 0.618 retracement at around $8.90 and now also 0.764 retracement indicating previous highs at $9.66-9.75 are likely to be tested. If Henry Hub Gas closes above previous highs new price targets Source: Saxo Group Brent Crude oil continue its downtrend closing in on support at around $90. RSI is testing previous lows. There is divergence indicating a weakening of the downtrend but if RSI makes a new low the $90 support could be broken. Next support would be at around the 0.764 retracement at 85.76To set the downtrend on pause a close above 100.38. That will most likely not reverse the trend but merely just put it on pause. Source: Saxo Group WTI Crude oil was rejected at the short-term falling trendline and is now back below the 0.618 retracement. Next support at 81.90. There is divergence on RSI indication the downtrend is weakening. However, if RSI closes below If WTI closes back above the 200 SMA i.e. above $95 thereby also breaking above the short-term falling trendline, a larger correction to around 105-110 is likely. Source: Saxo Group Carbon Emissions broke its falling trendline last week and has now also broken above resistance at 92.75 closing in on its all-time high just below €100. RSI is entering over-bought territory but there is no divergence indicating higher levels (above 100) is likely. However, do expect a correction from just below previous highs.            Source: Saxo Group   Source: Technical Update - Natural Gas powers higher. Oil downtrend weakening, close to and end? Carbon Emission close to all-time highs

Summary:  We are used to not think about the energy sector, but the galloping global energy crisis has illuminated our deficits in primary energy due to years of underinvestment in fossil fuels and renewable energy sources inability to scale fast enough with the green transformation and electrification of our economy. It seems more likely now that the non-renewable and the renewable energy sector will both provide attractive returns as we will need both to overcome our short-term energy crisis and long-term aspirations of a greener energy future. The energy crisis keeps getting worse Electricity prices in Europe are nine times higher than the historical average since 2007 as lack of investments and cutting the ties to Russia’s energy supplies are severely constraining available energy in society. Since before the pandemic we have written many equity notes on the green transformation which involves building out renewable energy sources and electrifying everything in the economy to reduce the carbon emissions involved with our current living standard. Switching a large part of the transportation sector to electricity or green fuels, switching the heating source from natural gas to renewable energy through electrification (air-to-water heat pumps) etc. is very difficult as our rising wealth (measured by GDP) is finely mapped to carbon emissions over the past 300 years. We described this in our note The inconvenient truth on energy and GDP. Decoupling our wealth generating function from that of carbon emissions is probably the greatest task humans has ever set out to do. German baseload electricity 1 year forward | Source: Bloomberg There is not ‘one solution’ that fixes our energy crisis As BP’s 2022 Statistical Review of World Energy pictures primary energy demand in 2021 eclipsed 2019 suggesting the world’s demand for energy is now higher than before the pandemic and the usage of fossil fuels (82%) is only slightly down compared to five years ago (85%). We very much still live in a fossil fuel based economy. Things will change over time and the share of fossil fuels will likely decline, but the idea that the world can do the green transformation by electrifying everything based on renewable energy sources is naïve. Investors should also remember that the change in primary energy demand is mostly driven by the non-OECD countries. Renewable energy does not scale fast enough for a complete transition due to the speed on electrification and recently the CEOs of Orsted and Vestas complained about bureaucracy related to get new offshore wind power projects approved. The recent Climate & Tax Bill is acknowledging that we will need oil and gas for longer than expected just three years ago and thus our current energy crisis will allow both renewable energy and fossil fuel energy to be good investments in parallel. Renewable energy is the third best theme basket this year while the commodities basket (which includes oil & gas and mining companies) is the best performer. Our view of the future of energy is that there is no ‘one solution’ to our energy problem. We must move to a mindset of energy diversification. We will need many different sources of energy and never rely too much on one source. Germany’s reliance on natural gas for its economic model has proved fragile. Even France’s concentrated bet on nuclear power has proved to be fragile due to corrosion and now too hot rivers. The world must invest in all types of energy and thus our view is that investors mut get broad exposure to energy going forward. The non-renewable energy sector at a glance In this equity note we will focus on the non-renewable energy because this is the part of the energy sector which has changed the most relative to market pricing and expectations and where there is more room for valuations changing. Despite high oil and gas prices the energy sector is still relatively cheap as we described already back in May in our note Global energy stocks are the cheapest in 27 years where we measured valuation on the free cash flow yield. The high oil and gas prices have also led to record profits for refiners and recently the highest quarterly profit ever recorded in the global energy sector which we described in our note Earnings hit new all-time high as inflation lifts all boats. The global energy sector (defined by GICS and being the non-renewable energy sector) is still cheap relative to the global equity market with the 12-month EV/EBITDA being two standard deviations below the average valuation spread since 2005. In terms of total return the global energy sector has delivered a higher return than the global equity market since 1995 (see chart). It is also worth noting that measured on the 12-month forward EV/EBITDA the renewable energy sector has twice the valuation level compared to the non-renewable energy sector reflecting the different in expectations for the future priced in the market. As we described in our Q1 Outlook the current dividend yield and expected dividend growth suggest that the global energy sector has an expected long-term return of 10% annualised subject of course to a large degree of uncertainty related to equity valuation compression in the industry or lower dividend growth in the future than expected today. Global energy vs global equities | Source: Bloomberg The easiest way to invest in the energy sector is through ETFs tracking the sector and most investors should do that. A different approach is investing in specific parts of the non-renewable energy sector. The tables below show the top five company on market value in each of the GICS industries in the GICS energy sector. As the five-year total returns in USD column show, the industries related only to drilling and providing equipment for drilling activities have done the worst because the decline in capital expenditures since 2015 has dried up activity for this industry. The integrated oil and gas majors have done better due to refining and trading businesses. Over the past five years, the best performing industries in the energy sector have been refining and marketing due to the crack spreads (the difference between crude oil and refined products) have expanded during the pandemic. The global coal industry has also done very well which in terms of climate change and reducing carbon emissions is a sad observation but we should be aware of that the primary fuel source for power generation globally is still coal. GICS industries in the energy sector | Source: Bloomberg and Saxo Group Source: How to invest in energy and the unfolding energy crisis?

Summary:  US equities traded a bit lower yesterday after the S&P 500 challenged the 200-day moving average from below the prior day for the first time since April in the steep comeback from the June lows. Sentiment was not buoyed by the FOMC minutes of the July meeting suggesting the Fed would like to slow the pace of tightening at some point. Crude oil rose from a six-month low on bullish news from the US and OPEC.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures rolled over yesterday wiping out the gains from the two previous sessions and the index futures are continuing lower this morning trading around the 4,270 level. US retail sales for July were weak and added to worries of the economic slowdown in real terms in the US. The 10-year yield is slowing crawling back towards the 3% level sitting at 2.87% this morning. A move to 3% and potentially beyond would be negative for equities. The next levels to watch on the downside in S&P 500 futures are 4,249 and then 4,200 Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) Shares in the Hong Kong and mainland China markets declined. China internet stocks were weak across the board with Tencent (00700:xhkg) +2.7% and Meituan (03690:xhkg) +1%, being the positive outliers. Tencent reported a revenue decline of 3% y/y in Q2, weak, but in line with market expectations. Non-GAAP operating profit was down 14% y/y to RMB 36.7bn, and EPS fell 17% y/y to RMB 2.90 but beating analyst estimates. Revenues from advertising at -18% y/y were better than expected. In the game segment, weaker mobile game revenues were offset by stronger PC game revenues. Beer makers outperformed China Resources Beer (00291:xhkg) +3.8%, Tsingtao Brewery (00168:xhkg) +1.7%. COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation (01138:xhkg) made a new high at the open on strong crude oil tanker freight rates before giving back some gains. USD pairs as the USD rally intensifies The US dollar rally broadened out yesterday, as USDJPY retook the 135.00 area, but needs to follow through above 135.50-136.00 to take the momentum back higher. Elsewhere, AUDUSD has broken down again on the move down through 0.7000 and USDCAD has posted a bullish reversal, needing 1.3000 for more upside confirmation. The GBPUSD pair looks heavy despite a massive reset higher in UK rates in the wake of recent UK inflation data, with a close below 1.2000 indicating a possible run on the sub-1.1800 lows, while EURUSD is rather stuck tactically, as price has remained bottled up above the 1.0100 range low. USDCNH, as discussed below, may be a key pair for whether the USD rally broadens out even more aggressively, and long US treasury yields and risk sentiment are other factors in the mix that could support the greenback, should the 10-year US treasury benchmark move higher toward 3.00% again or sentiment roll over for whatever reason. Certainly, tightening USD liquidity could prove a concern for sentiment as the Fed turns up the pace of quantitative tightening – something it seems behind schedule in doing if we look at the latest weekly Fed balance sheet data.  USDCNH The exchange rate edged higher again to above 6.80 overnight after a brief spike higher earlier this week as China’s PBOC moved to stimulate with a small 10-basis point rate cut of the key lending rate. There is no real drama in the exchange rate yet after the significant rally this spring from below 6.40 to 6.80+, but traders should keep an eye on this very important exchange rate for larger volatility and significant break above 6.83, as China’s exchange rate policy shifts can provoke significant volatility across markets. Crude oil Crude oil (CLU2 & LCOV2) bounced from a six-month low on Wednesday in response to a bullish US inventory report that saw big declines in gasoline and crude oil stocks as demand from US motorist climbed to the highest this year while crude exports reached a record $5 million barrels per day. The prospect for an Iran nuclear deal continues to weigh while OPEC’s new Secretary-General said spare capacity was becoming scarce. US strategic reserves are now at the lowest level since 1985 and the government has by now sold around 90% of what was initially offered in order to bring down prices. While demand concerns remain a key driver for macroeconomic focused funds selling crude oil as a hedge we notice a renewed surge in refinery margins, especially diesel, supported by increased demand from gas-to-fuel switching Gold and silver Gold has so far managed to find support at $1759, the 38.2% retracement of the July to August bounce, after trading weaker in response to a stronger dollar and rising yields. Silver (XAGUSD) meanwhile has almost retraced half of its recent strong gains with focus now on support at $19.50. The latest driver being the FOMC minutes which signaled ongoing interest-rate hikes and eventually at a slower pace than the current. The short-term direction has been driven by speculators reducing bullish bets following a two-week buying spree in the weeks to August 9 which lifted the net by 63k lots, the strongest pace of buying in six months. ETF holdings meanwhile have slumped to a six-month low, an indication investor, for now, trusts the FOMC’s ability to bring down inflation within a relatively short timeframe   What is going on? Financial conditions are tightening, if modestly. Recent days have brough a rise in short US treasury yields, but more importantly it looks as though some of the risk indicators like corporate credit spreads may have bottomed out here after a sharp retreat from early July highs – one Bloomberg high yield credit spreads to US treasuries peaked out above 5.75% and was as low as 4.08% earlier this week before rising to 4.19% yesterday, with high yield bond ETFs like HYG and JNK suffering a sharp mark-down yesterday of over a percent. Factors that could further aggravate financial conditions include a significant CNH weakening, higher US long treasury yields (10-year yield moving back toward 3.00%, for example) or further USD strength. Adyen sees margin squeeze. One of Europe’s largest payment companies reports first-half revenue of €609mn vs est. €615mn despite processed volume came significantly above estimates at €346bn suggesting the payments industry is experiencing pricing pressures. Cisco outlook surprises. The US manufacturer of networking equipment surprised to the upside on both revenue and earnings in its fiscal Q4 (ending 30 July), but more importantly, the company is guiding revenue growth in the current fiscal quarter of 2-4% vs est. -0.2% and revenue growth for the current fiscal year of 4-6% vs est. 3.3%. Cisco said that supply constraints are beginning to ease and that customer cancellations are running below pre-pandemic levels, and that the company’s growth will be a function of availability. Stale FOMC minutes hint at sustained restrictive policy, but caution on pace of tightening. Fed’s meeting minutes from the July meeting were released last night, and officials agreed to move to restrictive policy, with some noting that restrictive rates will have to be maintained for some time to bring inflation back to the 2% target. Still, there was also talk of slowing the pace of rate hikes ‘at some point’, despite pushing back against easing expectations for next year. The minutes were broadly in-line with the market’s thinking, and lacked fresh impetus needed to bring up the pricing of Fed’s rate hikes. Chairman Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole Symposium next week will be keenly watched for further inputs. US retail sales were a mixed bag. July US retail sales were a little softer at the headline level than the market expected (0% growth versus the +0.1% consensus) but the ex-auto came in stronger at 0.4% (vs. -0.1% expected). June’s growth was revised down to 0.8% from 1%. The mixed data confirmed that the US consumers are feeling the pinch from higher prices, but have remained resilient so far and that could give the Fed more room to continue with its aggressive rate hikes. Lower pump prices and further improvements in supply chain could further lift up retail spending in August. The iron ore miners are resilient despite price pressures Despite China planning more fiscal stimulus to fund infrastructure investment, the iron ore (SCOA, SCOU2) price paired back 8% this week, retreating to its lowest equal level in five weeks at $101.65, a level the iron ore price was last at in December 2021. Since March, the iron ore price has retreated 37%, with the most recent pull back being fueled by concerns China’s Covid cases are surging again with cases at a three-month high, as the outbreak worsens in the tropical Hainan province. Despite iron ore pulling back, shares in iron ore majors like BHP, remain elevated, up off their lows, with BHP’s shares trading 14% up of its July low, and moving further above its 200-day moving average, on hopes of commodity demand picking up. What are we watching next? Norway’s central bank guidance on further tightening. The Norges Bank is expected to hike 50 basis points today to take the policy rate to 1.75% despite an indication from the bank in June that the bank would prefer to shift back to hiking rates by 25 basis points, as a tight labour market and soaring inflation weigh. The path of tightening for the central bank has been an odd one, as it was the first G10 bank to actually hike rates in 2021, but finds itself with a far lower policy rate than the US, for example, which started much later with a faster pace of hikes. But NOK may react more to the direction in risk sentiment rather than guidance from the Norges Bank from here, assuming no major surprises. The EURNOK downtrend has slowed of late – focusing on 10.00 if the price action continues to back up. Japan’s inflation will surge further. Japan’s nationwide CPI for July is due on Friday. July producer prices came in slightly above expectations at 8.6% y/y (vs. estimates of 8.4% y/y) while the m/m figure was as expected at 0.4%. The continued surge reflects that Japanese businesses are grappling with high input price pressures, and these are likely to get passed on to the consumers, suggesting further increases in CPI remain likely. More government relief measures are likely to be announced, while signs of any Bank of Japan pivot away from its low rates and yield-curve-control policy are lacking. Bloomberg consensus estimates are calling for Japan’s CPI to accelerate to 2.6% y/y from 2.4% previously, with the ex-fresh food number seen at 2.4% y/y vs. 2.2% earlier.   Earnings to watch In Europe this morning, the key earnings focus is Adyen which has already reported (see review above) and Estee Lauder which is deliver a significant slowdown in figures and increased margin pressure due to rising input costs. Today’s US earnings to watch are Applied Materials and NetEase, with the former potentially delivering an upside surprise like Cisco yesterday on improved supply chains. NetEase, one of China’s largest gaming companies, is expected to deliver Q2 revenue growth of 12% y/y as growth continues to slow down for companies in China. Today: Applied Materials, Estee Lauder, NetEase, Adyen, Nibe Industrier, Geberit Friday: China Merchants Bank, CNOOC, Shenzhen Mindray, Xiaomi, Deere Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – Norway Deposit Rates 0900 – Eurozone Final Jul. CPI 1100 – Turkey Rate Announcement 1230 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1230 – Canada Jul. Teranet/National Bank Home Price Index 1230 – US Philadelphia Fed Survey 1400 – US Jul. Existing Home Sales 1430 – EIAs Weekly Natural Gas Storage Change 1720 – US Fed’s George (Voter) to speak 1745 – US Fed’s Kashkari (Non-voter) to speak 2301 – UK Aug. GfK Consumer Confidence 2330 – Japan Jul. National CPI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – August 18, 2022

Summary:  Today we note a further softening in sentiment, in part on a pick up in yields, but that story has yet to really trigger as long US treasury yields remain rangebound, if teasing important levels. We note important supports for the crude oil outlook, the crack spread picture in the energy complex, the still very low valuation of energy stocks relative to the broader market, stocks and earnings on our radar, FX developments as we keep the USDCNH chart front and center as a potential aggravator of weakening risk sentiment and more. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are found via the link Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: As risk sentiment rolls over, is crude oil set to rally?

The US saw large oil inventory declines over the last week. However, commodities are still struggling to find direction. A number of markets are trying to balance weaker demand with growing supply risks. This is particularly the case for metals, where yesterday another European smelter announced it would suspend operations due to high energy prices Source: Shutterstock Energy- large US crude inventory draw Yesterday’s EIA numbers provided some support to the oil market. However, sentiment remains largely negative, with lingering demand concerns and a potential Iranian nuclear deal casting a shadow over the market. The EIA reported larger than expected draws in crude and product. Over the last week, commercial crude oil inventories declined by 7.06MMbbls, which is the largest drawdown since mid-April. However, when SPR releases are taken into account, total US crude oil inventories fell by a significant 10.46MMbbls. The large decline in inventories was due to a substantial increase in crude oil exports over the week. Exports grew by 2.89MMbbls/d to hit a record 5MMbbls/d. This makes up for the weak export number last week, while the wider discount that we have seen in WTI/Brent for several weeks now should be supportive for US export volumes. On the products side, while a build of 766Mbbls was reported for distillate fuel oil, gasoline inventories fell by 4.64MMbbls. This fall was driven by stronger implied demand, which grew by 225Mbbls/d over the week. The more recent weakness that we have seen in pump prices appears to have provided some support to demand. Metals- more closures for European smelters Base metals came under further pressure yesterday, with the exception of LME aluminium, which managed to settle marginally higher on the day. This is after Norsk Hydro announced that it would suspend primary aluminium production at the Slovalco smelter in Slovakia due to surging power prices. The smelter had already reduced output late last year and early this year, which left it operating at 60% of its 175ktpa capacity. Separately, Hydro has also said that production will be affected at its Sunndal smelter in Norway due to strike action which is set to start on 22 August. The planned strike is estimated to idle around 20% of primary production capacity for four weeks starting from Monday. Hydro Sunndal has a capacity of 450ktpa. While supply risks continue to grow in the aluminium market (both in Europe and China), the market still seems more focused on the poorer demand story. Agriculture - Chinese imports off to a weak start in 2H22 The latest trade data from China’s Customs shows that corn imports fell 46% year-on-year to 1.5mt in July, while year-to-date imports are down 16.7% YoY to 15.1mt. Similarly, wheat imports also came under pressure, falling 11.7% YoY to 780kt over the month. Cumulative wheat imports declined 8.4% YoY to 5.7mt over the first seven months of the year. Weaker Chinese import demand has provided some relief to grain markets, which have had to deal with Ukrainian supply disruptions.  Read this article on THINK TagsPower shortages Oil EIA China demand Aluminium Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

The equity rally in the US didn’t pick up momentum after the Federal Reserve (Fed) released its latest meeting minutes, which sounded more hawkish-than-expected, or more hawkish-than-what-was-needed-to-give-another-boost to the US stock markets. The biggest take was that the Fed will continue tightening its policy until it sees that inflation is ‘firmly on path back to 2%’. The S&P500 fell 0.72% as Nasdaq gave back 1.20%, although the jump in the US 2-year yield was relatively soft, and the Fed funds futures scaled back the expectation of a 75 bp hike in the next meeting. Crude price completed an ABCD pattern, and it is more likely than not we see the price rebound to the $100 level in the medium run. In China, Tencent announced its first ever revenue drop as government crackdown continued taking a toll on its sales, and the pound couldn’t gain even after the above 10% inflation data boosted the Bank of England (BoE) hawks and the call fall steeper rate hikes to tame inflation in the UK. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:28 As expected, Fed minutes were more hawkish-than-expected 3:39 Crude oil has more chance to rebound than to fall 6:02 Tencent posts first-ever revenue drop 7:14 Apple extends gains, but technicals warn of correction 8:38 Pound unable to extend gains despite rising Fed hawks’ voices Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Fed #FOMC #minutes #USD #GBP #inflation #Tencent #Alibaba #earnings #crude #oil #natural #gas #coal #futures #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH

Summary:  Crude oil, in a downtrend since June, is showing signs of selling fatigue with the technical outlook turning more price friendly while fresh fundamental developments are adding some support as well. The energy crisis in Europe continues to strengthen, most recently due to lower water levels on the river Rhine preventing the movement of barges carrying coal and fuel products such as diesel. The result being an increased gas-to-fuel switching supporting the demand outlook for crude oil. Crude oil, in a downtrend since June, is showing signs of selling fatigue with the technical outlook turning more price friendly while fresh fundamental developments are adding some support as well. Worries about an economic slowdown driving by China’s troubled handling of Covid outbreaks, and its property sector problems as well as rapidly rising interest rates, were the main drivers behind the selling seen across commodities in recent months. Crude oil with its strong underlying fundamentals, with tight supply driven by Russia sanctions and OPEC struggling to lift production, was the last shoe to drop and since the mid-June peak, speculators and macroeconomic focused funds have been net sellers of both WTI and Brent crude oil futures. With most of these market participants using the front of the futures curve, the selling has seen the forward curve flatten, a development that is normally viewed as price negative as it signals reduced tightness in the market. However, for that to ring true we should see inventory levels of crude oil and fuel products rise while refinery margins should ease. None of these developments have occurred and it strengthens our belief that the weakness sign has more to do with position adjustments and short positions being implemented by traders focusing on macro instead of micro.  In the week to August 9, the combined net long in Brent and WTI slumped to 304k lots a level last seen in April 2020, and 209k lots below the mid-June peak.  While the macro-economic outlook is still challenged, recent developments within the oil market, so-called micro developments, have raised the risk of a rebound. The energy crisis in Europe continues to strengthen, most recently due to lower water levels on the river Rhine preventing the movement of barges carrying coal and fuel products such as diesel. The result being surging gas prices as utilities are forced to buy more gas to keep the turbines running. This week the cost of Dutch TTF benchmark gas reached $400 per barrel of crude oil equivalent. Such a wide gap between oil and gas has and will continue to attract increased demand for fuel-based product at the expense of gas and this switch was specifically mentioned by the IEA in their latest update as the reason for raising their 2022 global oil demand growth forecast by 380k barrels per day to 2.1 million barrels per day. Since the report was published the incentive to switch has increased even more, adding more upward pressure on refinery margins, so called crack spreads (EU diesel crack shown below as an example) As mentioned, the recent selling pressure together with a deteriorating macro-economic backdrop have been the main drivers behind crude oils near 40-dollar slump since mid-June. The WTI chart below points to support at $85.50, a level almost reached on Tuesday. The price action is currently confined within a declining wedge and a break to the upside could trigger a strong buying response. For that to happen the price first needs to go back above $92 and the 21-day simple moving average, currently at $92.85. Source: Saxo Bank   How to invest in energy and the unfolding energy crisis? By Peter Garnry, Head of Equity StrategySummary:  We are used to not think about the energy sector, but the galloping global energy crisis has illuminated our deficits in primary energy due to years of underinvestment in fossil fuels and renewable energy sources inability to scale fast enough with the green transformation and electrification of our economy. It seems more likely now that the non-renewable and the renewable energy sector will both provide attractive returns as we will need both to overcome our short-term energy crisis and long-term aspirations of a greener energy future.   Source: Refinery margin jump lends fresh support to crude

Relevance up to 15:00 2022-08-19 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results.   The price of natural gas for Western Europe began to decline by about 1%, falling back from a 14-year high reached earlier this week. European consumers can thank climate experts who are predicting less hot weather in the near future. Reuters reports that strong demand for air conditioning systems should drop significantly over the next two weeks. The good news about weather conditions was enough for the price to finally start to fall, albeit slightly. This drop is occurring even despite the reduction in daily production volumes and the persistence of hotter weather on the West Coast and in Texas. US natural gas futures closed yesterday's trading session with a drop of 8.5 cents (0.9%), eventually reaching $9.244 per MMBtu. By the way, the futures closed at the highest level since August 2008 on Tuesday. On Thursday, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) is expected to release its weekly report from the US Department of Energy, which will show the level of gas reserves in the country. Experts predict that US underground storage inventories rose during the reporting week, but not significantly. According to a Reuters poll of analysts, US gas inventories rose by 34 billion cubic feet in the week ending August 12. Last year, the figure was 46 billion cubic feet, according to a Reuters poll. However, the quotes will hardly show significant movements in the short and medium term. This worst energy crisis in decades is sprouting ever deeper, particularly after the collapse of natural gas supplies from Russian giant Gazprom to Europe. Gazprom's management has said that gas prices could rise even higher this winter, to $4,000 per 1,000 cubic meters, thus setting a new all-time record. The Nord Stream pipeline is only 20% efficient today, energy transit through Ukraine is only 38% efficient, and the Yamal-Europe pipeline is not operational because it has been under Russian sanctions since spring. In addition, even Norway today is unable to satisfy the appetite of its Western European partners, as it was forced to cut electricity exports to the EU due to the scheduled maintenance of its largest field, Troll. In addition, the record-breaking heatwave and nearly uninterrupted drought in August contributed to the skyrocketing gas prices. European wind power has proved to be completely pointless during periods of windless weather as it stands idle for most of the summer. A large solar power plant in Spain started up too late and has not yet lived up to its high expectations. The European countries abandoned coal and nuclear power in favor of the climate agenda which leaves little chance of resolving the long-lasting crisis that is growing in almost all spheres of life. It is clear that exorbitantly high and rapidly rising energy prices are destroying various sectors of European industry. Both fertilizer and aluminum production facilities are suffering. For example, Norsk Hydro ASA intends to close its aluminum plant in Slovakia next month because aluminum is one of the most energy-consuming metals to produce. Over the past year, Slovakia has lost about half of its zinc and aluminum smelting capacity due to production cuts. From now on, Hydro and other companies are shutting their plants down. Germany is trying to ease the gas supply crisis. The government urged citizens to reduce consumption and warned of forced rationing and even imposed a tax on gas use. In addition, German authorities made a deal to import LNG through two new terminals this week. The country is revisiting the idea of keeping its remaining nuclear reactors in operation after they are phased out this year, which will help reduce gas consumption by almost 3% next year.   Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/319325

Summary:  Equity markets managed a quiet session yesterday, a day when the focus is elsewhere, especially on the surging US dollar as EURUSD is on its way to threatening parity once again, GBPUSD plunged well below 1.2000 and the Chinese renminbi is perched at its weakest levels against the US dollar for the cycle. Also in play are the range highs in longer US treasury yields, with any significant pull to the upside in yields likely to spell the end to the recent extended bout of market complacency.   What is our trading focus?   Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures bounced back a bit yesterday potentially impacted by the July US retail sales showing that the consumer is holding up in nominal terms. The key market to watch for equity investors is the US Treasury market as the US 10-year yield seems to be on a trajectory to hit 3%. In this case we would expect a drop in S&P 500 futures to test the 4,200 level and if we get pushed higher in VIX above the 20 level then US equities could accelerate to the downside. Fed’s Bullard comments that he is leaning towards a 75 basis point rate hike at the September meeting should also negatively equities here relative to the expectations. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) Hang Seng Index edged up by 0.4% and CSI300 was little changed. As WTI Crude bounced back above $90/brl, energy stocks outperformed, rising 2-4%. Technology names in Hong Kong gained with Hang Seng Tech Index (HSTECH.I) up 0.6%. Investors are expecting Chinese banks to cut loan prime rates on Monday, following the central bank’s rate cut earlier this week. The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) is looking at the quality of real estate loan portfolios and reviewing lending practices at some Chinese banks. The shares of NetEase (09999:xhkg/NTES:xnas) dropped more than 3% despite reporting above-consensus Q2 revenue up 13% y/y, and net profit from continuing operations up 28%.  PC online game revenue was above expectations, driven by Naraka Bladepoint content updates and the launch of Xbox version. Mobile game segment performance was in line. USD pairs as the USD rally intensifies The US dollar rally is finding its legs after follow up action yesterday that took EURUSD below the key range low of 1.0100, setting up a run at the psychologically pivotal parity, while GBPUSD slipped well south of the key 1.2000 and USDJPY ripped up through 135.50 resistance. An accelerator of that move may be applied if US long treasury yields pull come further unmoored from the recent range and pull toward 3.00%+. A complete sweep of USD strength would arrive with a significant USDCNH move as discussed below, and the US dollar “wrecking ball” will likely become a key focus and driver of risk sentiment as it is the premiere measure of global liquidity. The next key event risk for the US dollar arrives with next Friday’s Jackson Hole symposium speech from Fed Chair Powell. USDCNH The exchange rate is trading at the highs of the cycle this morning, and all traders should keep an eye out here for whether China allows a significant move in the exchange rate toward 7.00, and particularly whether CNH weakness more than mirrors USD strength (in other words, if CNH is trading lower versus a basket of currencies), which would point to a more determined devaluation move that could spook risk sentiment globally, something we have seen in the past when China shows signs of shifting its exchange rate regime from passive management versus the USD. Crude oil Crude oil (CLU2 & LCOV2) remains on track for a weekly loss with talks of an Iran nuclear deal and global demand concerns being partly offset by signs of robust demand for fuel products. Not least diesel which is seeing increasing demand from energy consumers switching from punitively expensive gas. Earlier in the week Dutch TTF benchmark gas at one point traded above $400 per barrel crude oil equivalent. So far this month the EU diesel crack spread, the margin refineries achieve when turning crude into diesel, has jumped by more than 40% while stateside, the equivalent spread is up around 25%, both pointing to a crude-supportive strength in demand. US natural gas US natural gas (NGU2) ended a touch lower on Thursday after trading within a 7% range. It almost reached a fresh multi-year high at $9.66/MMBtu after spiking on a lower-than-expected stock build before attention turned to production which is currently up 4.8% y/y and cooler temperatures across the country lowering what until recently had driven very strong demand from utilities. LNG shipments out of Freeport, the stricken export plant may suffer further delays, thereby keeping more gas at home. Stockpiles trail the 5-yr avg. by 13%. US Treasuries (TLT, IEF) The focus on US Treasury yields may be set to intensify if the 10-year treasury benchmark yield, trading near 2.90% this morning, comes unmoored from its recent range and trades toward 3.00%, possibly on the Fed’s increase in the pace of its quantitative tightening and/or on US economic data in the coming week(s). Yesterday’s US jobless claims data was better than expected and the August Philadelphia Fed’s business survey was far more positive than expected, suggesting expansion after the volatile Empire Fed survey a few days earlier posted a negative reading.   What is going on?   Global wheat prices continue to tumble ... with a record Russian crop, continued flows of Ukrainian grain and the stronger dollar pushing down prices. The recently opened corridor from Ukraine has so far this month seen more than 500,000 tons of crops being shipped, and while it's still far below the normal pace it has nevertheless provided some relief at a time where troubled weather has created a mixed picture elsewhere. The Chicago wheat (ZWZ2) futures contract touch a January on Thursday after breaking $7.75/bu support while the Paris Milling (EBMZ2) wheat traded near the lowest since March. Existing home sales flags another red for the US housing market while other US economic data continues to be upbeat US existing home sales fell in July for a sixth straight month to 4.81 mn from 5.11 mn, now at the slowest pace since May 2020, and beneath the expected 4.89 mn. Inventory levels again continued to be a big concern, with supply rising to 3.3 months equivalent from 2.9 in June. This continues to suggest that the weakening demand momentum and high inventory levels may weigh on construction activity. The Philly Fed survey meanwhile outperformed expectations, with the headline index rising to +6.2 (exp. -5.0, prev. -12.3), while prices paid fell to 43.6 (prev. 52.2) and prices received dropped to 23.3 (prev. 30.3). New orders were still negative at -5.1, but considerably better than last month’s -24.8 and employment came in at 24.1 from 19.4 previously Fed speakers push for more rate hikes St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard 2.6% with more front-loading in 2022. Fed’s George, much like Fed’s Daly, said that last month’s inflation is not a victory and hardly comforting. Bullard and George vote in 2022. Fed’s Kashkari said that he is not sure if the Fed can avoid a recession and that there is more work to be done to bring inflation down, but noted economic fundamentals are strong. Overall, all messages remain old and eyes remain on Fed Chair Powell speaking at the Jackson Hole conference on August 26, next Friday.  Japan’s inflation came in as expected Japan’s nationwide CPI for July accelerated to 2.6% y/y, as expected, from 2.4% y/y in June. The core measure was up 2.4% y/y from 2.2% previously, staying above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target and coming in at the strongest levels since 2008. Upside pressures remain as Japan continues to face a deeper energy crisis threat into the winter with LNG supplies possibly getting diverted to Europe for better prices. Still, Bank of Japan may continue to hold its dovish yield curve control policy unless wage inflation surprises consistently to the upside.   What are we watching next?   Strong US dollar to unsettle markets – and Jackson Hole Fed conference next week? The US dollar continues to pull higher here, threatening the cycle highs versus sterling, the euro and on the comeback trail against the Japanese yen as well. The US dollar is a barometer of global liquidity, and a continued rise would eventually snuff out the improvement in financial conditions we have seen since the June lows in equity markets, particularly if longer US treasury yields are also unmoored from their recent range and rise back to 3.00% or higher.  The focus on the strong US dollar will intensify should the USDCNH exchange rate, which has pulled to the highs of the cycle above 6.80, lurch toward 7.00 in coming sessions as it would indicate that China is unwilling to allow its currency to track USD direction. As well, the Fed seems bent on pushing back against market expectations for Fed rate cuts next year and may have to spell this out a bit more forcefully at next week’s Jackson Hole conference starting on Thursday (Fed Chair Powell to speak Friday). Earnings to watch The two earnings releases to watch today are from Xiaomi and Deere. The Chinese consumer is challenged over falling real estate prices and input cost pressures on food and energy, and as a result consumer stocks have been doing bad this year. Xiaomi is one the biggest sellers of smartphones in China and is expected to report a 20% drop in revenue compared to last year. Deere sits in the booming agricultural sector, being one of the biggest manufacturers of farming equipment, and analysts expect a 12% gain in revenue in FY22 Q3 (ending 31 July).   Today: China Merchants Bank, CNOOC, Shenzhen Mindray, Xiaomi, Deere Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1230 – Canada Jun. Retail Sales 1300 – US Fed’s Barkin (Non-voter) to speak Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – August 19, 2022

Relevance up to 09:00 2022-08-21 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade.   There has been significant volatility in the silver market this year, but one Canadian bank believes the price action could get much worse. Since its peak in late February, silver prices have declined significantly. Despite the fact that silver outperformed gold last month, TD Securities analysts expect another down move. On Wednesday, the Canadian bank announced that it was taking a tactical short position in silver, expecting prices to drop to $18 an ounce over the next two months. Daniel Ghali, senior commodity strategist at TDS and author of the note, said silver continues to face headwinds. Growing fears of a global recession dampen industrial demand for silver; at the same time, its role as a monetary metal has diminished as central banks, led by the Federal Reserve, continue to raise interest rates. At the same time, TDS expects gold prices to push down the value of silver as the Federal Reserve tightens interest rates aggressively. Ghali added that the annual central bank symposium, which will be held next week in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, could be a catalyst for lower gold and silver prices. Markets are split roughly 50/50 depending on how much the US Central Bank raises interest rates next month. By 50 basis points or 75 basis points. On precious metals, the TDS was bearish as interest rates rose and the US dollar hit a 20-year high. In July, the bank announced a tactical short position in gold.   Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/319389

Overview:  The dollar is on fire. It is rising against all the major currencies and cutting through key technical levels like a hot knife in butter. The Canadian dollar is the strongest of the majors this week, which often outperforms on the crosses in a strong US dollar environment. It is off 1.5% this week. The New Zealand dollar, where the RBNZ hiked rates this week by 50 bp, is off the most with a 3.5% drop. Emerging market currencies are mostly lower on the day and week as well. The JP Morgan Emerging Market Currency Index is off for the fifth consecutive session, and ahead of the Latam open, it is off 2.1% this week. Asia Pacific equities were mostly lower, and Europe’s is off around 0.4%. It was flat for the week coming into today. US futures are lower, and the S&P and NASDAQ look poised to snap its four-week advance. Gold, which began the week near $1800 is testing support near $1750 now. Next support is seen around $1744.50. October WTI is consolidating in the upper end of yesterday’s range, which briefly poked above $91. Initial support is pegged near $88. US natgas is softer for the third successive session, but near $9.04 is up about 3.2% for the week. Europe’s benchmark is up 1.7% and brings this week’s gain to almost 20%. Demand concerns weigh on iron ore. It was off marginally today, its fifth loss in six sessions. It tumbled 8.8% this week after a 1.15% gain last week. Copper is up fractionally after rising 1.3% yesterday. September wheat is trying to stabilize. It fell more than 4% yesterday, its fifth loss in a row. It is off around 8.5% this week. Asia Pacific Japan's July CPI continued to rise  Th headline now stands at 2.6%, up from 2.4% in June, up from 0.8% at the start of the year and -0.3% a year ago. The core measure that excludes fresh food accelerated from 2.2% to 2.4%. It is the fourth consecutive month above the 2% target. Excluding both fresh food and energy, Japan's inflation is less than half the headline rate at 1.2%. It was at -0.7% at the end of last year and did not turn positive until April. The BOJ's next meeting is September 22, and despite the uptick in inflation, Governor Kuroda is unlikely to be impressed. Without wage growth, he argues, inflation will prove transitory. With global bond yields rising again, the 10-year, the market may be gearing up to re-challenge the BOJ's 0.25% cap. The yield is finishing the week near 0.20%, its highest since late July. Separately, we note that after divesting foreign bonds in recent months, Japanese investors have returned to the buy side. They have bought foreign bonds for the past four weeks, according to Ministry of Finance data. Last week's JPY1.15 trillion purchases (~$8.5 bln) were the most since last September.  China surprised the markets to begin the week with a 10 bp reduction in the benchmark 1-year medium-term lending facility rate  It now stands at 2.75%. It was the first cut since January, which itself was the first reduction since April 2020. Before markets open Monday, China is expected to announce a 10 bp decline in the 1- and 5-year loan prime rates. That would bring them to 3.60% and 4.35%, respectively. These rates are seen closer to market rates, but the large banks that contribute the quotes are state-owned. There is some speculation that a larger cut in the 5-year rate. The one-year rate was cut in January, but the 5-year rate was cut by 15 bp in May. The dollar is rising against the yen for the fourth consecutive session  It has now surpassed the JPY137.00 area that marks the (61.8%) retracement of the decline from the 24-year high set-in mid-July near JPY139.40. There may be some resistance in the JPY137.00-25 area, but a retest on the previous high looks likely in the period ahead. The Australian dollar is off for the fifth consecutive session and this week's loss of 3% offset last week's gain of as similar magnitude and, if sustained, would be the largest weekly decline since September 2020. The Aussie began the week near $0.7125 and recorded a low today slightly below $0.6890. The $0.6855-70 area is seen as the next that may offer technical support. The PBOC set the dollar's reference rate at CNY6.8065 (median in Bloomberg's survey was CNY6.9856). The fix was the lowest for the yuan (strongest for the dollar) since September 2020. Yesterday's high was almost CNY6.7960 and today's low was a little above CNY6.8030. To put the price action in perspective, note that the dollar is approaching the (61.8%) retracement of the yuan's rise from mid-2020 (~CNY7.1780) to this year's low set in March (~CNY6.3065). The retracement is found around CNY6.8250. Europe UK retail sales surprised to the upside but are offering sterling little support  Retail sales including gasoline rose by 0.3% in July. It is the second gain of the year and the most since last October. Excluding auto fuel, retail sales rose by 0.4%, following a 0.2% gain in June. It is the first back-to-back gain since March and April 2021. Sales online surged 4.8% as discounts and promotions drew demand, and internet retailers accounted for 26.3% of all retail sales. Separately, consumer confidence, measured by GfK, slipped lower (-44 from -41), a new record low. Sterling is lower for the third consecutive session and six of the past seven sessions. The swaps market continues to price in a 50 bp rate hike next month and about a 1-in-5 chance of a 75 bp move. Nearly every press report discussing next month's Italian elections cited the fascist roots of the Brothers of Italy, which looks likely to lead the next government  Meloni, who heads up the Brothers of Italy and has outmaneuvered many of her rivals, and may be Italy's next prime minister, plays the roots down. She compares the Brothers of Italy to the Tory Party in the UK, the Likud in Israel, and the Republican Party in the US. The party has evolved, and the center-right alliance she leads no longer wants to leave the EU, it is pro-NATO, and condemns Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The center-right alliance may come close to having a sufficient majority in both chambers to make possible constitutional reform. High on that agenda appears to transform the presidency into a directly elected office. The Italian presidency has limited power under the current configuration, but it has been an important stabilizing factor in crisis. Ironically, the president, picked by parliament, stepped in during the European debt crisis and gave Monti the opportunity to form a technocrat government after Berlusconi was forced to resign in 2011. Fast-forward a decade, a government led by the Conte and the Five Star Movement collapsed and a different Italian president gave Draghi a chance to put together a government. It almost last a year-and-half. Its collapse set the stage for next month's election. The center-left is in disarray and its inability to forge a broad coalition greases the path for Meloni and Co. Italy's 10-year premium over German is at 2.25%, a new high for the month. Last month, it peaked near 2.40%. The two-year premium is wider for the sixth consecutive session. It is near 0.93%, more than twice what it was before the Draghi government collapsed. Some critics argue against the social sciences being science because of the difficulty in conducting experiments  Still an experiment is unfolding front of us. What happens when a central bank completely loses its independence and follows dubious economic logic?  With inflation at more than two decades highs and the currency near record lows, Turkey's central bank surprised everyone by cutting its benchmark rate 100 bp to 13% yesterday. Governor Kavcioglu hinted this was a one-off as it was preempting a possible slowdown in manufacturing. Even though President Erdogan promised in June rates would fall, some observers link the rate cut to the increase in reserves (~$15 bln) recently from Russia, who is building a nuclear plant in Turkey. The decline in oil prices may also help ease pressure on Turkey's inflation and trade deficit. The lira fell to new record-lows against the dollar. The lira is off about 7.5% this quarter and about 26.4% year-to-date. Significant technical damage has been inflicted on the euro and sterling  The euro was sold through the (61.8%) retracement objective of the runup since the mid-July two-decade low near $0.9950. That retracement area (~$1.0110) now offers resistance, and the single currency has not been above $1.01 today. We had suspected the upside correction was over, but the pace of the euro's retreat surprises. There is little from a technical perspective preventing a test on the previous lows. Yesterday, sterling took out the neckline of a potential double top we have been monitoring at $1.20. It is being sold in the European morning and has clipped the $1.1870 area. The low set-in mid-July was near $1.1760, and this is the next obvious target and roughly corresponds to the measuring objective of the double top.  America With no dissents at the Fed to last month's 75 bp hike, one might be forgiven for thinking that there are no more doves  Yet, as we argued even before Minneapolis Fed President Kashkari, once regarded as a leading dove, admitted that his dot in June was the most aggressive at 3.90% for year-end, hawk and dove are more meaningful within a context. Kashkari may be more an activist that either a hawk or dove. Daly, the San Francisco Fed President does not vote this year, suggested that a Fed funds target "a little" over 3% this year would be appropriate. She said she favored a 50 bp or a 75 bp move. The current target range is 2.25%-2.50%. and the median dot in June saw a 3.25%-3.50% year-end target. St. Louis Fed President Bullard says he favors another 75 bp hike next month. No surprise there. George, the Kansas, Fed President, dissented against the 75 bp hike in June seemingly because of the messaging around it, but it's tough to call her vote for a 50 bp hike dovish. She voted for the 75 bp move in July. She recognizes the need for additional hikes, and the issue is about the pace. George did not rule out a 75 bp hike while cautioning that policy operates on a lag. Barkin, the Richmond Fed President, also does not vote this year. He is the only scheduled Fed speaker today.  The odds of a 75 bp in September is virtually unchanged from the end of last week around a 50/50 proposition.  The October Fed funds implies a 2.945% average effective Fed funds rate. The actual effective rate has been rocksteady this month at 2.33%. So, the October contract is pricing in 61 bp, which is the 50 bp (done deal) and 11 of the next 25 bp or 44% chance of a 75 hike instead of a half-point move. Next week's Jackson Hole conference will give Fed officials, and especially Chair Powell an opportunity to push back against the premature easing of financial conditions  The better-than-expected Philadelphia Fed survey helps neutralize the dismal Empire State manufacturing survey. The median from Bloomberg's survey looked for improvement to -5 from -12.3. Instead, it was reported at 6.2. Orders jumped almost 20 points to -5.1 and the improvement in delivery times points to the continued normalization of supply chains. Disappointingly, however, the measure of six-month expectations remained negative for the third consecutive month. Still, the plans for hiring and capex improved and the news on prices were encouraging. Prices paid fell to their lowest since the end of 2020 (energy?) and prices received were the lowest since February 2021. The Fed also asked about the CPI outlook. The median sees it at 6% next year down from 6.5% in May. The projected rate over the next 10-years slipped to 3%. Canada and Mexico report June retail sales today  Lift by rising prices, Canada's retail sales have posted an average monthly gain this year of 1.5%. However, after a dramatic 2.2% increase in May, Canadian retail sales are expected (median in Bloomberg' survey) to rise by a modest 0.4%. Excluding autos, retail sales may have held up better. Economists look for a 0.9% increase after a 1.9% rise in May. Through the first five months of the year, Mexico's retail sales have risen by a little more than 0.5% a month. They have risen by a 5.2% year-over-year. Economists expected retail sales to have slowed to a crawl in June and see the year-over-year pace easing to 5.0%. The greenback rose the CAD1.2935 area that had capped it in the first half of the week. It settled near CAD1.2950 yesterday and is pushing closer to CAD 1.2980 now. Above here, immediate potential extends toward CAD1.3035. The US dollar is gaining for the third consecutive session against the Canadian dollar, the longest advancing streak in a couple of months. Support is seen in the CAD1.2940-50 area. The Mexican peso is on its backfoot, and is falling for the fourth session, which ended a six-day rally. The dollar has met out first target near MXN20.20 and is approaching the 20-day moving average (~MXN20.2375). Above there, the next technical target is MXN20.32. The broader dollar gains suggest it may rise above the 200-day moving average against the Brazilian real (~BRL5.2040) and the (38.2%) of the slide since the late July high (~BRL5.5140) that is found near BRL5.2185.    Disclaimer   Source: The Dollar is on Fire

Summary:  Commodities traded with a softer bias this week as the focus continued to rest on global macro-economic developments, in some cases reducing the impact of otherwise supportive micro developments, such as the fall in inventories seen across several individual commodities. Overall, however, we do not alter our long-term views about commodities and their ability to move higher over time, with some of the main reasons being underinvestment, urbanization, green transformation, sanctions on Russia and deglobalization. Commodities traded with a softer bias this week as the focus continued to rest on global macro-economic developments, in some cases reducing the impact of otherwise supportive micro developments, such as the fall in inventories seen across several individual commodities. The dollar found renewed strength and bond yields rose while the month-long bear-market bounce across US stocks showed signs of running out of steam.The trigger being comments from Federal Reserve officials reiterating their resolve to continue hiking rates until inflation eases back to their yet-to-be revised higher long-term target of around 2%. Those comments put to rest expectations that a string of recent weak economic data would encourage the Fed to reduce the projected pace of future rate hikes.The result of these developments being an elevated risk of a global economic slowdown gathering pace as the battle against inflation remains far from won, not least considering the risk of persistent high energy prices, from gasoline and diesel to coal and especially gas. A clear sign that the battle between macro and micro developments continues, the result of which is likely to be a prolonged period of uncertainty with regards to the short- and medium-term outlook.Overall, however, these developments do not alter our long-term views about commodities and their ability to move higher over time. In my quarterly webinar, held earlier this week, I highlighted some of the reasons why we see the so-called old economy, or tangible assets, performing well over the coming years, driven by underinvestment, urbanization, green transformation, sanctions on Russia and deglobalization. Returning to this past week’s performance, we find the 2.3% drop in the Bloomberg Commodity Index, seen above, being in line with the rise in the dollar where gains were recorded against all the ten currencies, including the Chinese renminbi, represented in the index. It is worth noting that EU TTF gas and power prices, which jumped around 23% and 20% respectively, and Paris Milling wheat, which slumped, are not members of the mentioned commodity index.Overall gains in energy led by the refined products of diesel and US natural gas were more than offset by losses across the other sectors, most notably grains led by the slump in global wheat prices and precious metals which took a hit from the mentioned dollar and yield rise. Combating inflation and its impact on growth remains top of mind Apart from China’s slowing growth outlook due to its zero-Covid policy and housing market crisis hitting industrial metals, the most important driver for commodities recently has been the macro-economic outlook currently being dictated by the way in which central banks around the world have been stepping up efforts to curb runaway inflation by forcing down economic activity through aggressively tightening monetary conditions. This process is ongoing and the longer the process takes to succeed, the bigger the risk of an economic fallout. US inflation expectations in a year have already seen a dramatic slump but despite this the medium- and long-term expectations remain anchored around 3%, still well above the Fed’s 2% target.Even reaching the 3% level at this point looks challenging, not least considering elevated input costs from energy. Failure to achieve the target remains the biggest short-term risk to commodity prices with higher rates killing growth, while eroding risk appetite as stock markets resume their decline. These developments, however, remain one of the reasons why we find gold and eventually also silver attractive as hedges against a so-called policy mistake. Global wheat prices tumble The prospect for a record Russian crop and continued flows of Ukrainian grain together with the stronger dollar helped push prices lower in Paris and Chicago. The recently opened corridor from Ukraine has so far this month seen more than 500,000 tons of crops being shipped, and while it's still far below the normal pace, it has nevertheless provided some relief at a time where troubled weather has created a mixed picture elsewhere. The Chicago wheat futures contract touched a January low after breaking $7.75/bu support while the Paris Milling (EBMZ2) wheat traded near the lowest since March. With most of the uncertainties driving panic buying back in March now removed, calmer conditions should return with the biggest unknown still the war in Ukraine and with that the country’s ability to produce and export key food commodities from corn and wheat to sunflower oil. EU gas reaches $73/MMBtu or $415 per barrel of oil equivalent Natural gas in Europe headed for the longest run of weekly gains this year, intensifying the pain for industries and households, while at the same time increasingly threatening to push economies across the region into recession. The recent jump on top of already elevated prices of gas and power, due to low supplies from Russia, has been driven by an August heatwave raising demand while lowering water levels on the river Rhine. This development has increasingly prevented the safe passage of barges transporting coal, diesel and other essentials, while refineries such as Shell’s Rhineland oil refinery in Germany have been forced to cut production. In addition, half of Europe’s zinc and aluminum smelting capacity has been shut, thereby adding support to these metals at a time the market is worried about the demand outlook.An abundance of rain and lower temperatures may in the short term remove some of the recent price strength but overall, the coming winter months remain a major worry from a supply perspective. Not least considering the risk of increased competition from Asia for LNG shipments. Refinery margin jump lends fresh support to crude oil Crude oil, in a downtrend since June, is showing signs of selling fatigue with the technical outlook turning more price friendly while fresh fundamental developments are adding some support as well. Worries about an economic slowdown driven by China’s troubled handling of Covid outbreaks and its property sector problems as well as rapidly rising interest rates were the main drivers behind the selling since March across other commodity sectors before eventually also catching up with crude oil around the middle of June. Since then, the price of Brent has gone through a $28 dollar top to bottom correction. While the macro-economic outlook is still challenged, recent developments within the oil market, so-called micro developments, have raised the risk of a rebound. The mentioned energy crisis in Europe continues to strengthen, the result being surging gas prices making fuel-based products increasingly attractive. This gas-to-fuel switch was specifically mentioned by the IEA in their latest update as the reason for raising their 2022 global oil demand growth forecast by 380k barrels per day to 2.1 million barrels per day. Since the report was published, the incentive to switch has increased even more, adding more upward pressure on refinery margins. While pockets of demand weakness have emerged in recent months, we do not expect these to materially impact on our overall price-supportive outlook. Supply-side uncertainties remain too elevated to ignore, not least considering the soon-to-expire releases of crude oil from US Strategic Reserves and the EU embargo of Russian oil fast approaching. In addition, the previously mentioned increased demand for fuel-based products to replace expensive gas. With this in mind, we maintain our $95 to $115 range forecast for the third quarter. Gold and silver struggle amid rising dollar and yields Both metals, especially silver, were heading for a weekly loss after hawkish sounding comments from several FOMC members helped boost the dollar while sending US ten-year bond yields higher towards 3%. It was the lull in both that helped trigger the recovery in recent weeks, and with stock markets having rallied as well during the same time, the demand for gold has mostly been driven by momentum following speculators in the futures market. The turnaround this past week has, as a result of speculators' positioning, been driven by the need to reduce bullish bets following a two-week buying spree which lifted the net futures long by 63k lots or 6.3 million ounces, the strongest pace of buying in six months. ETF holdings meanwhile have slumped to a six-month low, an indication that investors, for now, trust the FOMC’s ability to bring down inflation within a relatively short timeframe. An investor having doubts about this should maintain a long position as a hedge against a policy mistake. Some investors may feel hard done by gold’s negative year-to-date performance in dollars, but taking into account it had to deal with the biggest jump in real yields since 2013 and a surging dollar, its performance, especially for non-dollar investors relative to the losses in bonds and stocks, remains acceptable. In other words, a hedge in gold against a policy mistake or other unforeseen geopolitical events has so far been almost cost free.   Source: WCU: Bearish macro, bullish micro regime persists

Relevance up to 12:00 2022-08-24 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade.   Gold is giving way to its role as a defensive asset to the dollar, and the XAU/USD pair is declining for the 5th day in a row today. As of this writing, the pair is trading near 1753.00, close to the strong support level of 1748.00 (144 EMA on the weekly chart). Given the long-term upward trend of XAU/USD, it is logical to assume a rebound near this support level. In case of its breakdown, the key support level 1690.00 (200 EMA on the weekly chart) becomes the target, the breakdown of which will cause XAU/USD to enter the zone of a long-term bearish market.     If there is still a rebound near the current levels and the support level of 1748.00, then the signal for the resumption of long positions will be a breakdown of the important resistance levels of 1772.00 (200 EMA on the 4-hour chart), 1773.00 (200 EMA on the 1-hour chart), chart). In this case, a retest of the "round" resistance level 1800.00 is possible, which became a kind of "balance line" for the pair for a long time until the beginning of 2022.     The breakdown of the key resistance level of 1822.00 (200 EMA on the daily chart) will confirm the scenario for the resumption of the long-term bullish trend for XAU/USD. Support levels: 1748.00, 1700.00, 1690.00, 1682.00, 1670.00 Resistance levels: 1772.00, 1773.00, 1780.00, 1800.00, 1822.00, 1832.00, 1875.00 Trading Tips Sell Stop 1746.00. Stop-Loss 1761.00. Take-Profit 1700.00, 1690.00, 1682.00, 1670.00 Buy Stop 1761.00. Stop-Loss 1746.00. Take-Profit 1772.00, 1773.00, 1780.00, 1800.00, 1822.00, 1832.00, 1875.00   Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/319407

Relevance up to 12:00 2022-08-24 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. The dollar continues to strengthen, and the dollar index (DXY) ends the week with a decent gain. Yesterday DXY decisively broke through the local resistance level of 107.00 and, as of this writing, DXY futures are trading near 107.62, returning to the ascending channel on the daily DXY chart and heading towards the next "round" resistance level of 108.00. Our yesterday's forecast on this matter was justified, and now after the breakdown of the local multi-month high of 109.14, reached in mid-July, the mark of 110.00 will be the next growth target for DXY (the upper limit of this channel passes through it).     Due to the absence of important publications for the market in today's economic calendar, the emerging trend of strengthening the dollar today is likely to continue until the end of the trading day. Next week, market participants will be watching the Fed's annual economic forum in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, which will bring together representatives of the world's leading central banks and economists. Statements by representatives of central banks may have a significant impact on national currencies. As was the case in previous forums, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell is scheduled to speak at its opening (August 25). Undoubtedly, the main issue for market participants is the topic of tightening monetary policies by the world's leading central banks and their fight against galloping inflation. In the meantime, the dollar is successfully recovering the positions lost in the previous three weeks, also strengthening against the traditional defensive assets—the yen, the franc, and gold. As for this precious metal, its quotes are extremely sensitive to changes in the monetary policy of the world's leading central banks, especially the Fed. Gold does not bring investment income but is in active demand during geopolitical and economic uncertainty, and is a protective asset in the face of rising inflation. Now is just such a moment.     However, it seems that it is losing its role as a protective asset to the dollar. XAU/USD pair is falling today for the 5th day in a row, and as of this writing, it is trading near the 1753.00 mark, near the strong support level of 1748.00. In case of its breakdown, the key support level 1690.00 becomes the target, the breakdown of which will cause XAU/USD to enter the zone of a long-term bear market.   Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/319407

Gold Spot broke 1765 for a sell signal targeting 1740/35 this week. Silver breaks back below support at 2030/10 to turn the outlook negative again. WTI Crude crawls higher, but difficult to hold longs. We could reach strong resistance at 9460/9500. Shorts need stops above 9550. Remember when support is broken it usually acts as resistance & vice-versa. Update daily by 05:00 GMT Today's Analysis. Gold outlook negative so we are looking to sell at resistance on any bounce. First resistance at 1755/60. Unlikely but if we continue higher look for strong resistance at 1770/75. Shorts need stops above 1780. Prices are expected continue lower this week initially targeting 1740/35 then 1729/27 & perhaps as far as 1715/10. Silver collapsed from resistance at 2020/30 as expected hitting my targets of 1980, 1960/55 & 1920/15. Further losses are expected to 1880/70 & eventually a retest of the July low at 1820/10. A break below 1795 is the next sell signal. Gains are likely to be limited with first resistance at 1940/50. Shorts need stops above 1965. Se 2000/20. Shorts need stops above 2040. WTI Crude September minor resistance at 9150/9200 but above here we could reach strong resistance at 9460/9500. Shorts need stops above 9550. Holding minor resistance at 9150/9200 (in what is probably a bull flag pattern) targets 9070/50 then 8900. On further losses look for 8850/8800.

Summary:  Equities closed last week on the defensive as a rising US dollar and especially US treasuries weighed. The US 10-year yield is threatening the 3.00% level for the first time in a month ahead of the important US July PCE inflation data and Fed Chair Powell’s speech on Friday. How forcefully will Powell push back against the virtual melt-up in financial conditions after the market felt the Fed pivoted to less tightening at the July meeting?   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures are still rolling over as the US 10-year yield zoomed to 3% on Friday with the index futures trading just above the 4,200 level this morning. The next levels on the downside sit around the 4,100 to 4,170 range, but in the longer term the 4,000 level is the big level to watch. Energy markets are still sending inflationary signals which is key to watch for sentiment this week. In terms of earnings, Palo Alto Networks and Zoom Video will report earnings. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) Hang Seng Index and CSI300 were moderately higher, +0.2% and +0.8% respectively. Chinese developers gained on today’s larger-than-expected cut in the 5-year loan prime rate and last Friday’s report that the PBoC, jointly with the Housing Ministry and the Ministry of Finance to roll out a program to make special loans through policy banks to support the delivery of stalled residential housing projects. Great Wall Motor (02333:xhkg) soared 11%. In A-shares, auto names were among stocks that outperformed. Xiaomi (01810:xhkg) dropped 3% after reporting Q2 revenues -20% YoY and net profit -67% YoY, largely in line with expectations.  US dollar dominates focus in forex this week The US dollar rally picked up speed last week, with key levels falling in a number of USD pairs last week that now serve as resistance, including 1.0100 in EURUSD and 1.2000 in GBPUSD, both of which now serve as resistance/USD support. A significant break of EURUSD parity will likely add further psychological impact, and more practically, an upside break in yields at the longer end of the US yield curve is playing a supportive roll, one that will intensify its driving roll if the benchmark 10-year US Treasury yield follows through higher above the 3.00% level it touched in trading overnight. A complete sweep of USD strength also threatens on any significant follow through higher in USDCNH as it threatens an upside break here (more below). The next key event risk for the US dollar arrives with this Friday’s Jackson Hole symposium speech from Fed Chair Powell (preview below). USDCNH Broad USD strength is helping to drive a move to new cycle highs above 6.84 as the week gets underway, but CNH is not weak in other pairings with G10 currencies, quite the contrary. Still, a move in this critical exchange rate will remain a focus, and the contrast between an easing PBOC (moving once again overnight) and tightening central banks nearly everywhere else is stark. The USDCNH moving higher will receive considerable additional focus if the 7.00 level. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil turned lower in the Asian overnight after modest gains last week as the focus continues to alter between demand destruction fears and persistent supply shortages. Fears of an economic slowdown reducing demand remains invisible in the physical market but it has nevertheless seen crude oil give up all the post Russia invasion gains while speculators or hedge funds have cut bullish bets on WTI and Brent to the lowest since April 2020. WTI futures trades back below $90/barrel while Brent futures dipped below $96. Still, the gas-to-fuel switch led by record gas prices in Europe has seen refinery margins strengthen again lately and it now adds to the fundamental price-supportive factors. Focus may turn back to Iranian supply early in the week though, with reports that a deal is ‘imminent’. Cryptocurrencies The crypto market took a major hit on Friday with the total crypto market cap diving by more than 9 %, but prices have stabilized over the weekend. The total market cap is now close to the psychological $1 trillion level. US Treasuries (TLT, IEF) Rising US Treasury yields are pushing back against the strong improvement in financial conditions of recent weeks after the US 10-year Treasury yield benchmark jumped to new highs on Friday, well clear of the prior range after a few teases higher earlier in the week and bumping up against the psychologically key 3.00% level. Any follow through higher toward the 3.50% area highs of the cycle would likely add further pressure to financial conditions and risk sentiment more broadly. What is going on? German PPI shocks on the upside Germany’s July PPI smashed expectations to come in at 5.3% MoM, the biggest single gain since the Federal Republic started compiling its data in 1949 and above the consensus estimate of 0.7%. The data suggests potentially a lot more room on the upside to Eurozone inflation, and a lot more pain for German industries. European PMIs due this week will gather attention, as will Germany’s IFO numbers. Berkshire Hathaway wins approval to acquire Occidental Petroleum Warren Buffett’s industrial conglomerate that recently increased its stake in Occidental Petroleum to over 20% following the US Climate & Tax bill which adds more runway for oil and gas companies has now won regulatory approval for acquiring more than 50% the oil and gas company. This means that Berkshire Hathaway is warming up to its biggest acquisition since its Burlington acquisition. The power shortage in China China is currently being hit by a heatwave with a large part of the country experiencing -degree Celsius temperatures since the beginning of August. The surge in air conditioning caused electricity consumption to soar. To make things worse, drought has reduced hydropower output.  Some provinces and municipalities, especially Sichuan, are curbing electricity supply to industrial users in order to ensure electricity supply for residential use. This has caused disruptions to manufacturing production and added to the headwinds faced by the Chinese economy. China cut its 5-year loan prime rate loan prime more than expected China’s National Interbank Fund Center, based on quotes from banks and under the supervision of the PBoC, fixed the 1-year loan prime rate (“LPR”) 5 bps lower at 3.60% and the 5-year loan prime rates (“LPR”) 15 basis points lower at 4.30%. The larger-than-expected reduction in the 5-year LPR, which is the benchmark against which mortgage loan rates in China are set at a spread, may signal stronger support from the PBoC to the housing market.  The Chinese authorities are coming to the developers’ aid in delivering pre-sold homes Last Friday the Housing Ministry, the Ministry of Finance, and the PBoC, according to Xinhua News, jointly rolled out a program to make special loans through policy banks to support the delivery of presold residential housing projects which are facing difficulties in completion due to lack of funding.  Investors will monitor closely this week to gauge if there is additional information about the size of the program and if the PBoC will print money to fund it.  The resurgence of Covid cases in China Daily locally transmitted new cases of Covid-19 in China persistently stated above 2,000 since August 12, 2022, with Hainan, Tibet, and Xinjiang being the regions most impacted. The constituent companies of the Hang Seng Index will increase to 73 from 69 Hang Seng Indexes Company announced last Friday to add China Shenhua Energy (01088:xhkg), Chow Tai Fook Jewellery (01929:xhkg), Hansoh Pharmaceutical (03693:xhkg), and Baidu (09888:xhkg) to the Hang Seng Index, bringing the latter’s number of constituent companies to 73 from 69. The changes will take effect on September 5, 2022. In addition, SenseTime (00020:xhkg) will replace China Pacific Insurance (02601:xhkg) as a constituent company of the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index.  Australian share market at a pivotal point After rising for five straight weeks including last week's 1.2% lift, many market participants hold their breath this rally will continue. However, standing in the way are profit results from a quarter of the ASX200 companies to be released this week. For the final week of profit results, we hear from Qantas (Australia's largest airline), Whitehaven Coal (Australia's largest coal company), as well as other stocks that are typically held in Australian superannuation funds; including Coles, Woolworths, Wesfarmers, Endeavour. And lastly about 20 companies trade ex-dividend this week, however they are not expected to move the market's needle. Money managers increased their commodity exposure for a third week to August 16 The Commitment of Traders (COT) Report covering positions and changes made by money managers in commodities to the week ending August 16 showed a third week of net buying with funds adding 123k lots to 988k lots, a seven-week high. The buying was broad led by natural gas, sugar, cattle and grains with most of the selling concentrated in crude oil and gold. More in our weekly update out later. Prior to the latest recovery in price and positions hedge funds had been net sellers for months after holding 2.6 million lots at the start of the year. What are we watching next? USD and US Treasury yields as Jackson Hole Fed conference is the macro event risk of the week Friday The US dollar strengthened sharply, with EURUSD challenging near parity, USDCNH breaking higher today after another PBOC rate cut, and USDJPY not far from cycle highs. US Treasury yields have supported the move with the entire curve lifting over the last couple of weeks and longer yields pulling to new local highs last week. The Fed has pushed back consistently against the market’s pricing of a Fed turnaround to easing rates next year with partial success, as expectations for rate cuts have shifted farther out the curve and from higher levels. This week, the key test for markets is up on Friday as the US reports the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, the July PCE inflation data, while Fed Chair Powell will also speak on Friday, offering the most important guidance on how the Fed feels about how it feels the market understands its intentions.   Earnings to watch Plenty of important earnings releases this week with the largest ones listed below. Today’s key focus is Palo Alto Networks, Zoom Video, and XPeng. Cyber security stocks have done reasonably well over the past year despite valuations coming down as demand is still red hot, Analysts expect Palo Alto Networks to report revenue growth of 27% y/y. Zoom Video, which was the pandemic superstar, is also reporting today with estimates looking for 9% revenue growth, down considerably from 54% y/y growth just a year ago. Monday: Palo Alto Networks, Zoom Video, XPeng Tuesday: CATL, Intuit, Medtronic, JD.com Wednesday: LONGi Green Energy, Royal Bank of Canada, PetroChina, Ping An Insurance Group, Nongfu Spring, Mowi, Nvidia, Salesforce, Pinduoduo, Snowflake, Autodesk Thursday: South32, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Fortum, Delivery Hero, AIA Group, China Life Insurance, CNOOC, CRH, Dollar General, Vmware, Marvell Technology, Workday, Dollar Tree, Dell Technologies, NIO Friday: Meituan, China Shenhua Energy, China Petroleum & Chemical Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – Switzerland SNB weekly sight deposits 1230 – US Jul. Chicago Fed National Activity Index 2300 – Australia Aug. Flash Manufacturing/Services PMI 0030 – Japan Aug. Flash Manufacturing/Services PMI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – August 22, 2022

Summary:  The US dollar wrecking ball is in full swing, taking even USDCNH to new highs for the cycle after another rate cut in China overnight. Longer US treasury yields are also pressuring financial conditions and risk sentiment as the 10-year benchmark yield threatens 3.00% again. The chief event risk for the week will be the Jackson Hole, Wyoming speech from Fed Chair Powell. We also discuss the latest natural gas developments in Europe, speculative positioning in the commodities markets, the long term perspective for tangible vs. intangible stock returns over the last couple of decades, upcoming earnings, & more. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are found via the link Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: USD and US yields brewing up trouble ahead of Jackson Hole

Summary:  Our weekly Commitment of Traders update highlights future positions and changes made by hedge funds and other speculators across commodities and forex during the week to August 16. A week that potentially saw a cycle peak in US stocks and where the dollar and treasury yields both traded calmly before pushing higher. Commodities meanwhile continued their recent recovery with funds being net buyers of most contracts, the major exceptions being gold and crude oil Saxo Bank publishes weekly Commitment of Traders reports (COT) covering leveraged fund positions in commodities, bonds and stock index futures. For IMM currency futures and the VIX, we use the broader measure called non-commercial. Link to latest report This summary highlights futures positions and changes made by hedge funds across commodities and forex during the week to August 16. A week that potentially saw a cycle peak in US stocks with the S&P 500 reversing lower after reaching a four-month high, and where the dollar and treasury yields both traded calm before pushing higher. Commodities meanwhile continued their recent recovery with all sectors, except precious metals and grains recording gains. Commodities Hedge funds were net buyers for a third week with the total net long across the 24 major commodity futures tracked in this update rising by 14% to reach a seven week high at 988k lots. Some 56% below the recent peak reached in late February before Russia’s attack on Ukraine drove an across-the-board volatility spike which forced funds to reduce their exposure. Since then and up until early July, worries about a global economic slowdown, caused by a succession of rapid rate hikes in order to kill inflation, was one of the key reasons for the slump in speculative length.Returning to last week, the 123k lot increase was split equally between new longs being added and short positions being scaled back, and overall the net increase was broad led by natural gas, sugar, cattle and grains with most of the selling being concentrated in crude oil and gold. Energy: Weeks of crude oil selling continued with the combined net long in WTI and Brent falling by 26k lots to 278k lots, the lowest belief in rising prices since April 2020. Back then the market had only just began recovering the Covid related energy shock which briefly sent prices spiraling lower. While funds continued to sell crude oil in anticipation of an economic slowdown the refined product market was sending another signal with refinery margins on the rise again, partly due surging gas prices making refined alternatives, such as diesel, look cheap. As a result, the net long in ICE gas oil was lifted by 24% to 62k lots while RBOB gasoline and to a lesser extent ULSD also saw net buying. The net short in Henry Hub natural gas futures was cut by 55% as the price jumped by 19%. Metals: Renewed weakness across investment metals triggered a mixed response from traders with gold seeing a small reduction in recently established longs while continued short covering reduced bearish bets in silver, platinum and palladium. With gold resuming its down move after failing to find support above $1800, the metal has been left exposed to long liquidation from funds which in the previous two weeks had bought 63.3k lots. Copper’s small 1% gain on the week supported some additional short covering, but overall the net short has stayed relatively stable around 16k lots for the past six weeks. Agriculture: Speculators were net buyers of grains despite continued price weakness following the latest supply and demand report from the US Department of Agriculture on August 12, and after shipments of grains from Ukraine continued to pick up speed. From a near record high above 800k lots on April 19, the net long across six major crop futures went on to slump by 64% before buyers began dipping their toes back in to the market some three weeks ago. Buying was concentrated in bean oil and corn while the wheat sector remained challenged with the net long in Kansas wheat falling to a 2-year low. The four major softs contract saw strong buying led by sugar after funds flipped their position back to a 13.4k lots net long. The cocoa short was reduced by 10% while the coffee long received a 25% boost. Cotton’s 18% surge during the week helped lift the long by 35% to 44.7k lots.     Forex A mixed week in forex left the speculative dollar long close to unchanged against ten IMM futures and the DXY. Selling of euro saw the net short reach a fresh 2-1/2-year high at 42.8k lots or €5.3 billion equivalent while renewed selling of JPY, despite trading higher during the reporting week, made up most of the increase in dollar length. Against these we saw short covering reduce CHF, GBP and MXN short while CAD net long reached a 14-month high.    What is the Commitments of Traders report? The COT reports are issued by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the ICE Exchange Europe for Brent crude oil and gas oil. They are released every Friday after the U.S. close with data from the week ending the previous Tuesday. They break down the open interest in futures markets into different groups of users depending on the asset class. Commodities: Producer/Merchant/Processor/User, Swap dealers, Managed Money and otherFinancials: Dealer/Intermediary; Asset Manager/Institutional; Leveraged Funds and otherForex: A broad breakdown between commercial and non-commercial (speculators) The reasons why we focus primarily on the behavior of the highlighted groups are: They are likely to have tight stops and no underlying exposure that is being hedged This makes them most reactive to changes in fundamental or technical price developments It provides views about major trends but also helps to decipher when a reversal is looming   Source: COT: Gold and oil left out as funds return to commodities

Relevance up to 11:00 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade.     Price volatility is a trader's bread and butter, but in the case of oil, volatility becomes excessive, alienating traders and making life difficult for many companies that routinely use oil price hedging to provide some price stability vital to their operations. According to Reuters analysis, oil prices have become so wild in their daily fluctuations that hedge funds are leaving the oil market en masse. And over the past seven years, their activity has fallen to the lowest level. So it turns out that volatility is only good up to a certain point, and that point seems to be a daily price range of five times the normal range. According to Reuters analysis, between February 24 and August 15 this year, the daily range of Brent crude averaged $5.64 per barrel. This is up from $1.99 a barrel last year.     The exit of speculators is only one of the problems with such high volatility in oil prices. The fact that food companies, for example, are hesitant to hedge against further price fluctuations affects their business. And it also affects the business of the oil industry itself. Oil companies fear capital expenditures due to excessive volatility in the oil markets. And as they exercise caution, these companies are postponing projects that could help rebalance the oil market. Speaking of the oil industry, it's not just the current volatility that's hindering potential production growth. There is also uncertainty about future demand as the transition momentum picks up. Predicting oil demand is becoming increasingly difficult amid events such as the famous Inflation Reduction Act that Congress passed earlier this month. With all these incentives to electrify transport and move towards renewable electricity generation, the future of oil demand is uncertain. One might argue that most major oil companies are actively involved in the energy transition, which could cloud the credibility of their forecasts for oil demand. However, the fact remains that many governments are determined to transition, no matter how much it costs, and this has a negative impact on oil demand. The recent push towards green energy in Europe and the US likely worsened the situation by clouding the demand outlook. However, it is clear to all that the oil demand right now is higher than many expected, especially as some utilities in Europe are switching from gas to oil due to prices. It turned out to be too much not only for speculators, but also for industry players in the oil market. What will happen in the future, as always, is impossible to say, but it is unlikely that the price situation will change soon. This means that the negative effect that this price volatility has on businesses across industries will continue, fueling the aforementioned fluctuations in oil prices. Businesses will continue to need energy, which is limited, but high energy prices will continue to threaten their growth prospects and that of their respective economies. In the meantime, governments will continue to invest money and create laws for a green energy transition, further discouraging the oil industry from doing something about the supply.   Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/319540

Oil choppy as traders await JCPOA decision Oil prices are off more than 1% this morning as choppy trade continues. There remain many factors influencing the oil price right now from a tight market to a diminishing growth outlook and a potential Iran nuclear deal. The prospects for the latter could become clearer over the course of this week although that has been suggested many times this year and yet here we are. We could see WTI remain choppy around $90 and Brent hover above $92 for a little while longer yet. Gold pushed back further but faces a big test of support Gold remains on the backfoot amid a resurgent dollar as 10-year Treasuries continue to creep back towards 3% and the two-year hovers around its June highs. Traders are naturally looking for clarity from Powell’s Jackson Hole appearance later this week and seem to think it’s going to come in the form of hawkish warnings. That has dampened sentiment in the yellow metal which has been further pushed back from its recent peak above $1,800 and now trades around the 61.8% retracement level from its July lows to August highs. A good test for overall sentiment in gold. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Oil slips, gold under pressure - MarketPulseMarketPulse

Overview: The euro traded below parity for the second time this year and sterling extended last week’s 2.5% slide. While the dollar is higher against nearly all the emerging market currencies, it is more mixed against the majors. The European currencies have suffered the most, except the Norwegian krone. The dollar-bloc and yen are also slightly firmer. The week has begun off with a risk-off bias. Nearly all the large Asia Pacific equity markets were sold. Chinese indices were a notable exception following a cut in the loan prime rates. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is off by around 1.20%, the most in a month. US futures are more than 1% lower. The Asia Pacific yield rose partly in catch-up to the pre-weekend advance in US yields, while today, US and European benchmark 10-year yields are slightly lower. The UK Gilt stands out with a small gain. Gold is being sold for the sixth consecutive session and has approached the (61.8%) retracement of the rally from last month’s low (~$1680) that is found near $1730. October WTI is soft below $90, but still inside the previous session’s range. US natgas is up 2.4% to build on the 1.6% gain seen before the weekend. It could set a new closing high for the year. Gazprom’s announcement of another shutdown of its Nord Stream 1 for maintenance sent the European benchmark up over 15% today. It rose almost 20.3% last week. Iron ore rose for the first time in six sessions, while September copper is giving back most of the gains scored over the past two sessions. September wheat rallied almost 3% before the weekend and is off almost 1% now.  Asia Pacific Following the 10 bp reduction in benchmark one-year Medium-Term Lending Facility Rate at the start of last week, most observers expected Chinese banks to follow-up with a cut in the loan prime rates today  They delivered but in a way that was still surprising. The one-year loan prime rate was shaved by five basis points to 3.65%, not even matching the MLF reduction. On the other hand, the five-year loan prime rate was cut 15 bp to 4.30%. This seems to signal the emphasis on the property market, as mortgages are tied to the five-year rate, while short-term corporate loans are linked to the shorter tenor. The five-year rate was last cut in May and also by 15 bp. Still, these are small moves, and given continued pressures on the property sector, further action is likely, even if not immediately. In addition to the challenges from the property market and the ongoing zero-Covid policy, the extreme weather is a new headwind to the economy. The focus is on Sichuan, one of the most populous provinces and a key hub for manufacturing, especially EV batteries and solar panels. It appears that the aluminum smelters (one million tons of capacity) have been completed halted. The drought is exacerbating a local power shortage. Rainfall along the Yangtze River is nearly half of what is normally expected. Hydropower accounts for a little more than 80% of Sichuan power generation and the output has been halved. Officials have extended the power cuts that were to have ended on August 20 to August 25. Factories in Jiangsu and Chongqing are also facing outages. According to reports, Shanghai's Bund District turned off its light along the waterfront. Japan's Prime Minister Kishida tested positive for Covid over the weekend  He will stay in quarantine until the end of the month. In addition to his physical health, Kishida's political health may become an issue. Support for his government has plunged around 16 percentage points from a month ago to slightly more than 35% according to a Mainchi newspaper poll conducted over the weekend. The drag appears not to be coming from the economy but from the LDP's ties with the Unification Church. Meanwhile, Covid cases remain near record-highs in Japan, with almost 24.8k case found in Tokyo alone yesterday. Others are also wrestling with a surge in Covid cases. Hong Kong's infections reached a new five-month high, for example. The dollar reached nearly JPY137.45 in Tokyo before pulling back to JPY136.70 in early European turnover  It is the fifth session of higher highs and lows for the greenback. The upper Bollinger Band (two standard deviations above the 20-day moving average) is near JPY137.55 today. We suspect the dollar can re-challenge the session high in North America today. The Australian dollar is proving resilient today after plunging 3.45% last week. It is inside the pre-weekend range (~$0.6860-$0.6920). Still, we like it lower. Initial support is now seen around $0.6880, and a break could spur another test on the lows. That pre-weekend low coincides with the (61.8%) retracement of the rally from last month's low (~$0.6680) to the high on August 11 (~$0.7135). The Chinese yuan slumped to new lows for the year today. For the second consecutive session, the dollar gapped higher and pushed through CNY6.84. The PBOC set the dollar's reference rate at CNY6.8198. While this was lower than the CNY6.8213, it is not seen as much as a protest as an at attempt to keep the adjustment orderly. Europe Gazprom gave notice at the end of last week that gas shipments through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline would be stopped for three days (August 31-September 2) for maintenance  The European benchmark rose nearly 20.3% last week and 27% this month. It rose 35.2% last month and 65.5% in June. The year-to-date surge has been almost 380%. The energy shock seems sure to drive Europe into a recession. The flash August PMI out tomorrow is expected to see the composite falling further below the 50 boom/bust level. Bundesbank President Nagel, who will be attending the Jackson Hole symposium at the end of this week recognized the risk of recession but still argued for the ECB rate increases to anchor inflation expectations. The record from last month's ECB meeting will be published on Thursday. There are two keys here. First, is the color than can be gleaned from the threshold for using the new Transmission Protection Instrument. Second, the ECB lifted its forward guidance, which we argue is itself a type of forward guidance. Is there any insight into how it is leaning? The swaps market prices in another 50 bp hike, but a slight chance of a 75 bp move. The German 10-year breakeven (difference between the yield of the inflation linked bond and the conventional security) has been rising since last July and approached 2.50% last week  It has peaked in early May near 3% before dropping to almost 2% by the end of June. It is notable that Italy's 10-year breakeven, which has begun rising again since the third week of July, is almost 25 bp less than Germany. Several European countries, including Germany and Italy, have offered subsidies or VAT tax cut on gasoline that have offset some of the inflation pressures. Nagel, like Fed Chair Powell, BOE Governor Bailey, and BOJ Governor Kuroda place much emphasis on lowering wages to bring inflation down. Yet wages are rising less than inflation, and the cost-of-living squeeze is serious. They take for granted that business are simply passing on rising input costs, including labor costs, but if that were true, corporate earnings would not be rising, which they have. Costs are being passed through. Later this week, the UK regulator will announce the new gas cap for three months starting in October  Some reports warn of as much as an 80% increase. It is behind the Bank of England's warning that CPI could hit 13% then. The UK's wholesale benchmark has soared 47.5% this month after an 83.7% surge last month. Gas prices in the UK have nearly tripled this year. The UK's 10-year breakeven rose by 38 bp last week to 4.29%, a new three-month high. Although the UK economy shrank slightly in Q2 (0.1%), the BOE warned earlier this month that a five-quarter recession will likely begin in the fourth quarter. Unlike the eurozone, the UK's composite PMI has held above the 50 boom/bust level. Still, it is expected to have slowed for the fourth month in the past five when the August preliminary figures are presented tomorrow. The euro and sterling extended their pre-weekend declines  The euro slipped below parity to $0.9990. The multiyear low set last month was near $0.9950. The break of parity came in the early European turnover. Only a recovery of the $1.0050-60 area helps stabilizes the tone. Speculators in the futures market extended their next short euro position in the week through August 16 to a new two-year extreme and this was before the euro's breakdown in the second half of last week. The eurozone's preliminary August composite PMI due tomorrow is expected to show the contraction in output deepened while the market is expecting the Fed's Powell to reinforce a hawkish message on US rates. After falling to almost $1.1790 before the weekend, sterling made a marginal new low today, closer to $1.1780. The two-year low set last month was near $1.1760. The $1.1850-60 area offers an initial cap. Strike activity that hobbled the trains and underground spread to the UK's largest container port, Felixstowe, which handles about half of the country's containers. An eight-day strike began yesterday. Industrial activity is poised to spread, and this is prompting Truss and Sunak who are locked in a leadership challenge, to toughen their rhetoric against labor. America This is a busy week for the US  First, there is supply. Today features $96 bln in bills. Tomorrow sees a $60 bln three-week cash management bill and $44 bln 2-year notes. On Wednesday, the government sell another $22 bln of an existing two-year floating rate note, and $45 bln five-year note. Thursdays sale includes four- and eight-week bills and $37 bln seven-year notes. There are no long maturities being sold until mid-September. The economic data highlights include the preliminary PMI, where the estimate for services is forecast (median in Bloomberg's survey) to recover from the drop below the 50 boom/bust level. In the middle of the week, the preliminary estimate of July durable goods is expected. Shipments, which feed into GDP models is expected to rise by 0.3%. The revision of Q2 GDP the following day tends not to be a `big market movers. Friday is the big day. July merchandise trade and personal income and consumption measures are featured. Like we saw with the CPI, the headline PCE deflator is likely to ease while the core measure proves a bit stickier. Shortly after they are released, Powell addresses the Jackson Hole gathering.  Canada has a light economic diary this week, but Mexico's a bit busier  The highlight for Mexico will be the biweekly CPI on Wednesday. Price pressures are likely to have increased and this will encourage views that Banxico will likely hike by another 75 bp when it meets late next month (September 29). The July trade balance is due at the end of the week. It has been deteriorating sharply since February and likely continued.    The US dollar rose more than 1% against the Canadian dollar over the past three sessions. It edged a little higher today but stopped shy of the CAD1.3035 retracement objective. Initial support is seen near CAD1.2975-80. With sharp opening losses expected for US equities, it may discourage buying of the Canadian dollar in the early North American activity. The greenback is rising against the Mexican peso for the fifth consecutive session. However, it has not taken out the pre-weekend high near MXN20.2670. Still, the next important upside technical target is closer to MXN20.3230, which corresponds to the middle of this month's range. Support is now seen near MXN20.12.    Disclaimer   Source: No Relief for the Euro or Sterling

Summary:  Equities were sold off on Monday, continuing a slide from their summer rally high, in the midst of position adjustments ahead of the Jackson Hole central banker event later this week. U.S. 10-year yields returned to above 3%. China cut its 5-year loan prime rates and plans to extend special loans to boost the ailing property markets. What is happening in markets?   Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I)  U.S. equities lost ground and continued to retrace from the high of the latest rally since mid-June.  The market sentiment has become more cautious ahead of Fed Chair Powell’s speech this Friday at the Jackson Hole symposium and a heavy economic data calendar, S&P 500 – 2.1%, Nasdaq 100 -2.7%.  The rise of U.S. 10-year bond yield back to above 3% added to the selling pressures in equities.  Zoom Video (ZM:xnas) fell 8% in after-hours trading as the company reported Q2 revenues and earnings missing estimates and cut its full year revenues guidance. U.S. treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) Bonds were sold off as traders adjusted positions ahead of the Jackson Hole.  The treasury yield curve bear flattened with 2-year yields surging 8bps to 3.30% and 10-year yields climbing 4bps to 3.01%, above the closely watched 3% handle.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng fell 0.6% while CSI300 climbed 0.7% on Monday. Chinese developers gained on today’s larger-than-expected cut in the 5-year loan prime rate and the Chinese authorities plan to provide special loans through policy banks to support the delivery of stalled residential housing projects, CIFI (00883:xhkg) +11.5%, Country Garden (02007:xhkg) +3.2%.  China extended EV waivers from vehicle purchase tax and other fees to the end of 2023, but the share price reactions of Chinese EV makers traded in Hong Kong were mixed.  Great Wall Motor (02333:xhkg) soared 11%, benefiting from launching a new model that has a 1,000km per charge battery while Nio (09866:xhkg) and Li Auto(02015:xhkg) fell 4.2% and 1.4% respectively. Xiaomi (01810:xhkg) dropped 3.3% after Q2 revenues -20% YoY and net profit -67% YoY, on lower smartphone shipments (-26% YoY).  Smartphone parts suppliers, AAC Technologies (02018:xhkg) and Sunny Optical (02382:xhkg) declined 5.6% and 4.2% respectively.  The share price performance of the four companies that will be added to the Hang Seng Index was mixed, Baidu (09888:xhkg) +0.9%, China Shenhua Energy (01088:xhkg) +2.1%, Hansoh Pharmaceutical (03692:xhkg) +3.2% but Chow Tai Fook Jewellery (01929:xhkg) -0.6%.  SenseTime (00020:xhkg) gained 4.2% as the company will replace China Pacific Insurance (02601:xhkg) -2.8% as a constituent company of the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index.  ENN Energy (02688:xhkg) plunged more than 14% after reporting H1 results below market expectations.  China retailer Gome (00493) collapsed 20% after resuming trading from suspension and a plan t buy from the controlling shareholder a stake in China property assets.  EURUSD falls below parity, eyes on 0.9500 The latest concerns on the European energy crisis weighed on the Euro which was seen sipping below parity to the US dollar. Higher US yields and gains in the US dollar also underpinned, taking EURUSD to lows of 0.9926. The European recession is coming hard and fast, and the PMIs today will likely signal increasing pressure on the region. Also on the radar will be Fed Chair Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole later this week, with a fresh selloff in the pair likely to target 0.9500 next. USDCNH heading to further highs After PBOC’s easing measures on Monday, the scope for further yuan weakness has increased. USDCNH broke above 6.8600 overnight and potentially more US dollar strength this week on the back of a pushback from Fed officials on easing expectations for next year could mean a test of 7.00 for USDCNH. Still, the move in yuan is isolated, coming from China moving to prevent the yuan from tracking aggravated USD strength rather than showing signs of desiring a broader weakening. EURCNH has plunged to over 1-month lows of 6.8216 on the back of broader EUR weakness. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil prices made a recovery overnight despite the strength in the US dollar. A global shift from gas to oil, from Europe to Asia, has taken a deeper hold amid gas shortage fears accelerating in the wake of another upcoming maintenance of the Nordstream pipeline. Diesel and refinery margins have also been supported as a result, with Asia diesel crack rising to its previous high of $63 amid low inventory levels. WTI futures reversed back to the $90/barrel levels and Brent were back above $96. Comments from Saudi Energy Minister threatening to dial back supply also lifted prices, but these were mis-read and in fact, focused more on the mismatch between the tightness in the futures and the physical market. Gold (XAUUSD) and Silver (XAGUSD) Gold broke below the key $1744 support and is now eying $1729, the 61.8% retracement of the July to August bounce. Dollar strength and a run higher in US yields weighed on the shine of the yellow metal, which has seen downside pressures since last week after touching the critical $1800-level. Hawkish Fed talk this week could further weigh on the short-term prospects for Gold. Silver also dipped below the key 19 handle, erasing most of the gains seen since late July.   What to consider?   German year-ahead power prices hit a fresh record high German year-ahead power prices surged to EUR 700/MWh with Dutch TTF gas prices close to EUR 300/MWh. The surge came on the back of another leg higher in natural gas prices which rose over 8% in Europe amid concerns around the next scheduled 3-day maintenance of the Nordstream pipeline. It appears that demand destruction remains the most obvious but painful cure right now, along with a longer-term focus on ensuring a broad-based supply of energy from coal, gas, nuclear, solar, hydrogen, and more.  Australia and Japan services PMIs plunged into contraction Australia saw its services PMI drop to 49.6 in August in a flash print, from 50.9 in July. Manufacturing PMI, however, held up at 54.5, just weakening slightly from last month’s 55.7. The spate of rate hikes seen from Reserve Bank of Australia is likely taking its toll on demand and manufacturing. Meanwhile, prices remain elevated amid the persistent supply chain issues, and more rate hikes are still on the cards. Japan’s flash manufacturing PMI for August came in lower at 51.0 from 52.1 previously, nut stayed in expansion territory. Services PMI however plunged into the contraction zone below 50, coming in at 49.2 for a flash August print from 50.3 in July. The fresh COVID wave in Japan, although comes without any broad-based new restrictions, is impeding the services demand and will likely weigh on Q3 GDP growth. Europe and UK PMIs may spell further caution The Euro-area flash composite PMI and the UK flash PMI for August are both due to be released on Tuesday. Following a slide in ZEW and Sentix indicators for July, the stage is set for a weaker outcome on the PMIs too. July composite PMI for the Euro-area dipped into contractionary territory at 49.9, while the UK measure held up at 52.1. The surge in gas and electricity prices continue to weigh on GDP growth outlook, with recession likely to hit by the end of the year. China’s plan to provide loans to ensure delivery of presold residential projects is said to be of the size of RMB 200 billion Last Friday, Xinhua News reported that the PBoC, jointly with the Housing Ministry and the Ministry of Finance rolled out a program to make special loans through policy banks to support the delivery of stalled residential housing projects but the size of the program was not mentioned.   A Bloomberg report yesterday, citing “people familiar with the matter”, suggested the size of the support lending program could be as large as RMB 200 billion.  Beijing municipal government rolled out initiatives to promote hydrogen vehicles The municipal government of Beijing announced support for the construction of hydrogen vehicle refueling stations with RMB500 million for each station, aiming at building 37 new stations by 2023 and bringing the adoption of fuel-cell cars to over 10,000 units in the capital. Earlier in the month, the Guangdong province released a plan to build 200 hydrogen vehicle refueling stations by 2025. Since last year, there have been 13 provinces and municipalities rolling out policies to promote the development of the hydrogen vehicle industry.  Earnings on tap Reportedly there have been shorts being built up in Dollar Tree (DLTR:xnys) as traders are expecting that discount retailer missing when reporting this Thursday.   On the other hand, investors are expecting Dollar General (DG:xnys) results to come in more favourably, , which also reports this Thursday.  Key earnings scheduled to release today including Medtronic (MDT:xnys), Intuit (INTU:xnas), JD.COM (09618.xhkg/JD.xnas), JD Logistics (02615:xhkg), Kingsoft (02888:xhkg), and Kuishaou (01023:xhkg). Singapore reports July inflation figures today Singapore's inflation likely nudged higher in July, coming in close proximity to 7% levels from 6.7% y/y in June. While both food and fuel costs continue to create upside pressures on inflation, demand-side pressures are also increasing as the region moves away from virus curbs. House rentals are also running high due to high demand and delayed construction limiting supplies. The Monetary Authority of Singapore has tightened monetary policy but more tightening moves can be expected in H2 even as the growth outlook has been downwardly revised.     For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast   Source: APAC Daily Digest: What is happening in markets and what to consider next – August 23, 2022

Oil prices had a volatile day yesterday. Brent recouped almost all of its losses from earlier in the day after comments from the Saudi energy minister. Meanwhile, European natural gas prices continue to move higher Energy - possible OPEC+ action The Saudi energy minister has warned that the oil futures market is becoming increasingly disconnected from the physical market, which is not helped by the lack of liquidity and high volatility in the futures market.  The increased volatility has also meant that price discovery has become a lot more difficult for the market. The minister suggested that the divergence between the physical and paper market could force OPEC+ to take action by cutting oil production. It might be difficult to justify supply cuts when Brent is trading above US$90/bbl, but possibly the minister’s comments were an attempt to put a floor under the market. While the oil market is tight in the medium to long term, and there is limited spare capacity, our balance sheet shows that the oil market will be well supplied for the remainder of this year and into early next year. A return of Iranian supply would improve the supply/demand picture even further. European natural gas continues to strengthen. TTF rallied more than 13% yesterday, which saw it settle at almost EUR277/MWh, a record high settlement. Although on an intraday basis, the market traded higher back in March. The market continues to fret about supply following Gazprom’s announcement that it would stop flows along Nord Stream for 3 days to carry out maintenance at a compressor station. While EU gas storage continues to increase and is 77% full at the moment (not far from the EU target of 80% by 1 November), there are real concerns about how Russian gas flows will evolve as the region moves into winter. The uncertainty means that prices will likely remain elevated and volatile. Metals – European metal output declines Data from the International Lead and Zinc Study Group shows that the zinc market was in a surplus of 26kt in the first half of 2022, compared to a balanced market during the same period a year earlier. Total refined production fell 2.6%YoY to 6.8mt (largely due to declines from Europe), whilst consumption declined by 3%YoY to 6.7mt in the first six months of the year. Supply is likely to come under further pressure for the remainder of the year after more European smelter cuts were recently announced. The latest numbers from the International Aluminium Association (IAI) show that global daily primary aluminium output fell to 188.6kt in July, from 189.1kt a month earlier. Total monthly output stood at 5.85mt, up 2.1%YoY, while cumulative production remained largely flat at around 39.5mt over the first seven months of the year. Chinese output rose 3.3%MoM to 3.5mt last month, whilst Western and Central European output fell 10%YoY to 251kt in July. Global production is likely to come under further pressure in the months ahead due to the power issues in Sichuan province in China, along with further smelter cuts in Europe. Agriculture – Early feedback from crop tour suggests lower yields The USDA’s latest weekly crop progress report shows that 95% of the US winter wheat crop was harvested as of 21 August, up from 90% a week ago, but still down from year-ago levels of 99%. As for crop conditions for corn and soybeans, 55% of the corn crop was rated good-to-excellent, down from 57% a week ago and 60% last year, whilst 57% of the soybean crop was rated good-to-excellent, down from 58% a week ago. Early feedback from the Pro Farmer Midwest Crop Tour suggests that the US corn and soybean crop in parts of South Dakota is not in great condition due to dry weather, which is expected to weigh on yields.   Read this article on THINK TagsSaudi Arabia Russia-Ukraine OPEC+ Natural gas Aluminium Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

 Summary:  The world and the global equity market can be divided into two parts; the tangible and the intangible. Since 2008 the tangibles driven industry groups have severely underperformed the intangibles driven industry groups due falling interest rates and an explosion in profits by companies utilising a lot of intangibles in their business model. However, since the Covid vaccine was announced the world came roaring back causing demand to outstrip supply and thus fueling inflation. The lack of supply of physical goods in the world and deglobalisation will be a theme going forward and our bet is that the tangible world will stage a comeback against the intangible world. The Great Financial Crisis proved to be the end of the tangible world The SaxoStrats team has been talking a lot about how intangibles took over the world and now the time has come for the tangible world to win back some terrain as years of underinvestment has created enormous supply deficits in energy, food, metals, construction materials etc. We have finally created two indices capturing the market performance of intangibles and tangibles driven industry groups. These indices will make it easier to observe performance in these two parts of the economy and will enable us to quantify whether our “tangibles are coming back” thesis is correct. When we look at intangibles vs tangibles over the period 1998-2022 it is clear we two distinct periods. From 1998-2008 the tangible part of the economy delivered the best total return to investors driven by a booming financial sector, rising real estate prices, and a commodities super cycle. Since 2008, the separation of the two parts of the economy becomes very clear. Lower and lower interest rates are inflating equity valuations of growth assets and intangibles driven industry groups are seeing an unprecedented acceleration in profits due to software business models maturing and e-commerce penetrating all consumer markets fueling the outperformance. If we look at the relative performance the tangible world peaked in April 2008 and was more or less in a continuous decline relative to the intangible world until October 2020. In November 2020, the revelation of the Covid vaccine reopened the economy so fast that demand come roaring back to a degree in which the physical supply of goods could not keep up. Prices began to accelerate causing the current run-away inflation and headache for central banks. The tangible world has since done better relative to intangibles and if we are right in our main theme of an ongoing energy and food crisis combined a multi-decade long deglobalisation then tangibles should continue to do well. Intangibles are still ahead despite rising interest and the current energy crisis During the pandemic the intangibles driven industry groups did better than the physical world because the whole world went into lockdown. Intangibles driven industries were suddenly necessary for making the world go around when we could not operate in the physical world. Government stimulated the economy in extraordinary amounts across monetary and fiscal measures and the demand outcome from this stimulus has caused global demand to outstrip available supply and especially of things in the physical world. The outcome of this has been inflation and also a comeback to the tangible world, but the tangibles driven industry groups are still behind the intangibles measured from the starting point of December 2019. It is our expectations that as interest rates are lifted to cool demand and inflation in the short-term the tangible world will gain more relative to intangibles. What has been the best performing industry group since 1998? One thing is to look at the aggregated indices of the tangibles and intangibles driven industry group, but another interesting observation is to look at the best performing industry. There were three close industry groups, but by a small amount the performing industry group has actually been the retailing industry. The industry group was not creating a lot of shareholder value until after the Great Financial Crisis when the e-commerce, automation, and digitalization combined with expansion of manufacturing in China lifted profitability and market value of retailing companies. The largest retailing companies in the industry group today are Amazon.com, Home Depot, Alibaba, Lowe’s, Meituan, and JD.com. Our definition of tangible and intangible industry groups Tangible assets are loosely defined as physical assets one can touch and feel, and which can be collateralised for loans. This definition is too broad and not meaningful, because in the consumer services industry group, which we have defined as driven by intangibles, you find companies such as Starbucks and McDonald’s which both employ a lot of physical assets in their business. The way we have defined intangibles and tangibles driven industry groups was going back to 1998 and calculate the market value to assets for all the active companies at that point in time. We need calculated the average ratio for each of the 24 industry groups. All the industry groups with a ratio above the average of all groups we put into the intangibles. If the market value is substantially above the book value of assets on the balance sheet it must mean that the market is putting a value on something that is not there, or at least in accounting terms, and this is clearly the intangibles. So for McDonald’s they do employ a lot of physical assets but it is the branding, store network, product etc. that derives the meaningful value creation and thus the market is valuing the company way above the book value of its assets. One could argue that McDonald’s is a hybrid company but for our purposes we define it as being mostly intangibles driven. The full list is presented below. Banks are interesting because many think they are driven by intangibles because it employs a lot of people, but the thing is that banks are essentially deriving their profits from the spread between loans and deposits. The majority of bank loans are tied to physical assets and thus banks are tightly connected to the physical world. Tangibles driven industry groups Automobiles & Components Banks Capital Goods Commercial & Professional Services Consumer Durables & Apparel Diversified Financials Energy Food & Staples Retailing Insurance Materials Real Estate Telecommunication Services Transportation Utilities Intangibles driven industry groups Consumer Services Food, Beverage & Tobacco Health Care Equipment & Services Household & Personal Products Media & Entertainment Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences Retailing Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment Software & Services Technology Hardware & Equipment Source: The tangible world is fighting back

Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Red lines - bearish channel Black lines - Fibonacci retracements Gold price is bouncing towards $1,750. Gold price made a low right at the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement and is now bouncing. This is positive news for bulls. Respecting the 61.8% Fibonacci level is very important for bulls. At this retracement level we usually see trend reversals. Gold's decline from above $1,800 is now complete. Price has formed a higher low at $1,727. Price remains inside the bearish medium-term channel. Is Gold price starting a new upward move from current levels that will eventually push out of the medium-term bearish channel towards $1,850-$1,900? In order for this scenario to come true we need to see a) a new sequence of higher highs and higher lows b) bulls must defend $1,727 area and not let price fall below it c) break above $1,790 upper channel boundary. On the other hand bears would want to see price form a lower high and get rejected at the bounce towards $1,790. Bears want to see a lower high being formed and then price break below $1,727. Conclusion, as long as price remains inside the bearish medium-term channel, we favor the bearish scenario.   Source: Forex Analysis & Reviews: Technical analysis on Gold for August 23rd, 2022.  

Relevance up to 13:00 2022-08-24 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. The EUR/USD pair is trying to consolidate below the parity level. Looking ahead, it should be noted that this is a rather risky game, given the fact that the dollar is strengthening its positions rather on emotions, on bursts of anti-risk sentiment in the market, as well as on the strengthening of hawkish expectations. Such fundamental factors are a priori transient. Also, the downward dynamics of EUR/USD is due to the weakening of the euro, which is under pressure from the aggravating energy crisis. But the psychological factor also played its role here: September futures for delivery on the Dutch TTF hub yesterday jumped to $3,086 per thousand cubic meters. Of course, the August downward breakthrough under the parity level is different from the July one. Figuratively speaking, a month ago, the EUR/USD bears carried out reconnaissance in force, undertaking short-term raids in the area of the 99th figure. At that time, the pair's sellers were only able to stay below the 1.0000 mark for a few hours, after which the buyers seized the initiative. Today the situation is radically different. Traders not only settled within the 99th figure, but also approached its base, clearly intending to test the support level of 0.9900. This suggests that market participants have overcome the psychological barrier associated with a kind of "sacredness" of the notorious parity level. This factor prevented EUR/USD sellers from developing the downward trend in this price area in July: traders were in a hurry to close short positions, opening long positions at the same time. Nevertheless, the risk of catching the price bottom at the moment is as great as it was a month ago. And the lower the price goes, the riskier the sales look. In other words, despite the actual overcoming of the psychologically important level of resistance, it is advisable to open short positions on the EUR/USD pair only on the waves of corrective pullbacks. Whereas entering sales, for example, at the bottom of the 99th figure with the expectation of conquering the 98th price level is very adventurous. Please note that not all dollar pairs of the "major group" have a greenback that demonstrates dominant positions. For example, the USD/CAD pair is declining today, the USD/JPY pair is frozen in place, as is the AUD/USD pair. Even GBP/USD shows some resilience, resisting the onslaught of bears. This suggests that the downward impulse for the EUR/USD pair may fade at any moment, especially after a protracted and almost non-recoiling 4-day downward shaft. Also, do not forget that the dollar is gaining momentum on the eve of the most important event of this month. We are talking about the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium, in which the heads (representatives) of many Central Banks will speak, including Jerome Powell. As a rule, the speeches of the heads of the Central Bank at this symposium are not formal. It is expected that the head of the Fed will comment on the latest macroeconomic reports (strengthening of the labor market, slowdown in the growth of the consumer price index), assessing the possible pace of tightening of the Fed's monetary policy. It is likely that the dollar is now the beneficiary of the "buy the rumor, sell the fact" trading principle. Greenback is in high demand amid growing hawkish expectations, especially after the latest speech by Fed Rep. James Bullard (who has the right to vote this year), who returned the issue of a 75-point rate hike to the agenda next month. He said he would support the idea at the September meeting, given the fact that US inflation "remains at a high level." Some other representatives of the Fed (George, Barkin, Daly, Bowman) did not rule out this option either. If Jerome Powell joins this chorus of hawks on Friday, the dollar will receive additional support. Actually, due to these expectations, the greenback is now keeping afloat, strengthening its position in many pairs. But if contrary to expectations, the head of the Fed voices restrained rhetoric, thereby hinting at the advisability of a 50-point rate hike, the dollar will weaken across the market. In this case, the EUR/USD pair will not be able to hold under the 1.0000 mark—the buyers will have a great opportunity to organize a corrective counteroffensive. In my opinion, at the moment it is best to take a wait-and-see attitude. Longs in any case look risky, but sales are best viewed at the peak (when fading) of corrective pullbacks. After all, even if Jerome Powell disappoints the dollar bulls, the euro will remain under significant pressure amid the deepening energy crisis in Europe. So, according to many experts, the cost of blue fuel is likely to continue to grow. The upward dynamics is due to a decrease in supplies from the Russian Federation and increased demand for gas against the background of the upcoming heating season and insufficient filling of underground gas storage facilities in Europe. All these factors will push the price up while putting pressure on the single currency. Therefore, it is advisable to open short positions on the EUR/USD pair on corrective bursts. At the moment, entering into sales or purchases is quite risky. Source: Forex Analysis & Reviews: EUR/USD. Euro is cheaper than dollar, dollar is more expensive than euro: new realities have created new risks    

ICE Brent rallied yesterday. A weaker USD coupled with a number of supply concerns has helped to push the market higher. Meanwhile, European natural gas prices have fallen from their highs Energy: further Kazakh oil supply concerns While the oil market digests comments from the Saudi energy minister that OPEC+ may need to cut output, the market is faced with yet further potential supply disruptions. The CPC terminal on the Black Sea, which exports Kazakh oil, is facing some bottlenecks, with only one of the three moorings at the terminal operating. Damage on the other two moorings was detected and repair work is expected to take several months. The CPC terminal has experienced a number of disruptions so far this year, which has weighed on volumes. Numbers released by the API overnight were fairly supportive. The API reported that US crude oil inventories declined by 5.63MMbbls over the last week, although, small builds were reported elsewhere. Cushing crude oil inventories increased by 679Mbbls, whilst gasoline and distillate fuel oil stocks grew by 268Mbbls and 1.05MMbbls respectively. European gas prices eased somewhat yesterday. And this is despite Freeport LNG announcing that the partial restart of its LNG facility on the US Gulf Coast will be delayed from October to mid-November. This announcement provided some relief to US natural gas prices, given that more gas will stay in the domestic market. However, it is not good news for Europe, which has been relying increasingly on LNG to make up for the shortfall in Russian supply. Metals: potential for further supply cuts Soaring energy prices in Europe continue to put pressure on industry. In recent weeks, we have seen a number of metal smelters announcing that they would shut down operations due to high energy prices. According to Bloomberg, Aluminium producer, Speira, has now warned that it may have to cut production at its German smelter to just 50% of capacity due to power costs. Speira has a capacity of 160ktpa, although is currently producing below this level. A decision on cuts will be made in September. The latest data from the World Steel Association shows that global steel output fell 6.5%YoY to 149.3mt in July, due to lower production from China and Europe. Cumulative crude steel production declined 5.4%YoY to 1.1 billion tonnes over the first seven months of the year. The EU produced 11.7mt of crude steel in July, down 6.7%YoY given the ongoing power crisis. Chinese steel production declined 6.4%YoY to 81.4mt last month, as industrial activity slowed due to the resurgence of covid cases in multiple regions, along with the worsening property market. Among other Asian nations, India’s steel output rose 3.2%YoY to 10.1mt in July, leaving YTD output at 73.3mt, up 8%YoY. Read this article on THINK TagsSteel Power shortages Oil Natural gas Aluminium Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Summary:  Equities were sold off on Monday, continuing a slide from their summer rally high, in the midst of position adjustments ahead of the Jackson Hole central banker event later this week. U.S. 10-year yields returned to above 3%. China cut its 5-year loan prime rates and plans to extend special loans to boost the ailing property markets. What is happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I)  U.S. equities lost ground and continued to retrace from the high of the latest rally since mid-June.  The market sentiment has become more cautious ahead of Fed Chair Powell’s speech this Friday at the Jackson Hole symposium and a heavy economic data calendar, S&P 500 – 2.1%, Nasdaq 100 -2.7%.  The rise of U.S. 10-year bond yield back to above 3% added to the selling pressures in equities.  Zoom Video (ZM:xnas) fell 8% in after-hours trading as the company reported Q2 revenues and earnings missing estimates and cut its full year revenues guidance. U.S. treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) Bonds were sold off as traders adjusted positions ahead of the Jackson Hole.  The treasury yield curve bear flattened with 2-year yields surging 8bps to 3.30% and 10-year yields climbing 4bps to 3.01%, above the closely watched 3% handle.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng fell 0.6% while CSI300 climbed 0.7% on Monday. Chinese developers gained on today’s larger-than-expected cut in the 5-year loan prime rate and the Chinese authorities plan to provide special loans through policy banks to support the delivery of stalled residential housing projects, CIFI (00883:xhkg) +11.5%, Country Garden (02007:xhkg) +3.2%.  China extended EV waivers from vehicle purchase tax and other fees to the end of 2023, but the share price reactions of Chinese EV makers traded in Hong Kong were mixed.  Great Wall Motor (02333:xhkg) soared 11%, benefiting from launching a new model that has a 1,000km per charge battery while Nio (09866:xhkg) and Li Auto(02015:xhkg) fell 4.2% and 1.4% respectively. Xiaomi (01810:xhkg) dropped 3.3% after Q2 revenues -20% YoY and net profit -67% YoY, on lower smartphone shipments (-26% YoY).  Smartphone parts suppliers, AAC Technologies (02018:xhkg) and Sunny Optical (02382:xhkg) declined 5.6% and 4.2% respectively.  The share price performance of the four companies that will be added to the Hang Seng Index was mixed, Baidu (09888:xhkg) +0.9%, China Shenhua Energy (01088:xhkg) +2.1%, Hansoh Pharmaceutical (03692:xhkg) +3.2% but Chow Tai Fook Jewellery (01929:xhkg) -0.6%.  SenseTime (00020:xhkg) gained 4.2% as the company will replace China Pacific Insurance (02601:xhkg) -2.8% as a constituent company of the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index.  ENN Energy (02688:xhkg) plunged more than 14% after reporting H1 results below market expectations.  China retailer Gome (00493) collapsed 20% after resuming trading from suspension and a plan t buy from the controlling shareholder a stake in China property assets.  EURUSD falls below parity, eyes on 0.9500 The latest concerns on the European energy crisis weighed on the Euro which was seen sipping below parity to the US dollar. Higher US yields and gains in the US dollar also underpinned, taking EURUSD to lows of 0.9926. The European recession is coming hard and fast, and the PMIs today will likely signal increasing pressure on the region. Also on the radar will be Fed Chair Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole later this week, with a fresh selloff in the pair likely to target 0.9500 next. USDCNH heading to further highs After PBOC’s easing measures on Monday, the scope for further yuan weakness has increased. USDCNH broke above 6.8600 overnight and potentially more US dollar strength this week on the back of a pushback from Fed officials on easing expectations for next year could mean a test of 7.00 for USDCNH. Still, the move in yuan is isolated, coming from China moving to prevent the yuan from tracking aggravated USD strength rather than showing signs of desiring a broader weakening. EURCNH has plunged to over 1-month lows of 6.8216 on the back of broader EUR weakness. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil prices made a recovery overnight despite the strength in the US dollar. A global shift from gas to oil, from Europe to Asia, has taken a deeper hold amid gas shortage fears accelerating in the wake of another upcoming maintenance of the Nordstream pipeline. Diesel and refinery margins have also been supported as a result, with Asia diesel crack rising to its previous high of $63 amid low inventory levels. WTI futures reversed back to the $90/barrel levels and Brent were back above $96. Comments from Saudi Energy Minister threatening to dial back supply also lifted prices, but these were mis-read and in fact, focused more on the mismatch between the tightness in the futures and the physical market. Gold (XAUUSD) and Silver (XAGUSD) Gold broke below the key $1744 support and is now eying $1729, the 61.8% retracement of the July to August bounce. Dollar strength and a run higher in US yields weighed on the shine of the yellow metal, which has seen downside pressures since last week after touching the critical $1800-level. Hawkish Fed talk this week could further weigh on the short-term prospects for Gold. Silver also dipped below the key 19 handle, erasing most of the gains seen since late July.   What to consider? German year-ahead power prices hit a fresh record high German year-ahead power prices surged to EUR 700/MWh with Dutch TTF gas prices close to EUR 300/MWh. The surge came on the back of another leg higher in natural gas prices which rose over 8% in Europe amid concerns around the next scheduled 3-day maintenance of the Nordstream pipeline. It appears that demand destruction remains the most obvious but painful cure right now, along with a longer-term focus on ensuring a broad-based supply of energy from coal, gas, nuclear, solar, hydrogen, and more.  Australia and Japan services PMIs plunged into contraction Australia saw its services PMI drop to 49.6 in August in a flash print, from 50.9 in July. Manufacturing PMI, however, held up at 54.5, just weakening slightly from last month’s 55.7. The spate of rate hikes seen from Reserve Bank of Australia is likely taking its toll on demand and manufacturing. Meanwhile, prices remain elevated amid the persistent supply chain issues, and more rate hikes are still on the cards. Japan’s flash manufacturing PMI for August came in lower at 51.0 from 52.1 previously, nut stayed in expansion territory. Services PMI however plunged into the contraction zone below 50, coming in at 49.2 for a flash August print from 50.3 in July. The fresh COVID wave in Japan, although comes without any broad-based new restrictions, is impeding the services demand and will likely weigh on Q3 GDP growth. Europe and UK PMIs may spell further caution The Euro-area flash composite PMI and the UK flash PMI for August are both due to be released on Tuesday. Following a slide in ZEW and Sentix indicators for July, the stage is set for a weaker outcome on the PMIs too. July composite PMI for the Euro-area dipped into contractionary territory at 49.9, while the UK measure held up at 52.1. The surge in gas and electricity prices continue to weigh on GDP growth outlook, with recession likely to hit by the end of the year. China’s plan to provide loans to ensure delivery of presold residential projects is said to be of the size of RMB 200 billion Last Frida, Xinhua News reported that the PBoC, jointly with the Housing Ministry and the Ministry of Finance rolled out a program to make special loans through policy banks to support the delivery of stalled residential housing projects but the size of the program was not mentioned.   A Bloomberg report yesterday, citing “people familiar with the matter”, suggested the size of the support lending program could be as large as RMB 200 billion.  Beijing municipal government rolled out initiatives to promote hydrogen vehicles The municipal government of Beijing announced support for the construction of hydrogen vehicle refueling stations with RMB500 million for each station, aiming at building 37 new stations by 2023 and bringing the adoption of fuel-cell cars to over 10,000 units in the capital. Earlier in the month, the Guangdong province released a plan to build 200 hydrogen vehicle refueling stations by 2025. Since last year, there have been 13 provinces and municipalities rolling out policies to promote the development of the hydrogen vehicle industry.  Earnings on tap Reportedly there have been shorts being built up in Dollar Tree (DLTR:xnys) as traders are expecting that discount retailer missing when reporting this Thursday.   On the other hand, investors are expecting Dollar General (DG:xnys) results to come in more favourably, , which also reports this Thursday.  Key earnings scheduled to release today including Medtronic (MDT:xnys), Intuit (INTU:xnas), JD.COM (09618.xhkg/JD.xnas), JD Logistics (02615:xhkg), Kingsoft (02888:xhkg), and Kuishaou (01023:xhkg). Singapore reports July inflation figures today Singapore's inflation likely nudged higher in July, coming in close proximity to 7% levels from 6.7% y/y in June. While both food and fuel costs continue to create upside pressures on inflation, demand-side pressures are also increasing as the region moves away from virus curbs. House rentals are also running high due to high demand and delayed construction limiting supplies. The Monetary Authority of Singapore has tightened monetary policy but more tightening moves can be expected in H2 even as the growth outlook has been downwardly revised.     For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast Source: APAC Daily Digest: What is happening in markets and what to consider next – August 23, 2022

Summary:  US equities continued to push sharply lower yesterday as the strong US dollar is in focus as EURUSD dropped well below parity yesterday. US Treasury yields are playing their part in pressuring sentiment as the US 10-year yield benchmark rose above 3.00%. The next important event risk is this Friday’s Jackson Hole, Wyoming speech from Fed Chair Powell, as the Fed is expected to remind the market that it remains in full inflation-fighting mode, pushing back against the impression that it may be set to cut rates next year.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures extended their losses yesterday as the US 10-year yield moved above the 3% level and the Fed Funds futures curve moved lower across the whole curve (meaning less rate cuts expected next year). Markets are beginning to second-guess their aggressive bets in July on inflation cooling fast enough to warrant rate cuts next year as the galloping energy crisis makes it difficult for inflation to cool. Tangibles-driven themes such as commodities, logistics, energy storage and financials were the relative winners in yesterday’s session. S&P 500 futures are now in the support zone from before the last leg up that started on 10 August; we see the 4,100 level as the next level to watch on the downside and then the 100-day moving average at 4,085. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) Hang Seng Index and CSI300 were both down about 0.6%. A Bloomberg report yesterday, citing “people familiar with the matter”, suggested the size of the central bank and other authorities’ support lending program to developers could be as large as RMB 200bn. The reaction of the share prices of Chinese Property developers were mixed, Country Garden (02007:hkg) +3.1%, Longfor (00960:xhkg) -1.4%. Postal Savings Bank of China (01658:xhkg) plunged 5.5% after the Chinese bank reported net profit miss with a 10 bps y/y fall in net interest margin to 2.27% in H1. Gross loans grew 13% y/y in H1 but at a more tepid growth of 3% q/q.  Non-performing loans ratio overall was steady at 0.8% but mortgage NPL ratio climbed by 8 bps to 0.52%. US dollar rally following through The US dollar rally continued apace yesterday, as EURUSD traded well below parity and closed at its lowest level in nearly twenty years yesterday. GBPUSD has teased below 1.1760, its lowest level since a one-off pandemic-outbreak spike in early 2020, while other USD pairs are not yet at extremes of the cycle, including AUDUSD, still well above the sub-0.6700 lows of July, and USDJPY, which has not yet challenged the cycle high north of 139.00. There is clearly a reflexive situation at the moment in the US dollar, risk sentiment and US treasury yields. USDCNH Broad USD strength remains behind the weaker CNH in the USDCNH exchange rate as the CNH continues to rise versus, for example, the EUR, while the CNHJPY exchange rate trades near the important 20.00 area. Any more significant move in this critical exchange rate could quickly steal some of the focus away from the US dollar. The contrast between an easing PBOC (moving once again earlier this week) and tightening central banks nearly everywhere else is stark. The next important level for the pair is 7.00, with the range high of the last decade near 7.20. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil prices made a sharp U-turn higher on Monday after the Saudi Energy Minister talked about a potential production cut after saying the futures market has become increasingly disconnected from underlying fundamental developments, a view that we share. His comment supported the market on a day where risk appetite generally took a knock from the stronger dollar and falling equity markets. A global shift from gas to oil, from Europe to Asia, has taken a deeper hold amid gas shortage fears accelerating in the wake of another upcoming maintenance of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline and heatwaves in China. Diesel prices trades higher supported by refinery margins, the so-called crack spread hitting seasonal highs around the world. Gold (XAUUSD) and Silver (XAGUSD) Gold broke below the key $1744 support on Monday before finding support at $1729, the 61.8% retracement of the July to August bounce. Dollar strength and a run higher in US yields weighed on the shine of the yellow metal, which has seen downside pressures since last week after touching the critical $1800-level. Hawkish Fed talk this week could further weigh on the short-term prospects for Gold. Silver also dipped below the key 19 handle, erasing most of the gains seen since late July. German year-ahead power prices hit a fresh record high German year-ahead power prices surged to EUR 700/MWh with Dutch TTF gas prices close to EUR 300/MWh. The surge came on the back of another leg higher in natural gas prices which rose over 13% in Europe amid concerns around the next scheduled 3-day maintenance of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. It appears that demand destruction remains the most obvious but painful cure right now, along with a longer-term focus on ensuring a broad-based supply of energy from coal, gas, nuclear, solar, hydrogen, and more. US Treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields rose yesterday, with the 10-year benchmark closing above 3.00% for the first time in over a month yesterday. Rising yields are likely an important driver of weaker risk sentiment after the melt-up in the wake of the late July FOMC meeting, but practically, a move toward the cycle highs from June near 3.50% (in the lead-up to the FOMC meeting on June 16) is needed to seize the spotlight. The behavior of the treasury market in the wake of the Jackson Hole conference speech from fed Chair Powell this Friday is an important next step, particularly if Powell provides strong guidance on the pace or importance of the Fed’s balance sheet tightening (QT). What is going on? EURUSD falls below parity, eyes on 0.9500 The latest concerns on the European energy crisis weighed on the Euro which was seen sipping below parity to the US dollar. Higher US yields and gains in the US dollar also underpinned, taking EURUSD to lows in the low 0.9900’s this morning. The European recession is coming hard and fast, and the PMIs today will likely signal increasing pressure on the region. The next step for the US dollar is the Fed Chair Powell speech this Friday as discussed below. Australia and Japan services PMIs plunged into contraction Australia saw its services PMI drop to 49.6 in August in a flash print, from 50.9 in July. Manufacturing PMI, however, held up at 54.5, just weakening slightly from last month’s 55.7. The spate of rate hikes seen from Reserve Bank of Australia is likely taking its toll on demand and manufacturing. Meanwhile, prices remain elevated amid the persistent supply chain issues, and more rate hikes are still on the cards. Japan’s flash manufacturing PMI for August came in lower at 51.0 from 52.1 previously, nut stayed in expansion territory. Services PMI however plunged into the contraction zone below 50, coming in at 49.2 for a flash August print from 50.3 in July. The fresh COVID wave in Japan, although comes without any broad-based new restrictions, is impeding the services demand and will likely weigh on Q3 GDP growth. Palo Alto outlook remains strong The cyber security company reported last night Q4 revenue and EPS above estimates and Q1 outlook is slightly above estimates while the FY outlook is well above consensus estimates. Q4 networks billing growth was 44% vs est. 25% suggesting demand is accelerating and bolstering our view that the cyber security industry is a high growth and counter-cyclical industry in the years to come. Shares were up 9% in extended trading. Zoom shares were down 8% in extended trading The popular video conferencing software that rose to prominence during the pandemic is lowering its FY outlook relative to previous announcements. The slowdown in their business is due to slower enterprise growth which could be a function of Microsoft and other major technology companies that have entered the enterprise business for video conference. What are we watching next? Europe and UK PMIs may spell further caution. The Euro-area flash composite PMI and the UK flash PMI for August are both due to be released on Tuesday. Following a slide in ZEW and Sentix indicators for July, the stage is set for a weaker outcome on the PMIs too. July composite PMI for the Euro-area dipped into contractionary territory at 49.9, while the UK measure held up at 52.1. The surge in gas and electricity prices continue to weigh on GDP growth outlook, with recession likely to hit by the end of the year. USD and US Treasury yields as Jackson Hole Fed conference is the macro event risk of the week Friday The US dollar and yields are setting risk sentiment on edge as EURUSD has plunged well through parity. US Treasury yields have supported the USD rally with the entire curve lifting over the last couple of weeks and longer yields closing at new one-month highs. The Fed has pushed back consistently against the market’s pricing of a Fed turnaround to easing rates next year with partial success, as expectations for rate cuts have shifted farther out the curve and from higher levels. The next focus is this Friday’s Jackson Hole symposium speech from Fed Chair Powell, who is expected to stay on message and maintain credibility on fighting inflation after the two large 75 basis point hikes at the last two meetings. The Fed’s attitude toward quantitative tightening may be a focus in the speech as well, with the pace of QT supposedly set to pick up in coming weeks to $95B/month. So far, the QT has been slow out of the gates, with the balance sheet currently only some $115B smaller than at its mid-April peak. Earnings to watch Today’s earnings focus is on CATL and JD.com, with especially CATL being important as the world’s largest battery manufacturer to the car industry and thus pivotal for the electrification of the transportation sector. CATL is expected to report revenue growth of 126% y/y in Q2 as EV adoption is accelerating, but key risks ahead are rising input costs across lithium and energy. JD.com is expected to report 3% revenue growth in Q2 as growth is grinding to a halt on very weak consumer confidence in China. Today: CATL, Intuit, Medtronic, JD.com Wednesday: LONGi Green Energy, Royal Bank of Canada, PetroChina, Ping An Insurance Group, Nongfu Spring, Mowi, Nvidia, Salesforce, Pinduoduo, Snowflake, Autodesk Thursday: South32, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Fortum, Delivery Hero, AIA Group, China Life Insurance, CNOOC, CRH, Dollar General, Vmware, Marvell Technology, Workday, Dollar Tree, Dell Technologies, NIO Friday: Meituan, China Shenhua Energy, China Petroleum & Chemical Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0715-0800 – Eurozone Aug. Flash Manufacturing and Services PMI 0830 – UK Aug. Flash Manufacturing and Services PMI 1000 – UK Aug. CBI Trends in Total Orders and Selling Prices 1100 – ECB's Panetta to speak 1345 – US Aug. Flash Manufacturing and Services PMI 1400 – US Aug. Richmond Fed Manufacturing 1400 – Eurozone Aug. Flash Consumer Confidence 1400 – US Jul. New Home Sales 2300 – US Fed’s Kashkari (non-voter) to speak  Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – August 23, 2022

WTI crude oil futures rose above the $93 per barrel level today. The price increase may be supported by both macroeconomic data and statements from Saudi Arabia and OPEC. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries may decide to cut oil production in the event of a global recession, representatives of several countries in the alliance told The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday. OPEC and its partners, led by Russia, have been closely coordinating oil production volumes, especially since the initial impact of the coronavirus pandemic in the first half of 2020. The alliance's members will meet again on September 5 to set an oil production rate, according to the BBN news service. Meanwhile, crude inventories in the United States fell by 5.6 million barrels last week, according to data released by the American Petroleum Institute (API). The market consensus was for a much lower decline of 0.9 million barrels. The EIA's official government data will be released today. It is expected to reduce reserves by 933,000 barrels. Probably by a combination of the above two factors, oil prices rose almost 4 percent on Tuesday. Counting from the June peak, however, oil has lost about 25 percent, probably due to growing concerns that a global economic slowdown could dampen consumption. Does the Fed need to be aggressive? The U.S. dollar index rebounded on Wednesday to near 108.7 and rose again toward its highest level in 20 years. USD appreciation may have been influenced by comments from US Federal Reserve officials. Minneapolis Fed Chairman Neel Kashkari said that his biggest concern is that the extent of price pressures has been underestimated and that the central bank will have to be more aggressive for a longer period if inflation persists. This could mean tightening monetary policy even as the specter of a stronger brake on the economy looms. Kashkari added that the central bank may ease interest rate hikes when it becomes clear that inflation is heading toward 2 percent. Further clues about the Federal Reserve's action plans may emerge later this week, when Jerome Powell, chairman of the Fed, addresses the annual symposium in Jackson Hole. Daniel Kostecki, Director of the Polish branch of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 82.59% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Source: Oil rises in price, dollar rises in strength

Summary:  A zany day for US data as the August flash S&P Global Services PMI suggests a deepening contraction is afoot in the US services sector after an already weak July reading that contrasted with strength in the ISM Services survey for July. What are we supposed to believe. Elsewhere, crude oil has cemented its comeback with an extension higher yesterday and coffee is at risk of a further rise on supply woes. In equities, we look at the latest in the Tesla/Twitter saga, earnings ahead including NVidia after the close today, and an interesting company in the EV batter supply chain in Europe. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are found via the link Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: Crude oil bounce extends. Zany mismatch in US Services sector surveys

Overview:  A simply dreadful flash US PMI stopped the dollar's four-day rally in its tracks. It followed news that the eurozone, Japan, and Australia's composite PMIs are below 50 boom/bust level. However, the dollar recovered, even if not fully as the market seemed unconvinced that the data could change Fed Chair Powell's message at Jackson Hole on Friday. A consolidative tone is evident today. Asia Pacific equities were mixed. China and Hong Kong fell more than 1% while South Korea, Australia, and India posted gains. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is off for the fourth consecutive session, the longest spill in a couple of months. US futures are straddling unchanged levels. The US 10-year yield is around 3.04%, little changed, while European benchmark rates are 2-4 bp higher. Japan’s 10-eyar yield edged up near 0.22% is once again drawing close to the cap. Gold is firm near $1750, but unable to build much on yesterday’s nearly $12 rally. October WTI is extending its rally since the Saudi’s threatened to reduce supply and Israel is pushing back against the US-Iran deal. US natgas fell 5% yesterday and is about 1.75% firmer today. The European natgas benchmark has jumped almost 7% today to recoup fully yesterday’s 6.5% pullback, which snapped a four-day rally. Iron ore rose 0.5%. It was the third advancing session, the longest rally this month. September copper is giving back about half of yesterday’s 1.2% gain. September wheat is up 2% to bring the gain to 9% since last Thursday.   Asia Pacific In addition to the usual corporate analysis and credit, ESG ratings and investment orientation have become increasingly important. However, the meaning of ESG and ratings not uniform. Arguably, it is where "organic" was a couple of decades ago, and it is still evolving. Some of dismissive and suggest it is a "woke” fad. Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF), the largest pension fund in the world, reports that seven of the eight ESG funds it invests in beat the benchmarks in the fiscal year that ended in March. Over the past five years, it said that all eight funds have outperformed. Since US Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, a few other US elected officials have visited Taiwan. UK officials and Japanese officials have either visited or planned to visit Taipei. China has continued its aerial harassment of the island. and repeatedly crossing the median line in the Taiwan Straits. In a recent report, the Atlantic Council argued that one of the lessons from Ukraine, is that the US "strategic ambiguity" is not an effective deterrence, and that the US should be unequivocal in its support. These developments, alongside reports that US military advisors have been in Taiwan since before the 2020 election and the number of "misstatements" by President Biden that were clear signs of support that were "walked back", all play into the hardliners in Beijing who think the US is trying to change the status quo. Congress is considering a bill that would codify some of it. The US strategic ambiguity is ostensibly not about one-China but on how the US would respond to Beijing's use of military power to unite the country. This was not meant to deter China as the military planners would have to game out the US response no matter its declaratory policy. The chief function is to deter Taiwan from declaring independence unilaterally and dragging the US into a war of its making. However, Taiwan, as it stands now, is not a member of organizations based on state sovereignty, like the UN and IMF. The bill that is likely to get more attention in Q4 proposes to recognize Taiwan as an important non-NATO ally and seek to promote Taiwan's membership in international forums. Both sides are giving the other reason to think that they are trying to change the status quo. The dollar is in a narrow range against the Japanese yen today of around a third of a yen on either side of yesterday's settlement, which was slightly above JPY136.75. US yields are slightly softer, and the dollar is closer to session lows (~JPY136.35) in the European morning. The greenback can spend the North American session on the JPY136-handle. The Australian dollar is also in a narrow range as the market awaits fresh news. It has spent most of the local session and the European morning below yesterday's $0.6930 settlement. Meanwhile, the greenback has edged higher against the Chinese yuan. It made a marginal two-year high almost at CNY6.8680. In the past two week, the yuan has fallen by a little more than 2% against the dollar, which has risen broadly. The setting of the PBOC's reference rate today could be the first sign that officials want the market to go slowly. The dollar fix was at CNY6.8388, a wider than usual gap and below the market (Bloomberg survey) estimate for CNY6.8511. Of note, the US dollar did not make a new high against the offshore yuan today. Yesterday's high of almost CNH6.8850 held. Europe On top of the energy crisis, and extreme weather, an economy seemingly slipping inexorably toward a recession, while inflation is still accelerating, Italy's national election is a month away. The three-party alliance on the right continues to dominate drawing about 47% support. The Brothers of Italy remains the largest, accounting for a little more than half that support. Many observers assume that the success of the right reflects a shift in the Italian politics. However, the simpler explanation is the disarray of the center-left. The Democratic Party draws second highest support, less than half a percentage point (within the margins of error) of the Brothers of Italy. The problem is that the center-left has been unable to form a pact like the right has done. The once populist power, the Five Star Movement, the largest party in the current parliament, appears to have lost its way, a partly the cause and effect of its fragmentation. There are several other small groupings that would be more at home with the center-left but have been able to coalesce into an alliance. Still, it is notable that Brothers of Italy leader Meloni argued for more Europe in her debate with the Democratic Party leader Letta. Letta sounded like the nationalist, advocating a temporary price control for gas. Meloni backed an EU-wide cap, which Draghi supported. As Benjamin Franklin told the thirteen colonies on the east coast of the North American continent they prepared to fight against the greatest empire at the time, "hang together or hang separately."  Italy's 10-year premium over Germany is near 2.35%. It reached a two-year high in mid-June slightly above 2.40%. In late July, it also tested 2.40%. Italy offers around 100 bp more than Germany for two-year borrowing. The peak since the Covid panic in March 2020, was set late last month near 1.30%. The extra that is demanded from Italy is not about inflation. Italy's two-year breakeven (difference between the conventional yield and inflation-protected security) is about 4.40% compared with Germany's two-year breakeven near 7.10%. Italy's 10-year breakeven is slightly below 2.25%. Germany's is near 2.45%. Both report August's EU harmonized CPI next week. In July, Italy's inflation stood at 8.4%, just below Germany's 8.5%. Not only is Italian inflation lower than Germany's and is expected to remain so, but it is also growing faster. On a workday adjusted basis, the Germany economy grow 1.4% year-over-year in Q2. Italy expanded by 4.6%. The UK's online paper, The Independent, reported that UK imports from Russia have plummeted by nearly 97% since the invasion. They totaled GBP33 mln in June, it noted, citing data from the Office of National Statistics. The collapse reflected government sanctions and actions of companies seeking alternatives to Russian goods beyond the official sanctions. Today' s is Ukraine's Independence Day and marks the sixth month since the Russian invasion. Reports suggest the US will announce a new $3 bln arms package for Kyiv. The euro was squeezed to almost $1.0020 yesterday after the disappointing US data, but it was short-lived, and it finished the North Americans session near $0.9970. The single currency is in about a third of a cent range today and has not been able to resurface above $1.0, where there are large options that expire there tomorrow (2 bln euros) and Friday (1 bln euros). An expiry today for 720 mln euros at $0.9950 has likely been neutralized. Sterling traded in a broad range yesterday (~$1.1720-$1.1880) and exceeded both sides of Monday's range. However, the close was neutral, well within Monday's range, which set the tone for today's quiet session. Sterling has been confined to less than half a cent range above $1.1800. It settled near $1.1835 and has spent most of the Asian session and the European morning below it. The next level of support is seen in the $1.1760-80 band. America There can no explaining away the weakest composite US PMI since May 2020 and drop in new home sales five-times more than the median forecast in Bloomberg's survey. Yet did not seem to be bipolar as conventional wisdom has it, swinging between recession and inflation anxiety. The implied yield of the October Fed funds contract rose two basis points to 2.95%, unchanged on the week. Another way to look at it, the odds of a 75 bp hike in September stands at almost 60% compared with 52% at the end of last week and slightly less than 50% the prior week (August 12). Nor did equities recover from Monday's gap lower opening. Indeed, while the S&P 500 and NASDAQ largely traded within Monday's range, the Dow Industrials continued to sell off. It is approaching the (38.2%) retracement of the rally off the mid-July low (~30144) found near 32700. A similar retracement in the S&P 500 is near 4095. The NASDAQ found support near its retracement around 12350. The US reports the preliminary estimate of July durable goods orders. The real sector data has held up better than the survey data. One element of durable goods orders that may not be appreciated by economists yet is what appears to be a surge in US arms sales abroad. There seems to be a synchronized arms build-up and demand for US-made weapons is clear. Separately, today's report will be flattered by the jump in Boeing orders. The company reported 130 orders last month, the most since June 2021 after 50 orders in June. Of those orders 27 came from foreign companies up from 20 in June, and the most since January. On the other hand, its deliveries fell to 26 from 51, the least since February. The focus is on the Fed's Jackson Hole symposium that begins tomorrow. Fed Chair Powell is set to speak Friday (10 am ET). Some observers expect him to play up the element in the minutes that recognized the risk that the central bank would tighten too much. However, in the minutes, it was set up in contrast to the bigger risk that inflation getting embedded into business and household expectations. We recognize the market's penchant for reading/hearing a dovish twist to Powell and the Fed even though they are tightening policy faster than most observers had imagined even a few months ago. The pace of the balance sheet adjustment is also set to double starting next month. Separate from the FOMC minutes, the minutes from the discount rate meeting were reported yesterday, and both the Minneapolis and St. Louis Feds called for 100 bp hike in the discount rate before the July 26-27 FOMC meeting but did not convince their colleagues. Nine favored a 75 bp increase, while the KC Fed called for a 50 bp increase. George, the President of the KC Fed supported a 75 bp increases in the Fed funds target at last month's meeting.   The US dollar posted a big outside down day yesterday against the Canadian dollar, trading on both sides of Monday's range and settling below Monday's low. However, there has been no follow-through today and a consolidative tone is evident. It settled near CAD1.2955 and has spent no time below it so far today. It has been capped around CAD1.2985. With softer equities, we ae inclined to see the greenback push back above CAD1.3000 and see resistance near CAD1.3020-30. The US dollar fell yesterday for the second day against the Mexican peso. Its 0.80% drop was the most in nearly two weeks. Selling today has extended its loss to around MXN19.9365, a four-day low. Mexico reports CPI for the first half of August. It is expected have accelerated, with the year-over-year rate rising to 8.55% form 8.14%. The core rate is seen slightly above 7.8% from 7.75%. The central bank meets late next month and another 75 bp hike seems most likely.      Disclaimer   Source: New Recession Worry Stalls Dollar Express but Doesn't Derail It

Summary:  Crude oil’s bounce from a six-month low has so far seen Brent crude oil return above $100 per barrel while WTI following a brief dip to the mid-80’s has turned higher to trade around $95 per barrel. With oil fundamentals still very supportive, the market seems to be realizing the energy market is not the best hedge against an economic slowdown, and it has raised the risk of a response from specualators who recently cut bullish oil bets to an April 2020 low. Crude oil’s bounce from a six-month low has so far seen Brent crude oil return above $100 per barrel while WTI following a brief dip to the mid-80’s has turned higher to trade around $95 per barrel. In our previous update we mentioned the fact that crude oil, in a downtrend since June, had started to show signs of selling fatigue as the technical outlook had started to turnmore price friendly while fresh fundamental developments added some support as well. After finding support below $94 per barrel, the 61.8% retracement of the December to March surge, Brent crude oil now trades back above its 200-day simple moving average with the next key upside hurdle being an area below $102.50 per barrel. Source: Saxo Group While the macro-economic outlook remains challenging due to the lower growth outlook and renewed dollar strength, recent developments within the oil market, so-called micro developments, have raised the risk of a rebound. The energy crisis in Europe continues to strengthen, with gas and power prices surging to levels that measured in dollars per barrel of crude oil equivalent equates to $470 and $1,050 per barrel respectively. The latest surge being driven by recent low-water level disruptions on the river Rhine and Gazprom announcing a three-day closure of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline due to maintenance, starting on August 31.  Should Gazprom (Putin) decide for geopolitical reasons to keep the pipeline shut after maintenance ends, the risk of further spikes remains, thereby extending the already wide price gap between gas and crude oil. A development that will further support an already very visible increase in demand for fuel-based product, especially diesel, at the expense of gas. This gas-to-fuel switch was specifically mentioned by the IEA in their August update as the reason for raising their 2022 global oil demand growth forecast by 380k barrels per day to 2.1 million barrels per day. Since the report was published the incentive to switch has increased even more, and the result being sharply higher refinery margins for diesel across the world, led by Europe which so far this month has seen the Brent – Gas Oil (diesel) crack spread jump 55%.  The trigger which eventually sent crude oil higher this week where comments from the Saudi Energy Minister flagging possible cuts to production amid an increased disconnect between falling futures markets and a physical market that has yet to show weakness. While his comment sent the ball rolling, yesterday’s API report gave it an extra spin, resulting in the rally back above $100 per barrel. A recovery at this point may force money managers to reassess their exposure in Brent and WTI with a potential short-squeeze brewing. During a three-week period to August 16 these speculative traders increased their gross short positions in Brent and WTI by 43k lots to 125k lots, while cutting gross longs by 61k lots to 403k lots, developments that has reduced the net long to 278k lots, the lowest since April 2020.          Later today the EIA publishes its weekly oil and fuel stock report and expectations for a bigger-than-expected draw in crude oil stocks has risen after the American Petroleum Institute reported a 5.6 million barrel drop together with small increases in gasoline and diesel stocks. Traders will also be watching implied gasoline demand which reached a high for the year in the previous week. Crude oil hungry refineries around the world, balking at buying Russian crude, helped drive US exports to a record 5 million barrels per day, and the market will be watching this pace as well as signs of a recovery in production which dipped 100k barrels per day during the previous reporting week.  The result of the EIA report will be published on my Twitter profile: @ole_s_hansen.    Source: Brent on watch for short squeeze above $100

Relevance up to 08:00 2022-08-27 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Gold: The chart shows the movement of gold in the four-hour (H4) chart. Comparing the recent price movement to that of July 13, July 28 and August 8's, it is clear that the correction is over and gold is ready to rise again. Quotes could increase to $1775 in the coming days, provided that the resistance area of $1756-1763 is broken. Source: Forex Analysis & Reviews: Technical analysis of gold  

Very high commodity prices caused by the war in Ukraine may have presented a major opportunity for the energy sector. Oil & gas companies were trying to meet the rapidly growing demand caused by the interruptions and halting of Russian gas and oil deliveries to Europe. How did energy companies perform? Shell Plc (SHELL) and BP Plc (BP) are Europe's largest petrochemical companies, extracting, processing and selling oil and natural gas. They control almost all stages of the extraction, processing and distribution process, which can be an advantage with high volatility in the fuel market. This way, companies are relatively well protected against the need for switching suppliers, partners' commissions and margin reduction. "With volatile energy markets and the continued need for action to combat climate change, 2022 continues to pose a huge challenge for consumers, governments and companies alike," - said CEO Ben van Beurden in a statement. However, despite "volatile energy markets," energy companies were able to make extraordinary gains. Shell reported a whopping $100.1 billion in Q2 revenue, up from $84.2 billion in Q1. To show magnitude, H1 2022 revenue is more than the revenue for the whole of 2021. BP, on the other hand, reported $67.9 billion in revenue against a forecast of $60.9 billion. The company's strong performance in oil refining and sales contributed to this spectacular beat in expectations, according to the company. Shell and BP's revenues rose 65.3% and 85.9% year-on-year, respectively. Other companies in the sector such as Chevron, Exxon and TotalEnergies also posted giant increases in revenues and profits. Earnings per share (EPS) were as high as $3.08 for Shell, almost 10% higher than the expected $2.80 EPS. BP surprised the market with $2.61 in earnings per share (EPS), significantly beating forecasts of $0.34 per share (a 658.5% surprise). Shell and BP increased their net profits by as much as 109.1 and 215.8% year on year. The extraordinary profits will be used for buybacks. Shell and BP announced that they spent $8.5 billion and $3.5 billion, respectively, on share buybacks in the first half of the year. Shell plans to spend another $6 billion and BP $3.5 billion for this purpose. BP additionally decided to raise its dividend by 10%. According to the Bloomberg news service, the buybacks are evidence that the war in Ukraine has brought significant profits to the sector. However, high fuel prices can pose the threat of a cost crisis and strangle the economy, as recent readings of energy prices and GDP changes in major economies have proven. The price of energy in Germany is now at record levels of more than 700 euros per MG of energy for next year, and according to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics, U.S. GDP in the second quarter once again recorded negative growth, this time at -0.9%. This could affect the future performance of the fuel giants.   Rafał Tworkowski, Junior Market Analyst, Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 82.59% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Source: Energy companies' earnings summary - record profits for the sector

Relevance up to 17:00 2022-08-25 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Gold price is challenging the Daily Kumo (cloud). Price is above the kijun-sen (yellow line indicator) which provides important support at $1,743. Trend remains bearish as price is still below the cloud. The tenkan-sen (red line indicator) is found at $1,764 above current market price. The Chikou span (black line indicator) is above the candlestick pattern. So far we have two positive signs and two negatives. Of course the important sign is that price is below the Kumo trying to get inside. A rejection here would be a bearish signa and could put the recent low of $1,727 in danger. Source: Forex Analysis & Reviews: Ichimoku cloud indicator analysis on Gold for August 24th, 2022.  

Summary:  US Treasury yields climbed higher ahead of Jackson Hole, where the bar for hawkishness from Fed Chair Powell has been set high. USD gained modestly but the Japanese yen has been largely stable. Energy crisis threats are getting louder, and a re-embrace of nuclear power by Japan may just be the first step to long-term solutions. Crude oil rally was reignited, and coffee futures also extended gains on supply issues. Nvidia disappointment may bring more tech disappointment, but focus shifts to retailers reporting today. What is happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I)  U.S. equities closed modestly higher, taking a pause after a 3-day decline, S&P 500 +0.29% to close at 4140, Nasdaq 100 +0.28%. Energy stock led as the WTI crude firmed up by 1.2%, following EIA data showing a fall in crude oil inventory, Apache (APA:xnys) +3.9%, Ceterra Energy (CTRA:xnys) +3.2%. Nordstrom (JWN:xnys) tumbled 20% and Macy (M:xnys) fell 4%, after the retailers lowered their earnings guidance the day before, citing slowdown in spending of shoppers. On the other hand, Peloton Interactive (PTON:xnas) jumped 20% on news that the sporting goods company plans to sell its products on Amazon (AMZN:xnas). Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY:xnas) snapped a 5-day collapsing streak to bounce 18% on news of closing a new loan deal.  U.S. treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) U.S. yields climbed throughout the session, with initial selling triggered by a massive 22bp jump in the yield of 2-year U.K. Gilts across the pond. Treasury yields continued to edge up after digesting that headline durable goods orders came in flat, below forecasts but looking less weak once stripping out the more volatile transportation and defense orders. The result of the 45-billion 5-year auction was weak. 2-year yields rose 9bps to close at 3.39% and 10-year yields climbed 5bps to 3.10%.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) The news of 19 additional stimulus measures from China’s State Council coming out after the Hong Kong market close fueled buying in Chinese ADRs in the New York session, the NASDAQ Golden Dragon China Index +2.5%.  During the Hong Kong session, however, the equity markets slid, Hang Seng –1.2%, CSI 300 -1.9%. Chinese internet stocks were weak. Kuaishou (01024:xhkg) fell 8.1% in spite of reporting better-than-expected earnings as some traders attributed the fall to overhang of the stake of Tencent in the company. Meituan (03690:xhkg), another company that counts Tencent (00700:xhkg) a major shareholder, fell 2.7%. Chinese auto names dropped, led by XPeng (09868:xhkg) that tumbled 12.2%, followed by over 5% declines in other EV names.  The State Council backed newspaper, Economic Times, ran a piece saying that the special loans to developers initiative much talked about earlier this week was not to fuel speculation in properties but to ensure delivery of stalled presold residential units, Longfor (00960:xhkg) -3%, Country Garden(02007:xhkg) -3.9%.  The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong will be closed this morning due to a typhoon and is scheduled to resume trading in the afternoon.  Higher yields bring modest gains in USD With US 10-year yields going above 3.1%, there was a modest bump higher in US dollar which is now close to its cycle highs, recovering from the post-PMI lows. EURUSD trades close to parity, looking for further direction as Jackson Hole is awaited and the energy crisis related weakness seems to be priced in for now. Higher US yields however didn’t push up USDJPY considerable, but commodity currencies continued to face further pressure. NZDUSD was the weakest on the G10 board, and pressure aggravated this morning with Q2 NZ retail sales disappointing at -2.3% QoQ vs. expectations of 1.7% gains. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Price action in crude oil intensified with Brent back above $101/barrel in Asian morning and WTI futures trading above $95. US crude oil stockpiles fell, with commercial inventories down 3.3m bbl last week, according to EIA data. This was driven by record exports of crude and refined oil, and comes despite a record 8m bbl SPR release and net imports rising by 0.9m b/d. Both technical and fundamental factors are turning supportive, and a potential short squeeze is brewing. Coffee futures extend gains Coffee, both Arabica and Robusta, rallying strongly for a third day as the supply outlook continues to deteriorate. The June high at $2.42 in Arabica the only level standing in the way for a push towards the Feb 11-year high at $2.605. Robusta stocks in Vietnam are expected to have dropped by 50% at end-September while arabica supplies have been hurt by weather conditions in Brazil, Colombia and Central America. What to consider? A weaker message from Powell could bring a risk rally While most of the Fed members lately have been consistent in their view on inflation and the need for more aggressive rate hikes, the bar for Powell has been set high. Market pricing for September rate hike has shifted towards 75bps with 60% odds, up from about 45% earlier in the week. Moreover, the market now prices in peak Fed funds rate at above 3.75%, which is pretty much in-line with the dot plot. Additionally, only about 37bps of easing is priced in for next year, and given the uncertain economic environment, Powell may chose to stay on the sidelines. Any hints on staying data-dependent or highlighting the risk of an economic slowdown may be viewed as dovish, and result in a risk rally. US durable goods data remains mixed July durable goods orders data disappointed on the headline but core orders came in above expectations, again suggesting resilience in the economy. Headline was unchanged m/m against expectations of 0.6% gain, with June’s print revised higher to 2.2% from 2.0% earlier. Excluding the volatile components such as transportation and defense, durable goods orders were up 0.3% and 1.2% respectively. Japan’s nuclear plans getting a leg up The threat of an energy crisis has prompted Japan to make headway on bring back nuclear power after more than a decade following the Fukushima disaster. Japan plans to restart seven more nuclear reactors from next summer onwards, and PM Kishida said that the government will also explore development and construction of new reactors as the country aims to avoid new strains on power grids that buckled under heavy demand this summer, and to curb the nation’s reliance on energy imports. Japan Tokyo CPI for August to show more price pressures Japan's Tokyo CPI for August is due on Friday morning, and it is likely to suggest further price pressures above the Bank of Japan's 2% target. Consensus expectations point toward another higher print of 2.7% y/y for the headline measure and 2.5% y/y on the core measure, signalling inflationary pressures will continue to question the Bank of Japan's resolve on the ultra-easy policy stance. Nvidia earnings may spell tech caution Nvidia (NVDA:xnas) reported Q2 revenue growing by 3% YoY and EPS $0.51, in line with expectations.  The company provided Q3 revenue guidance to be $5.9 billion, plus or minus 2%, missing the previous estimate of $6.92 billion. The share of the chip maker fell 4.5% in extended hours trading. China’s State Council rolled out 19 new stimulus measures to support the economy The crux of the new stimulus package consists of an incremental RMB300 billion financing from policy banks to provide equity-like capital for infrastructure projects and a new quota utilizing unused quota carried over from previous years to allow local governments to issue RMB500 billion special bonds by the end of October this year.  Emerging countries dominate in terms of nuclear capacity under construction According to the latest data released by the World Nuclear Association, the countries with highest nuclear capacity under construction are: China (23.3K MG), India (6.6K MG), Turkey (4.8K MG) and South Korea (4.2K MG). The United Kingdom is the first developed country in the list with 3.4K MG. France lags with only 1.6K MG, for instance. Nuclear energy is the subject of intense debate in several European countries. In our view, this is certainly one of the best options to support green transition and avoid a surge in the energy bill which will lead to lower purchasing power for longer.   For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: APAC Daily Digest: What is happening in markets and what to consider next – August 25, 2022  

Summary:  Asia has been vulnerable to rising energy prices, and will now face further headwinds in securing energy supplies as bidding wars with Europe heat up. Japan, China and South Korea are the biggest importers of LNG in the region, and Asia LNG prices have shot up to record highs, following the European gas prices higher. Power shortages in China and a re-embrace of nuclear in Japan are some of the early signals of what’s to come in the winter ahead. From energy prices to energy supply Despite lower dependence on Russian energy supplies, Asia won’t be spared from the winter energy crisis. Vulnerabilities stem from higher import dependence, which has been felt so far in higher fuel prices taking the headline inflation in the region to fresh highs. This has taken a heavy toll on the emerging and frontier markets, such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan which have been pushed to the brink of a collapse. The next and the more severe risk is seen from shortage of energy supplies to Asia which raises the risk of blackouts, manufacturing halts, involuntary demand destruction, calculated energy rationing, depleting forex reserves and market volatility. The shortage of gas supplies in Europe from Russia is switching demand to LNG and dictating global spot LNG prices. Asia is losing LNG cargoes to Europe in a bidding war, and inflows to Asia are expected to drop for the rest of the year. The countries most exposed in Asia from the global shortage of energy supplies are Japan, China and South Korea. The International Energy Agency (IEA), which has forecast that Asian economies will account for almost half of global gas consumption to 2025, expects LNG to play a pivotal role in meeting rising gas demand in Asia. LNG bidding wars: Asia vs. Europe Asian spot LNG prices for the summer of 2022 are at their highest level on record, about 7x the average price in 2017-2021. India and China have posted some of the largest declines in LNG imports as the spot LNG inflows have largely evaporated. China's LNG imports in the first six months of 2022 are down more than 20% year on year, while India's spot LNG imports are down around 14% year on year. Japan and South Korea are also seeing declining LNG imports. Global exports have risen by just over 10 million tonnes to 234.83 million in the first seven months, even as LNG producers try to maximise output and minimise outages. Strategic shifts remain likely Much of the energy pain has been priced in for Europe, a lot may well be in store for EM assets. Meanwhile, there are reports that natural gas inventory levels in Europe are reaching near 80% capacity targets. LNG terminals in Poland may be coming online, and more countries like Germany itself may add LNG capacity as well. So even as Europe may survive the energy crisis, the same is hard to say for the weaker emerging markets. Demand destruction is possibly the only way forward in Europe and Asia. Several provinces and cities in China have issued plans for "orderly" electricity consumption in 2022 to prepare for the risk of insufficient power supply in peak summer, and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has repeatedly called for maximizing domestic coal production and energy supply from all sources. In the medium-to-long term, the lack of fuel supply will pose a serious threat to EM fundamental factors as it may slow down urbanization and improvements in living standards. This suggests investments in LNG infrastructure will likely ramp up to counter that threat, especially in China which remains committed to LNG use. Meanwhile, Japan’s new strategic energy plan to 2030 envisions the share of LNG in the power mix to fall to 20% by 2030 from the current 37%. This means Asia will also diversify its energy sources and shift towards broader energy dependence on a variety of sources including the traditional coal and the renewable sources such as solar, hydro, wind, hydrogen etc. Japan’s re-embrace of nuclear is a first step towards more such measures to come in the region.   Source: Asia won’t be spared in the energy crisis

Oil poised to rise Despite global recession fears, oil prices are poised to be supported as energy investments have been depressed. â€‹ The tug-of-war between crude demand destruction and a plethora of drivers on why the oil market will remain tight should still suggest prices won’t fall much lower. Oil’s outlook still looks positive here as shale is not taking off, ESG constraints remain, and strong demand for refined product exports. ​ US stockpiles will likely continue to decline over the coming weeks over strong export demand. â€‹ Oil prices could surge over the next few weeks if OPEC+ is forced to cut output and if Iran nuclear deal talks falter again. â€‹ The Saudis don’t want to see oil prices disconnected from market fundamentals and that should suggest this oil market will remain very tight. â€‹ Crude prices dipped after the EIA crude oil inventory report showed a dip with exports and as gasoline demand reversed. â€‹ Optimism for an Iran nuclear deal revival is growing and that is also weighing on prices today. The longer-term outlook for oil is still much higher as the writing is on the wall for energy costs to be very high this winter especially as the risk for further disruptions remains elevated. â€‹ Energy traders saw prices get a boost after cracks were found with the key route for exporting crude from Kazakhstan to international markets. â€‹ It will take a month to replace the broken parts and they still have to find a contractor. Gold Gold firmed up after the dollar softened in what is a very low volume trading session. ​ Gold’s slide might not be over, but no one wants to aggressively be short right now. ​ Gold is forming its pre-Jackson Hole range and it looks like it could be in the $1740 to $1780 zone. Post Jackson Hole, traders should know enough as to whether the rise in yields continues and that will dictate what happens with gold. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Oil's outlook, gold steadies - MarketPulseMarketPulse

Nvidia earnings released after the market close were in line with the downside-adjusted market expectations, but the current quarter sales forecast fell $1 billion short of expectations. Nvidia stock dived 4.5% in the afterhours trading, and brought forward the pricing of the ‘end of the chip shortage’. But, it is still too early to call the end of the rare chips, as chips for industrial use, cars and machineries remain difficult to find. Here is, as promised, more on that subject: https://medium.com/swissquote-educati... Elsewhere, stocks were flat yesterday. Even though the US futures are up this morning, the direction remains unclear, and conviction low before the much-expected Jerome Powell speech at the Jackson Hole meeting in the coming hours. The dollar is off the early-week peak, gold and Bitcoin consolidate, while crude oil is preparing to test the 200-DMA to the upside. Hence, energy stocks extend gains along with nat gas and nuclear stocks! Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:27 Nvidia’s sales forecast falls $1 billion short of expectations! 1:40 Is the chip shortage over yet? 2:40 Market update 3:56 Crude up, oil, nat gas & nuclear stocks race to the top 6:46 USD softer, EUR firmer before ECB minutes 8:00 Gold & Bitcoin traders await Powell speech for direction Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Nvidia #chip #shortage #Fed #Jerome #Powell #JacksonHole #enegry #crisis #crude #oil #natural #gas #nuclear #stocks #USD #EUR #ECB #minutes #XAU #Gold #Bitcoin #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH   Source: Nvidia upsets, again. But chip shortage is not over yet! | MarketTalk: What’s up today? | Swissquote

  Technical analysis: Gold has been trading upside as I expected. The price is heeding towards first major upside objective. Trading recommendation: Due to the strong upside momentum and no signs for the reversal, I still see further rise on Gold. Watch for potential buying opportunities on the intraday dips with the upside objective at the price of $1.760 and $1.780. MACD oscillator is showing fresh bull momentum, which is sign that buyers are in control. Key support is set at the price of $1.750 Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/289966 Relevance up to 10:00 2022-08-26 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade.

Summary:  US Henry Hub Natural gas has following a 160% year-to-date surge become the biggest component in the Bloomberg Commodity Index, and it highlights just how extreme market moves and developments have been during the past year across the commodity sector. In this we look at what it means and what investors in commodity tracking funds should be aware of US Henry Hub Natural gas (ticker: NG) has following a 160% year-to-date surge become the biggest component in the Bloomberg Commodity Index (BCOM), the first time this has occurred in the index’ +30 year history, and it highlights just how extreme market moves and developments have been during the past year across the commodity sector. The BCOM index which together with the S&P GSCI and DBIQ Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Index belongs to the heavy weights within the global investment industry, tracks the performance of 23 major commodity futures targeting a one-third exposure in the main sectors of energy, metals and agriculture. The target weights are set once a year every January and if prices shift significantly during the year, a reweighting will not occur until the following January. The mentioned 160% year-to-date surge in US natural gas futures has more than doubled its weight to 17.2% from 8%, and in the process made it the biggest component in the BCOM index, more than double that of WTI and Brent combined. From a sector perspective, and given strong gains across the other energy components, especially fuel-based products, it has lifted the total energy exposure by 9.2% to 40.9%. All other sectors and sub-sectors share the reduction with the biggest seen in metals with industrial and precious down by a combined 7.5%. What it means?The BCOM index is likely to become more volatile with its performance increasingly dependent on developments within the energy sector, especially natural gas. Recently the price hit $10 per MMBtu before suffering a 10% setback due to a further delay of the restart of the Freeport LNG export plant which has been closed for months following an explosion. The expected restart will increase demand for US gas and with that slow the process of adding stockpiles before the winter extraction season starts in a couple of months’ time. The biggest threat to the energy sectors strong performance is the combination of a deep recession eroding demand and a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine sending EU gas prices sharply lower in anticipation of flows from Russia normalizing. What should investors in commodity tracking ETF’s do?The short answer is nothing as the reasons for investing in tangible assets such as commodities has not changed. The other commodity tracking funds mentioned earlier, and which also include the CRB Index will all be affected depending on their individual exposure to natural gas. Overall, the BCOM has from the outset the largest exposure and is therefore the index impacted the most. From an investor perspective these types of futures tracking commodity funds remains a cheap solution to gain exposure to commodities. With natural gas being notoriously volatile some increased price swings on the index can be expected, and if the strong gains are being maintained we should expect a very active rebalancing next January where gainers will be sold, and losers bought in order to reset the target weights. Source: Bloomberg, Saxo Group   Source: NatGas surge weighs heavily in commodity indices

Summary:  Central banks have been very late to the inflation game as the they have underestimated the effects from the stimulus during the pandemic. Supply chains and generally the supply side of the economy were expected to normalise much faster than what has been the case and our main thesis now is that if central banks focus too much on the core inflation a big mistake might be the outcome. Food and energy will be at the center of our crisis years with climate change and the green transformation being inflationary in the years to come. Investors should increasingly invest in the tangible world to offset these inflationary risks. The energy crisis will drive everything Around 30 central banks around the world have adopted inflation targeting using the headline inflation indices which in the US is the US Personal Consumption Expenditures Index and was officially announced in January 2012. The official targeting is the headline inflation indices, but many central banks and economist are often putting more weight on the core inflation indices. These indices remove energy and food from the price index. This practice is likely what made central banks react to slowly to current inflation impulse; remember, at Jackson Hole one year ago Jerome Powell said: “We have much ground to cover to reach maximum employment, and time will tell whether we have reached 2% inflation on a sustainable basis”. At that point US CPI and core CPI stood at 5.4% y/y and 4.3% y/y respectively. Core inflation indices remove the energy and food items because they are seen as volatile and mainly not driven by the trend change in overall prices, and the key assumption is also that they have temporary factors behind that will reverse later on (see quote below from Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco). This argument was the same for our disrupted supply chains although in reality it has taken much longer than expected. “However, although the prices of those goods may frequently increase or decrease at rapid rates, the price disturbances may not be related to a trend change in the economy’s overall price level. Instead, changes in food and energy prices often are more likely related to temporary factors that may reverse themselves later.” Food and energy will add to inflation going forward Our team has written a lot about the physical world and lately we introduced indices of tangibles- vs intangibles-driven industry groups. We have shown many times how the world underinvested in the global energy and mining industry, and why this will haunt the world for years. Food and energy are also intertwined and connected which we have seen today with Yara International reducing its ammonia production in Europe to just 35% of potential production due to elevated natural gas prices. Lower ammonia production will lead to less fertilizer for farmers and thus lower food production, which again can lead to higher food prices. It should be clear by now, that ignore food and energy could be a grave mistake by central banks. Climate change will make global food production more volatile and push up prices, and the green transformation will for years keep energy prices elevated. Our main thesis is that the coming decade will in many ways be a replay of the 1970s as politicians will intervene in the economy to mitigate the pain from higher prices, but these decisions will only keep the nominal economy growing fast and thus keeping inflation and the readjustments going for longer. The Fed’s core inflation measure is currently at 0.4% m/m measured over six months suggesting a core inflation rate annualized at around 5% which means that short-term interest rates must be set much higher to tame inflation. The headline inflation is currently twice as high as the core inflation. PCE core CPI m/m | Source: Bloomberg Nominal wages will underpin inflation for a lot longer In this ECB paper from August 2002, the authors conclude that central banks should give substantial weight to the growth in nominal wages when monitoring inflation. If we look at nominal wage growth in the US the chart below shows the three-staged acceleration we have observed in the US economy since 2009. The first phase during 2009-2015 saw only 2% annualized wage growth as the economy was suffering from low demand in the subsequent years after the Great Financial Crisis. The second phase was the period 2015 to early 2020 where years of loose monetary policy and slowly healing economies lifted US nominal wage growth to 2.9% annualized. The third phase is the period from early 2020 until today and is driven by the extraordinary monetary and fiscal stimulus that were put in place after the global Covid pandemic broke out. The combined stimulus was on par with the post-WWII years and were unleashed into a global economy that in hindsight was much closer to a hard physical supply limit than understood at the time. Subsequently demand has been running much stronger than trend growth and as a result nominal wages have accelerated to 5.2% annualized growth rate. Indeed, it seems we have a serious problem on our hands where inflation become unanchored from 2%. US hourly earnings index | Source: Bloomberg Invest in the tangible world In an inflationary environment the tangible world must increase dramatically, so investors should invest in the tangible world to offset the inflation risk in order to preserve wealth in real terms. In our note from yesterday about the Tangible world is fighting back we highlight the industry groups that are part of the tangible world, but our theme basket performance overview also show which tangible parts are doing well which this year has been commodities, defence, renewable energy, logistics, and energy storage. Saxo clients can find the companies in each of these theme baskets on our trading platforms. Source: Core inflation is unofficially dead

Overview: It seems that many market participants had the same thing in mind, cut dollar longs before the Jackson Hole gathering. The Antipodeans lead the majors move, encouraged perhaps by China’s new economic measures, with around a 1% gain. The euro and sterling are up about 0.35% and are the laggards. Emerging market currencies are higher as well, with the notable exception of India and Turkey, which are nursing small losses. Equities are having a good day. All the major bourses, but India, rose in the Asia Pacific area, led by the 3.6% surge in HK. South Korea’s 25 bp hike did not prevent the Kospi from rallying over 1% today. The Stoxx 600 is up by about 0.3%, and US futures are 0.5%-0.6% better. European 10-year benchmark yields are 4-7 bp lower and the periphery is doing better than the core. The 10-year US Treasury yield is off a couple basis points to 3.08%. Gold is rising for the third consecutive session. Near $1765, it has retraced half of its losses since the mid-month high above $1800. October WTI is little changed after rallying 5% in the past two sessions. US oil inventories have fallen by about 10 mln barrels in the past two weeks, the biggest two-week drawdown in a year. The market also appears to be getting more skeptical that Iranian oil is going to come back soon. US natgas is giving back half of yesterday’s 1.5% gain, while Europe’s benchmark is up 8.7% on top of yesterday’s 10.8% increase. It is up by more than a quarter this week. China’s infrastructure plans did nothing for iron ore, which snapped a three-day advance by pulling back 0.5%. On the other hand, September copper has fully recovered yesterday’s 1.4% fall. September wheat is off for the first time in four sessions.  Asia Pacific Japan's government wants to double down on nuclear power. Prime Minister Kishida wants a committee of government ministers and outside advisers to consider calling for building new nuclear plants in its report due later this year. Before the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, nuclear power provided almost 30% of Japan's electricity. In 2020, nuclear power accounted for less than 5% of Japan's electricity. Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the volatility of the global energy market, and the need to boost sustainable growth favors nuclear power, according to this line of thinking. Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry is a strong proponent of developing nuclear power. Still, it is not an immediate solution of any problem. New, large-scale plans would take a decade or more to construct. Smaller nuclear plans, using the newest technology might not be operational until early 2040s, according to some estimates. Japan currently has seven nuclear plants operating. The prime minister wants more existing plants to re-open. A poll earlier this year found that for the first time since that 2011 accident a slim majority (53%) in Japan favor re-opening nuclear plants. Responding to a string of data which suggests that the Chinese economy may struggle to grow by even 3% this year, the State Council announced 19 measures yesterday to support the economy. The measures included almost CNY1 trillion (~$146 bln) of new borrowing/spending for state policy banks and local governments for infrastructure projects, and some deferment of payments due to the government. These measures plus the small rate cuts that have been delivered in the past week or so are seen as modest palliatives to what is increasingly a stressed economy. The NASDAQ Golden Dragon China Index of PRC companies that trade in the US jumped 2.5% yesterday, anticipating today's surge in Hong Kong's Hang Seng (~3.6%) and CSI 300 (~0.8%) The Chinese yuan is off about 1.7% so far this month. This is almost as much as it depreciated in the May-July period. While Chinese officials seem to have accepted the decline, they seem to be wary of unintended consequences. The PBOC's dollar fix yesterday and today was weaker than expected and some saw this as a warning shot. Consistent with this was a Reuters report that China's foreign exchange regulator warned several banks against shorting the yuan. There are at least two reasons why Chinese officials want to move gradually. First is that price pressures may be mounting and second is to avoid a vicious cycle of weaker yuan spurring capital outflows, which weakens the yuan. Foreign holdings of Chinese bonds (sovereign and policy bank bonds) appear to have fallen by a little more than 1% last month to CNY3.6 trillion (~$525.5 bln). The dollar is inside yesterday's range against the Japanese yen (~JPY136.15-JPY137.25). It has drifted to the lower end of the range in Europe. Yesterday's range was within Tuesday's range (~JPY135.80-JPY137.70). The greenback appears nesting as the market awaits Fed Chair Powell's comments at Jackson Hole tomorrow. Note that the US two- and 10-year yields are around two-month highs ahead of it. This has helped lift the greenback to around JPY137.70. Follow-through yield gains may be needed for it to re-challenge high set last month near JPY139.40. The Australian dollar is up over 1% to a seven-day high a little below $0.7000, which corresponds roughly to the (50%) retracement objective of the slide since the month's high on August 11 around $0.7135. Like China's rate cut, so too with the new spending announcement, many trade the Aussie as if it were a proxy sometimes for China. The intraday momentum indicators are stretched. Initial support is seen around $0.6960. The PBOC set the dollar's reference rate at CNY6.8536. The market (Bloomberg survey median) expected CNY6.8656. The dollar has largely been confined to yesterday's range. While it eased a little more than 0.10% against the onshore yuan, it slipped more than twice as much against the offshore yuan. Lastly, as expected South Korea's central bank delivered the expected 25 bp hike (lifting the seven-day repo rate to 2.5%). Headline CPI is running north of 6% and additional hikes are likely. The won rose by 0.5%, its second consecutive gain, after falling for the previous six sessions. Europe While Japan is pushing nuclear, Germany is set to boost coal-fired power generation this year. Steag GmbH will add 2.3 gigawatts to its system within three months to replace about a quarter of the natural gas it uses to generate electricity. More broadly, the government is planing to re-open 6.9 gigawatts of coal and 1.9 gigawatts of lignite and push back planned for another 15 years. Uniper SE, is set to re-start an 875-megawatt coal plant in northern Germany next week. Yesterday, the German government announced it will give preference to transport fuels by rail to accelerate the access of power plants. Berlin also announced some conservation measures, including a ban on heating private swimming pools, and some areas in public buildings. The minimum office temperature will be reduced to 66 Fahrenheit (19 Celsius) and banning most outside lighting for monuments and buildings. Economic Minister Habeck says the measures announced will reduce natural gas use by 2% (saving 10.8 bln euros) over the next two years. German economic news was less poor than expected today. The initial estimate of no growth in Q2 was revised to show 0.1% growth. Consumption and government spending were stronger than expected, but capital investment was considerably weaker. The IFO investor survey seemed surprisingly resilient. The current assessment slipped to 88.5 from 88.7 and expectations were practically unchanged too (80.3 vs. 80.4). The overall business climate metric stands at 88.5 (from 88.7). Still to come is the record of last month's ECB meeting and the market will be looking for more color on the new Transmission Protection Instrument. The euro is firm. After holding below parity yesterday, it popped up in Asia to poke slightly above $1.0030. The week's high was set Monday closer to $1.0045. Yesterday's push lower, the new 20-year low set Tuesday near $0.9900 held and sparked what appeared to be a short-covering bounce into the European close. We suspect that some euro bears moved to the sideline ahead of Jackson Hole. There are options for 2.5 bln euros that expire today at $1.00. Some of the buying may be to neutralize the option. Initial support is seen around $0.9980. Sterling is trading firmer, and like the euro, it has held below the week's high (almost $1.1880). It may make another run for it, but the momentum indicators are getting stretched. Yesterday, the Office of National Statistics showed that for the first time, the UK did not import fuel from Russia in June. Prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine this year, Russia accounted for almost a quarter of UK's refined oil imports, 6% of crude imports, and almost 5% of its gas imports. America Despite the US five-year yield rising to its best level in nearly two months (~3.25%), the concession did little to induce participation in yesterday's $45 bln five-year note auction. It generated a full basis point tail, stopping at 3.23% and a poor bid-cover (2.3), Earlier yesterday, the re-opening of the two-year floating rate note with a $22 bln offering, also saw a weak bid-cover (2.57 vs. 3.13 last and a 3.2 average in the last 10 such auctions. We are tempted to write-off the lackluster participation to the summer and ahead of Chair Powell's speech on Friday. In addition to $110 bln in four-and eight-week bills to be sold today, the US Treasury also will sell $37 bln of seven-year notes. The yield has risen by almost 50 bp over the past month and still the concession may not be sufficient to draw strong demand. The next long maturity is not until September 12-13 and the re-opening of the 10-year note and 30-year bond. The US reports weekly jobs claims today, which appear to have stabilized recently around 250k. Yesterday's benchmark revisions added about 571k private sector jobs to the job growth reported in the year through March. This translates to an average of around 47.5k jobs a month. Also today, Q2 GDP revisions and the 0.9% contraction is expected to be shaved, with knock-on effects on productivity and unit labor costs later. The Kansas Fed's manufacturing survey is on tap too, but it is not a market mover. Lastly, the Atlanta Fed's GDPNow tracker sees Q3 growth at 1.4%, down from 1.6% previously.  Brazil's IPCA CPI measure for the first half of August fell to 9.6% year-over-year from almost 11.4% last month. The market had hoped for a slightly larger decline (Bloomberg median 9.49%). It was the first month-over-month decline since May 2020. It was the third consecutive drop in the year-over-year rate, which peaked at 12.2%. The full month's report is due September 9. It peaked at 12.13% in April and stood at 10.07% last month. The government has pushed through several anti-inflation measures, including caps on utility and fuel taxes and the effect was seen with a nearly 17% drop in gasoline prices and a 5.25% fall in transportation costs. The central bank meets on September 21. It hiked the Selic rate by 50 bp earlier this month to 13.75% and said it would review the need for a "residual adjustment" in September. The central bank may stand pat without declaring an end of the tightening cycle as price pressures remain elevated. In contrast, Mexico mid-August CPI accelerated more than expected with the headline rising to 8.62% from 8.14%. The core rate rose to 7.97% from 7.75%. Banxico hiked rates five times so far this year. The first three moves were half-point increments and the last two were 75 bp steps. It meets a week after the Fed next month. At the bare minimum it can be expected to match the US move but could go 75 bp even if the Fed does not. Today, Mexico is expected to shave its preliminary Q2 GDP rise of 2.0% and minutes from last month's meeting. After consolidating against the Canadian dollar yesterday, the US dollar has been sold today. It slipped marginally through CAD1.29 to meet the (50%) retracement objective of the rally that began off the August 11 low near CAD1.2730. The low was set in the European morning but was not confirmed by the intraday momentum indicators, a warning not to chase the greenback lower, at least immediately. Initial resistance is seen around CAD1.2950. The US dollar is easing against the Mexican peso for the fourth consecutive session, which followed a four-day gain last week. It is finding bids today around MXN1985, and a break could see a test on the MXN19.81-82 area that marked the low in late June and again near the middle of this month. The low for the year was set in late May around MXN19.4140.     Disclaimer   Source: Dollar Longs Pared as Jackson Hole Gathering is set to Start

Relevance up to 16:00 2022-08-26 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Gold price did not manage to enter the cloud yesterday but today's candlestick is inside it. It is almost certain that price will close inside the cloud turning trend to neutral according to the Ichimoku cloud indicator. Price is still above the kijun-sen (yellow line indicator) found at $1,743. The tenkan-sen (red line indicator) however is above the current price. We find the tenkan-sen at $1,764. The upper cloud boundary is at $1,780 while the lower cloud boundary is at $1,748. Is Gold preparing for a new upward move? A break above the cloud will increase chances of the bullish scenario. Is this a pause to the downward trend of Gold prices? A break below $1,740 will increase chances of the bearish scenario. The Ichimoku cloud indicator helps us define key support and resistance levels in order to identify the major trend faster.   Source: Forex Analysis & Reviews: Ichimoku cloud indicator analysis on Gold for August 25th, 2022.

Relevance up to 13:00 2022-08-27 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Amid a weakening dollar and growing risks of a recession in the US and the global economy, gold quotes have again turned to growth. XAU/USD is rising for the 3rd day in a row today and is trading near 1764.00 as of this writing, in close proximity to the strong resistance level at 1766.00 (200 EMA on the 4-hour chart). In case of its breakdown, the important resistance level of 1775.00 (50 EMA on the daily chart) becomes the target, the breakdown of which will increase the probability of further corrective growth towards the key resistance levels of 1800.00, 1819.00 (200 EMA on the daily chart). Their breakdown will confirm the return of XAU/USD to the long-term bull market zone. In an alternative scenario, there will be a rebound from the resistance level of 1766.00, and the XAU/USD pair will resume its decline. The first signal to open short positions will be a breakdown of the important short-term support level of 1757.00 (200 EMA on the 1-hour chart). A breakdown of the key support level of 1690.00 (200 EMA on the weekly chart) will cause XAU/USD to enter the long-term bear market zone. Support levels: 1757.00, 1748.00, 1700.00, 1690.00, 1682.00 Resistance levels: 1766.00, 1775.00, 1800.00, 1819.00, 1832.00, 1875.00 Trading Tips Sell Stop 1755.00. Stop-Loss 1770.00. Take-Profit 1748.00, 1700.00, 1690.00, 1682.00 Buy Stop 1770.00. Stop-Loss 1755.00. Take-Profit 1775.00, 1800.00, 1819.00, 1832.00, 1875.00 Source: Forex Analysis & Reviews: XAU/USD Technical Analysis and Trading Tips for August 25, 2022

Summary:  Markets are steady ahead of a widely anticipated speech at the US Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole, Wyoming conference from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, although he may do little more than remain on message on the Fed’s plans for tightening policy. The US dollar trades near cycle highs ahead of the speech, with US treasury yields having eased back a bit yesterday on a strong 7-year treasury auction. In Europe, power and natural gas prices continue their ascent from already dire levels, thereby supporting demand for fuel-based products.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures bounced back 1.4% to the 4,200 level in what seems to have been a technical move ahead of Jerome Powell’s keynote speech at Jackson Hole which is expected today. For equities the main question is how central banks are seeing structural in the years to come because that will be linked to the terminal rate the Fed sees as neutral for the economy and inflation. The US 10-year yield is trading around the 3.05% level this morning and we expect a quiet session in US equities unless Powell’s speech delivers a hawkish tone which could then erase yesterday’s gains. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) After staging an impressive bounce from the trough of a 2-month losing streak yesterday, Hong Kong equities opened higher before giving back much of its gains to end the morning session 0.7% higher. Yesterday’s 3.6% rally in the Hang Seng Index and 6% surge in Hang Seng TECH Index were fueled by initially chatters among traders about unverified progress on resolving the audit working papers access issue in the heart of the Chinese ADR delisting risk. During New York hours, the Wall Street Journal ran an article, suggesting that the U.S. and China are nearing a deal to allow American regulators to inspect in Hong Kong the audit working papers of Chinese companies listed in the U.S. The news sent Chinese ADRs soaring, the NASDAQ Golden Dragon China Index +6.3%. US dollar steady on the strong side ahead of Jackson Hole Yesterday saw some tactical chopiness in USD pairs, as the greenback sold off to support in places and criss-crossed parity in EURUSD terms before settling back to the strong side ahead of Fed Chair Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole conference today. Powell is widely expected to stay on message on the Fed’s hopes to get ahead of the curve, but surprises are possible if his language is a bit more pointed than expected or he brings stronger guidance on the importance of QT, etc. Next event risks for the USD in the wake of today’s Powell speech (and July PCE inflation print as noted below) are next Friday’s payrolls/earnings report, the Sep 13 Aug. CPI data release, and then the Sep 21 FOMC decision. AUDNZD The Antipodean currency pair closed yesterday at its highest level since 2017 in a bid to escape the range that has prevailed since then, with a bit more range toward 1.1300 that stretches all the way back to 2013. If the pair can make a notable foray above these levels, it might suggest that traders are viewing the pair from a current account perspective, as Australia has been running record surpluses on its formidable complex of commodity exports, while New ZEaland is running unprecedented deficits on rising costs for energy imports. In the longer term perspective, AUDNZD has traded above 1.3500 as recently as 2011. Crude oil (CLV2 & LCOV2) Crude oil trades steady with Brent trading around $100 per barrel with a tightening supply outlook offsetting the recessionary drums that have been banging ever louder in recent weeks. Focus on today’s Jackson Hole speech from Fed Chair Powell and its potential impact on bond and currency markets, and with that the general level of risk appetite in the market. EU gas and power reached new peaks on Thursday on worries about Russian gas supplies following the upcoming 3-day maintenance supporting demand for crude-based products like diesel and heating oil. The prospect of a revived Iran nuclear deal still receiving some attention although a deal may only have a small immediate impact, small change compared with the soon to expire US SPR release program which saw 8 million barrels pumped into the market last week. In Brent, the next level of upside interest can be found at $102.50. Copper (COPPERUSDEC22) Copper has settled into a $3.55 to $3.73 range after making a steady recovery from the June/July +30% collapse. The primary focus remains on China and the government’s efforts to shore up its troubled property sector and its slowing economy in general. This past week we have seen rate cuts and the announcement of a 1 trillion-yuan economic stimulus program, including a 300-billion-yuan investment in infrastructure projects, which will boost the consumption of industrial metals, including copper. Above the current range copper may target $3.85/lb next but it will likely require a rally above $4/lb before speculators reverse the net short they have held since April. US Treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields fel back a few basis points, but the 10-year benchmark still trades above 3.00% today ahead of Fed Chair Powell’s speech. (More below – special focus on longer end of the yield curve on any QT guidance in the speech). A strong auction of 7-year treasuries yesterday helped bring support to the market after the weak 5-year auction the prior day. What is going on? ECB meeting minutes suggest another 50-basis points hike The meeting minutes point to another 50-basis point hike at the September 8 ECB meeting, a move that is actually more than fully priced in by the market. At the same time, the ECB minutes noted that it saw “no evidence of significant second round effects” in which wages drive an inflationary spiral. The central bank’s “TPI” or Transmission Protection Instrument meant to prevent peripheral sovereign yield spreads from widening excessively was widely discussed and is clearly a hot potato politically. An FT article noted that hedge funds have built up a nearly EUR 40 billion speculative short in Italian BTPs Additional hawkish Fed comments before we get to Powell Several Fed speakers were on the wires echoing the same message on inflation and more rate hikes. The markets are still holding their breath for what Powell has to say later today. James Bullard (2022 voter) reiterated his year-end target of 3.75% to 4% and market expectation is not too far from that now. Esther George (2022 voter) was more open about rates going above 4% but stayed away from a specific guidance for the September meeting. Patrick Harker (2023 voter) said rates need to be lifted into restrictive territory. Raphael Bostic (2024 voter) told the WSJ it's too soon to call inflation’s peak and that he hasn't decided yet on a 50 or 75bps rate hike next month. German business sentiment is not that bad in August The headline IFO Survey reading was out at 88.5 versus 86.8 expected and 88.6 prior. This is only a bit softer than the previous month. The same goes as well for the current conditions (out at 97.5 in August versus prior 97.7) and expectations (80.3, unchanged compared to July). Overall, business sentiment remains soft. But given the quick economic deterioration, it could have been much worse. We still expect sentiment to further fall in the coming months as the German economy sinks into a recession. The energy crisis is hitting consumers and companies very hard – thus leading to lower demand and corporate investment. Yesterday, Germany’s benchmark year-end power kept rising (+13% in one day) to a new record of EU725/MWH. So far, the German government has spent roughly €60bn to limit the impact of higher energy prices on households and corporations. This represents about 1.7% of GDP according to the calculations of the Belgium-based think tank Bruegel. In percentage of GDP, this is still much less than many other European countries (3.7 % of GDP for Greece, 2.8 % for Italy and 2.3 % for Spain, for instance). In any case, this is unsustainable, of course. The US and China are getting closer to resolve Chinese ADR audit papers inspection issue According to a Wall Street Journal article, Chinese securities regulators “are making arrangements for US-listed Chinese companies and their accounting firms to transfer their audit working papers and other data from mainland China to Hong Kong” and “would allow American accounting regulators to travel to Hong Kong to inspect the audit records”. It is important to note that an agreement has yet to be reached and the regulators on both sides remain silent about it so far. One of the hurdles to the proposed arrangement of transfer of audit working papers from the mainland to Hong Kong will be whether it can satisfy the US regulators, particularly the SEC Chair Gensler who has emphasized “full access”. If this turns out to happen, it will not only benefit the Chinese companies that are listed in the US but also sets the US and China in a more conciliatory mood at least in some financial matters, and shows case the uniqueness of the position of Hong Kong U.S. discount retailers reported mixed Q2 results, highlighting pricing pressures ahead Dollar General (DG:xnys) reported revenue growth of 9% y/y to $9.4bn, in line with the consensus estimate, and EPS of $2.98, +10.6% y/y, above the consensus estimate of $2.94.  Same-store sales in Q2 grew 4.6% y/y, above the consensus at +3.8%. In the company’s guidance for 2022, revenue growth was raised to +11% from previously +10.0-10.5% and the same-store-sales growth was raised to +4.0-4.5% from +3.0-3.5%. Q2 results from another discount retailer, Dollar Tree (DLTR:xnys) were however weaker, with revenue growth of 6.7% y/y to $6.77bn, slightly below the consensus estimate of $6.79bn.  EPS came in at $1.60, in line with expectations. Same-store-sale for the quarter was +4.9%, below the consensus estimate at +5.0%.  The company lowered its 2022 full-year EPS guidance to $7.10-$7.40 and said that 60% of the cut was due to cutting prices. The management said that they “expect the combination of this pricing investment at Family Dollar and the shoppers’ heightened focus on needs-based consumable products will pressure gross margins in the back half of the year”. The comments from Dollar Tree cast a shadow over the health of consumers in the US in general.  Meituan is scheduled to report Meituan (03690:xhkg) is scheduled to report Q2 results on Friday after the market close. Analysts are upbeat about the food and grocery delivery platform’s potential benefitting from the recovery of consumer demand amid the reopening and cost control initiatives.  The consensus estimate (as per the Bloomberg survey) for Q2 revenue is to grow 11% YoY to RMB48.59 billion and an adjusted net loss of RMB2.17 billion What are we watching next? The Kansas City Fed hosts its annual symposium in Jackson Hole This year’s theme is “Reassessing Constraints on the Economy and Policy”. The symposium will last until Saturady. Fed Chair Jerome Powell will speak today. Given the loosening of financial conditions since the June FOMC meeting, the market has been concerned that Powell will echo the pushback against the notion that the Fed knows that it is set to materially slow its pace of policy tightening after the September 21 FOMC rate decision (majority looking for another 75 basis points). Data dependency will likely be underlined in his speech, but any guidance on the Fed’s approach to QT could also garner considerable attention as longer treasury yields pull back higher toward the cycle highs from June. Softer July US PCE print would not derail Fed’s tightening After a softer CPI report in July, focus will turn to the PCE measure – the version of the CPI that is tracked by the Fed to gauge price pressures. Lower gasoline prices mean that PCE prints could also see some relief, although we still upside pressures to inflation given that energy shortages will likely persist and easing financial conditions mean that inflation could return. We would suggest not to read too much into a softer PCE print this week, as the stickier shelter and services prices mean that the 2% inflation target of the Fed remains unachievable into then next year. This suggests that the aggressive tightening by the Fed will likely continue, despite any likely softness in the PCE this week. Earnings to watch Today’s earnings focus is Meituan which is expected to see 11% y/y revenue growth with estimates expecting to see growth accelerating into Q3, so this will be the market’s focus in today’s earnings release. The latest stimulus efforts by the Chinese government and lifting of mobility restrictions could provide tailwind for the consumer into Q3. Today: Meituan, China Shenhua Energy, China Petroleum & Chemical Next week’s earnings releases: Monday: Fortescue Metals, Haier Smart Home, Foshan Haitian Flavouring, Agricultural Bank of China, BYD, Pinduoduo, Trip.com, DiDi Global Tuesday: Woodside Energy, ICBC, China Yangtze Power, Midea Group, Tianqi Lithium, Bank of Montreal, China Construction Bank, Bank of China, Great Wall Motor, COSCO Shipping, Partners Group, Baidu, Crowdstrike, HP Wednesday: MongoDB Thursday: Pernod Ricard, Broadcom, Lululemon Athletica, Hormel Foods Friday: BNP Paribas Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – Italy Aug. Consumer/Manufacturing Confidence surveys 1230 – US Jul. Personal Income/Spending 1230 – US Jul. PCE Inflation 1400 – US Fed Chair Powell to speak at Jackson Hole, Wyoming 1400 – US Aug. Final University of Michigan Confidence Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – August 26, 2022

Summary:  Today we offer our latest musings on Fed Chair Powell's speech at the Jackson Hole Fed conference today and whether Powell is ready to wax as hawkish as some of his colleagues on the Fed, with the bar somewhat high to impress still very easy financial conditions, perhaps. We also look at the latest on natural gas volatility risk, also due to vastly higher weighting in commodities funds, the contribution and importance of earnings as an inflation drive, FX themes and more. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are found via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: Market not fearing Powell's Jackson Hole musings

Relevance up to 09:00 2022-08-27 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. The chart shows the movement of platinum in the four-hour (H4) chart. The correction in #PLF was more significant than expected. Quotes are currently at $874.5, and there are two scenarios that could possibly happen in the coming days: First is a price increase to $930. Second is a decline to $815.0 - $810.0 per troy ounce. Good luck! Source: Forex Analysis & Reviews: Technical analysis of Platinum

Relevance up to 11:00 2022-08-27 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. According to one market strategist, gold prices will still rise even if Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is hawkish in his highly anticipated speech on Friday at the annual central bank symposium in Jackson Hole. Invesco Chief Global Market Strategist Kristina Hooper said there is no reason why investors should not expect Powell to signal that the central bank will maintain its aggressive monetary stance. However, Hooper reiterated that it was just talk. The hawkish stance in August does not prevent the central bank from changing interest rates at the next meeting on the decision on monetary policy on September 21. There is considerable uncertainty about the next move by the US central bank. Markets assume a 50/50 chance that the Federal Reserve will raise the federal funds rate by either 50 or 75 basis points. According to Hooper, the central bank will raise interest rates by 50 basis points, which will mean a turn in its monetary policy. The CME FedWatch tool showed that year-end interest rate forecasts will range from 3.75% to 4.00%. However, Hooper believes that by the end of the year, interest rates will rise to just 3% or even lower. One of the important long-term problems is the growing public debt and deficit. On Wednesday, President Joe Biden announced a program to write off student loans. The government will forgive up to $10,000 in federal student loans for borrowers with incomes of less than $125,000. At the same time, the government will waive up to $20,000 for Pell Grants recipients. The National Taxpayers Union estimates that the loan write-off program could cost the government more than $329 billion over ten years. With the central bank expected to start a slow reversal in September, analysts say the current price of gold could be an attractive entry point for investors. Even though interest rates will continue to rise, at least for now, investors still have other reasons to hold some precious metals. And while gold price performance has been disappointing for most of the year, investors should ignore short-term price action and focus on long-term potential. The most compelling reason to hold gold is diversification. Source: Forex Analysis & Reviews: What will gold prices be like under hawkish Powell?  

Summary:  The commodity sector continues to recover with the Bloomberg Commodity Index clawing back more than half of what it lost during the June to July 20% correction. It supports our long-held view that commodities can weather headwinds from an economic slowdown with supply of key commodities being equally challenged. Gains this past week were seen across most sectors, led by agriculture and energy, the latter seeing rising demand diesel as the cost of gas continued its near vertical ascent. PLEASE NOTE: This update was written before Friday’s Jackson Hole speech from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell The commodity sector continues to recover as the Bloomberg Commodity Index claws back more than half of what it lost during the June to July 20% correction. Gains were seen across most sectors, led by agriculture as weather woes lifted the cost of coffee and the three major crops – especially corn. Industrial metals received a boost from China’s continued efforts to support its weakening economy by announcing more stimulus policies that would pump billions into infrastructure projects. The energy sector was supported by surging gas prices driving up demand for diesel and Saudi Arabia flagging the risk that OPEC+ may cut production to stabilise volatile markets.In financial markets, the dollar reached a fresh 20-year high against the euro as Europe’s energy crisis continued to pressure the economic outlook for the region. US stocks tumbled and bond yields rose ahead of Friday’s eagerly awaited speech by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. In which, he was expected to reiterate his determination to bring down inflation by continuing to hike interest rates. Inflation-fighting measures, such as hiking interest rates and removing stimulus into a post-pandemic economic slowdown, was the main driver behind the recent correction in commodities. Overall, however, we maintain the view that commodities can weather headwinds from an economic slowdown with supply of key commodities being equally challenged. In the long term, support for commodities will be driven by underinvestment, urbanisation, the green transformation and deglobalisation. In the short term, prices are likely to be supported by the unfolding energy crisis in Europe, Russia-sanctions related supply disruptions, adverse weather raising fresh concerns about food supplies, and China’s efforts to support its economy.    Crude oil sellers having second thoughts While the macro-economic outlook remains challenging due to the lower growth outlook and recent dollar strength, crude oil and the product markets have nevertheless managed a strong rebound this past week. The energy crisis in Europe continues to strengthen, with gas and power prices surging to levels that measured in dollars per barrel of crude oil equivalent equates to $530 and $1,400 per barrel, respectively. The latest surge was driven by recent low-water level disruptions on the river Rhine and Gazprom announcing a three-day closure of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline due to maintenance, starting on August 31.Should Gazprom (President Putin) decide to weaponize supplies further and keep the pipeline shut after maintenance ends, the risk of further spikes remains – thereby extending the already wide price gap between gas and crude oil. A development that will further support an already very visible increase in demand for fuel-based product, especially diesel and later on this autumn also heating oil, at the expense of gas. This gas-to-fuel switch has supported the recent recovery with the US last week shipping a record amount of diesel to energy-starved customers looking for alternatives to Russian supplies.However, the trigger which eventually sent crude oil higher this week were comments from the Saudi Energy Minister and other OPEC members. These comments flagged possible cuts to production following a recent and growing disconnect between falling futures markets and a physical market that has yet to show weakness. A discrepancy we have noticed as well in recent weeks with crude oil futures being sold as a hedge against an economic slowdown with little focus on the physical market and its current price supportive supply and demand fundamentals.Having found support after retracing 61.8% of the December to March 111% surge, the Brent crude oil futures contract has now returned to $100 per barrel with trendline resistance, currently $102.25 preventing a further upside push. A continued recovery at this point may force money managers to reassess their exposure in Brent and WTI with a potential short-squeeze brewing. During a three-week period to August 16, speculative traders reduced their net long to 278k lots, the lowest since April 2020. Source: Saxo Group Rising grain prices and strong dollar re-ignite food supply worries. U.S. corn reached a two-month high and, together with more muted gains across the other major US traded crop futures, the Bloomberg Commodity Grain Index has now risen by 12% following the May to July correction which at least temporarily helped reduced worries about a global food crisis. However, with bad weather continuing to impact production and with Ukraine exports still well below previous years, the mentioned worries have started to re-emerge – not least considering the recent run up in the dollar which has only made matters worse for buyers of grains in local currencies.The latest run up in US corn has been supported by concerns that hot and dry weather in the Midwest during the final crop development period may limit the production outcome. The US is the biggest producer and exporter of corn – which is used in everything from animal feed to biofuels and sweeteners – and a poor US harvest will likely rekindle recent worries about food security that was driven by war, drought and the overall impact of climate change. In addition to the above and the mentioned slow pace of shipments from Ukraine, we are currently seeing drought in China threatening the local harvest which could lead to higher imports. Dryness within the European Union this summer has continued to drive production forecast lower.   Coffee prices surge on Brazil and Vietnam supply worries Both Arabica and Robusta coffee futures returned to strength, both rallying strongly on signs of a deteriorating supply outlook. Stockpiles in Vietnam – the world’s top supplier of the Robusta variety – are expected to halve by the end of September from a year earlier while stocks of the Arabica bean monitored by the ICE exchange has slumped to a 23-year low. Freak weather in South America during the past year has decimated the production outlook for Brazil, Colombia and Central America, while recent dryness and a continued surge in the cost of fertilizer have already started to raise concerns about next year’s crop. The Arabica futures contract paused after reaching the June high at $2.42 per pound, but the risk remains that it may push towards the 11-year high at $2.605 reached in February Industrial metals find support in China Industrial metals, led by steel, aluminum and zinc responded positively to news that the Chinese government has stepped up its efforts to support an economy damaged by repeated Covid lockdowns and a property market slump. China’s State Council announced a 1 trillion yuan ($146 billion) stimulus package with 300 billion going towards infrastructure projects, thereby doubling the amount the government has pledged towards project that will boost demand for industrial metals.Following a period of range trading between $3.55 to $3.73, High Grade Copper broke higher on Friday and may now target $3.85/lb next, but it will likely require a rally above $4/lb before speculators, having traded the metal with a short bias since April, start to reverse back to a net long. The primary focus remains on China and whether the mentioned stimulus measures will be strong enough to shore up enough support for the upside push to continue. Source: Saxo Group Gold trades steady despite fresh dollar and yield strength Gold managed a small bounce but overall, it continued its recent struggle amid headwinds from a stronger dollar and rising bond yields. Not least ahead of Friday’s Jackson Hole speech from Fed chair Powell with gold traders worried that a hawkish statement would provide additional strength to the dollar and yields, thereby further delaying gold's return to strength by potentially sending it below support at $1729. In a year where inflation has been surging higher, some investors may feel hard done by gold’s negative year-to-date performance in dollars but taking into account it had to deal with the biggest jump in real yields in more than 25 years and the dollar rising 10% against a broad basket of major currencies, its performance, especially for non-dollar investors remains acceptable. We maintain the view that the market is overly optimistic with the assumption that central banks can successfully bring inflation down to the levels currently being projected. Such a scenario would create a challenging outlook for interest rate and growth sensitive stocks, thereby raising the need for tangible assets such as gold and commodities in general to weather a period of low growth and high inflation. Natural gas, now the biggest component in the Bloomberg Commodity index The BCOM index together with the S&P GSCI and DBIQ Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Index belongs to the heavy weights within the global investment industry for commodities. It tracks the performance of 23 major commodity futures targeting a one-third exposure in the main sectors of energy, metals and agriculture. The target weights are set once a year every January and if prices shift significantly during the year, a reweighting will not occur until the following January. However, an astonishing 160% year-to-date surge in US natural gas futures has more than doubled its weight to 17.2% from 8%, and made it the biggest component in the BCOM index for the first time ever – more than double that of WTI and Brent combined. From a sector perspective, it has helped lift the total energy exposure by 9.2% to 40.9%. All other sectors and sub-sectors have seen reductions with the biggest impacting industrial and precious metals by a combined reduction of 7.5%. These moves away from target weights will not be adjusted until next January. At which point, we may see some major activity as the rebalancing process would see selling of gainers, especially natural gas while the biggest losers will be bought.   Source: WCU: Weather woes and energy crisis lift commodities

Relevance up to 14:00 2022-08-27 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Technical analysis: Gold has been trading downside as I expected. There is the breakout of the rising channel in the background and potential for further drop. Trading recommendation: Due to the breakout of the rising channel in the background and the downside trend, I see further drop. Watch for potential selling opportunities on the intraday rallies with the downside objective at the price of $1.730. Stochastic is showing oversold condition but no evidence for the reversal, which is good sign for further downside movement. Key short-term resistance is set at the price of $1.764   Source: Forex Analysis & Reviews: Analysis of Gold for August 26,.2022 - Breakout of the rising channel and strong downside momentum

Britain's energy industry regulator has raised the cap on annual electricity bills to keep up with the constantly rising cost of procuring electricity. The yearly bill will be capped at £3549 from October 1. That's a whopping 178% increase since last winter and an 80% increase from the current level.  An increase in the UK's price cap may occur in future quarters if demand is not met with a sufficiently large supply of fuels, especially gas.    According to estimates by consulting firm Auxilione, the price cap on electricity in the UK could rise to a staggering £7272 by April 2023. At the same time, Cornwall Insight estimates that a year from now, in August, the level could reach £6616.    Natural gas is a popular source of energy in Western Europe. Despite its small share in energy mixes, it is an essential source of heat in winter for most EU countries and helps quickly supply the electric grid when power generation from other sources drops. These two reasons are most likely behind such significant increases in electricity prices following the cut in Russian gas supply.  More quarters of record profits for energy companies?   BP and Shell are the most prominent Western European petrochemical companies in the natural gas market in terms of revenue. They rank No. 2 and No. 3 globally, respectively, and are among the most important suppliers of blue fuel to Europe, especially after the reduction of its supply from the East.   In the last quarter, BP and Shell announced record results, reporting $67.9 billion (85.9% year-on-year growth) and $100.1 billion (65.3% year-on-year growth) in revenue, respectively. However, it wasn't the strong sales growth that came as the biggest surprise to investors but the net profits, which amounted to $9.3 billion and $11.5 billion, respectively, due to significantly expanded margins.   The current market situation may indicate that the excellent performance will continue in the coming months due to the record price of natural gas and the stabilization of oil prices after the recent decline. Even if the consulting firms' estimates were halfway correct, this could mean a record price for fuel supplies for power generation and household heating.   BP and Shell, which serve much of the European market, may continue to face high demand. Despite the expected drop in production in the EU market and thus industrial demand, European countries still need to stockpile plenty of gas to fill their reserves for the upcoming winter.   European energy index prices have had their strongest week of increases in 2 months. In Germany alone, electricity prices have risen by 860% over the year. Even in France (which bases 74% of its power generation on nuclear power plants), energy prices have reached an annual increase of more than 950% after it was announced that some nuclear reactors would be temporarily halted for maintenance work. Rafał Tworkowski, Junior Market Analyst, Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service)   Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.   CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 82.59% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.   Source: Europe's energy crisis is getting worse every day - more record profits for the energy sector?

Summary:  The 8-minute speech from Powell focused on one message: no pivot to easing in 2023. The hawkish remarks sent U.S. equities sinking the most since June and down more than 3% across major indices. Policymakers in the ECB also sent out hawkish comments and brought a 75 basis point hike to the table at the September ECB meeting. The U.S. and China regulators announced a deal on audit work papers and removed for the time being the risk of compulsory delisting of Chinese companies from U.S. bourses. What is happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I)  U.S. equities sank last Friday after Powell spent all his Jackson Hole speech on one thing: pushing back on the market’s speculation that the Fed would pivot and start easing next year.  The tech-heavy Nasdaq dropped 4.1%, leading the charge lower, Alphabet (GOOG:xnas) -6.4%, Amazon (AMXN:xnas) -4.8%, Nvidia (NVDA:xnas) -9.2%. Apple (AAPL:xnas) fell 2.8% after the U.S. Department of Justice announced working on a potential antitrust case against the company. S&P 500 had its worst day since June and plunged 3.4%, Dell Technologies (DELL:xnys) -13.5%, HP (HPQ:xnys) -8.9%. The post-Powell speech selloff capped off a two-week losing streak of the markets and turned major indices’ performance in August into the red.  Earlier in the week, the market sentiment was dampened by downbeat comments from the management of retailers on a glut of inventory and plans to cut prices.  U.S. treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) After Fed Chair Powell’s hawkish comments about the need to keep raising rates until inflation is under control regardless of pains incurred to the economy and employment, the U.S. yield curve twisted and flattened, with the 2-year to 5-year yield rising by 3bps to 3.37%, 10-year nearly unchanged at 3.04%, and the 30-year yield falling by 5bps to 3.19%.  The money market continued to unwind the 2023 rate cut bet and the SOFR Dec 22-Dec 23 (SR3Z2 vs SR3Z3) spread narrowed to -24bps.  Weakness on the front ends began even before Powell’s comments as the market took notice of the ECB’s readiness to consider a 75bp rate hike in its meeting in September due to a deterioration in the inflation outlook.    Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index, +1% last Friday and +2% for the week staged an impressive bounce from the trough of a 2-month losing streak on Thursday and continued to charge higher on the back of reports that the U.S. and China regulators were reaching a deal to avoid the delisting of Chinese companies from U.S. bourses due to disagreement on access to audit work papers.  Later on Friday after the Hong Kong market close, the U.S. and China regulators separately announced that an agreement had been signed and released some details.  Chinese ADRs opened higher in the U.S. session but finished the day 0.7% lower as being dragged down by the sharp decline in the U.S. equity market.  CSI 300 was little changed last Friday and was down 1% for the week.  With U.S. index futures continuing to decline this morning in Asia, the markets’ focus today is likely to be shadowed by the development in the U.S. markets rather than much follow-through from the confirmation of the U.S.-China deal on audit working papers.  Dollar’s post-Jackson Hole gains extend into Asia The dollar continued its run higher in the early Asian hours on Monday after a hawkish tone from Fed Chair Powell on Friday resulted in some volatility but eventual dollar bid. AUDUSD was the weakest in the Asian morning, sliding below 0.6900 amid volatile commodity prices. USDJPY broke above 138 to 1-month highs and USDCNH surged to 6.9000+ levels. EURUSD ended last week below parity and slid further lower to 0.9936 this morning with a tough week ahead as Nord Stream 1 maintenance will likely cause a step up in energy supply concerns. With corporate month end on Monday, and a UK holiday, the scope for further dollar gains remains. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil prices ended last wee in gains on supply concerns taking centre stage again, primarily with Saudi Arabia flagging the risk that OPEC+ may cut production to stabilise volatile markets. Demand picture stabilized, and higher gas prices increased the gas-to-fuel switching demand. But oil prices eased in the Asian morning session with Brent futures back at $100/barrel and WTI futures below $93. A warmer winter in the early weeks is putting a lid on demand, and hawkish central bank messages have also hinted at slowdown concerns. Meanwhile, OPEC+ member states, including Iraq, Venezuela and Kazakhstan, suggested readiness within the 23-strong oil producing alliance to intervene and restore balance in the oil market. This is building up concerns on a potential OPEC cut at its Sept 5 meeting. Corn futures surging at Asia open US corn futures rose to a fresh 2-month high in early Asian hours, following last week’s gains supported by concerns that hot and dry weather in the Midwest during the final crop development period may limit the production outcome. USDA’s crop progress report found a 2% decline in the share of the crop rated good or excellent, with 55 percent of fields falling in those two categories. The rating was a new five-year low for this time of year and the second lowest rating since the drought year of 2012. This comes on top of slow shipments from Ukraine and drought in China. The world's fourth largest iron ore miner, Fortescue releases 2nd highest profit on record Fortuecue Metals (FMG) posted a 40% drop in full-year profits. Despite posting record shipments to China, the steep declines in iron ore prices saw the company record a A$6.2 billion profit, down from the A$10.35 billion last year. The result still marked Fortescue’s second-highest profit on record, with the company to pay a final dividend of A$1.21 per share, taking the total payout to A$2.07 (which is a 75% payout on NPAT). So what’s next for Fortescue, the world’s 4th largest iron ore miner? Fortescue sees iron ore shipments being 187m-192m tones in the year ahead (that's another record). Fortescue also overhauled its management and wants to accelerate its push into clean energy. Its clean energy business, Fortescue Future Industries aims to produce an initial 15 million tons a year of green hydrogen by 2030, to help sectors including heavy industry and long-distance transport, decarbonize. $600-$700 million will be spent on clean energy in the coming financial year. As we covered last week in our BHP interview, iron ore demand is likely to slow over the coming 30 years (that’s where Fortescue’s income comes from). Meanwhile, the world requires double the amount of green metals. So the question remains; can Fortescue diversify its business in time? Fortescue’s shares are up 21% from their July low, with investors hoping China infrastructure stimulus will support iron ore demand and boost the company’s earnings.   What to consider? Powell’s message at Jackson Hole gets serious While Powell still stayed away from clearly defining a rate path or the expected terminal rates for the Fed, his strong message did suggest that the fight against inflation is far from over. Powell reiterated that the decision on September 21st on whether the Fed will lift rates by 50bps or 75bps will be driven by the “totality” of data since the July meeting. That puts a great deal of emphasis on the US jobs report due on September 2nd, and the US CPI report due September 13th. There was also some emphasis on rates being held at the peak rate for some time, but there isn’t a substantial change to the market’s expectation of the Fed path yet, with cuts still seen for next year by the money markets. Other Fed speakers still see higher terminal rates Inflation remains the overarching theme in all the Fed talk, and no comfort is being taken from the softening in July inflation. Mester (2022 voter) accepted Fed hasn’t reached neutral rates yet, and said that rates need to go above 4% and held there for some time. Bostic (2024 voter) also suggested a higher terminal rate of 3.5-4.75% compared to what was reflected in the June dot plot, and said rates need to be held there for some time and rate cut talks are premature. The deal between U.S. and China on ADRs Market chatters about a deal between the U.S. and China regulators regarding the allowance to the U.S. regulators access to audit work papers of the auditors of Chinese companies listed on U.S. bourses first emerged last Thursday and the deal was announced by the U.S. and China regulators on Friday.  According to the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), the agreement gives the U.S. regulator, “complete access to the audit work papers, audit personnel, and other information [the PCAOB] need[s] to inspect and investigate any firm ‘the [PCAOB] choose[s], with no loopholes and no exceptions. But the real test will be whether the words agreed to on paper translate into complete access in practice”. On the other hand, in its announcement and Q&As with reporters, China Securities Regulatory Commission emphasized “the principle of reciprocity” and that “the two sides will communicate and coordinate in advance to plan for inspections and investigations”. The materials such as audit work papers that the U.S. regulator need[s] access to will be obtained by and transferred through the Chines side.  The Chinese side will also take part in and assist in the interviews and testimonies of relevant personnel of audit firms requested by the U.S. side.” Meituan delivered solid Q2 results Meituan (03690:xhkg) reported a 16% YoY growth in revenues to RMB 51 billion, above market expectations across segments better performance.  Adjusted net profits turned positive to RMB 2.1 billion versus a loss of CNY 2.2 billion in Q1 and analyst consensus of an over RMB 2 billion loss.  The company’s food delivery business a strong recovery and the management said that the recovery continued into July and August, with order volumes rising in low-teens YoY in July and at about 20% YoY in August month to date. Soft US PCE confirms the CPI message Lower pump prices cooled price pressures in July, and this has been re-confirmed by the PCE print on Friday. Headline came in at 6.3% YoY (vs. 6.8% expected) while core was at 4.6% YoY (vs. 4.7% expected). The market reaction to these softer numbers was however restrained as the hawkish message from Powell at Jackson Hole took the limelight. The magnitude of the September rate hike still remains a coinflip, but the Fed members have refused to take comfort with the softer CPI print and continue to push for an aggressive fight against inflation. ECB speakers remain committed to inflation despite recession risks A host of ECB speakers on the weekend continued to push for aggressive rate hikes to fight inflation. Schnabel, speaking at Jackson Hole, said rates must be raised, even into a recession. Kazaks also emphasised on further front-loading of rate hikes after the 50bps rate hike announced by the central bank in July. In fact, there were hints of a 75bps rate hike. There were also some concerns on a weaker EUR, as that fuels further inflationary pressures and the benefit of cheaper exports is diminished by supply chain disruption. Villeroy said that the neutral rate should be reached before the end of the year while Kazaks said he would get there in the first quarter of next year. Australian retail trade surged to another record; with dining out and a winter clothing sprees fueling the charge  Australian retail sales data showed how resilient the Aussie consumer is, with retail spending rising for the 7th straight month, up 1.3% vs the +0.3% consensus expected. As electricity bills in Australia are at a record high, and likely to rise, people are layering up this Aussie winter, so retail spending surged to another new record high, A$34.7 billion in July. The Australian winter spending spree saw Department Stores sales surge 3.8% and clothing (footwear and personal accessory retailing) rocket up 3.3%. Australians are living through one of their coldest winters in history; as such spending rose the most in the coldest climates; Victoria and the ACT. Yet spending at cafes and restaurants remained strong, surging to yet another brand new record high (A$5 billion in July), up from 1.8% from the prior month. All this, is despite a softening Australian housing market and the quickest succession of rate hikes in history.   For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: APAC Daily Digest: What is happening in markets and what to consider next – August 29, 2022

The poor preliminary PMI readings, the ongoing European energy crisis, and the recognized commitment of most major central banks to rein in prices through tighter financial conditions are risking a broad recession. These considerations are weighing on sentiment and shaping the investment climate. Most high-frequency data due in the days ahead will not change this, even if they pose some headline risk.   What we have seen among some central bankers applies to market participants too  It is not so much that these central bankers are congenitally doves or hawks, but they are simply activists. Whether conditions warrant tighter or easier monetary policy, the activists lead the charge and are more aggressive than most of their colleagues in both directions. Similarly, some market participants are just extreme in their views. On the one hand, given that market returns are often characterized by fat tails, it makes sense that market views are not normally distributed. Hugging the median (there is rarely truly a consensus, despite the market jargon) draws little attention and is unlikely to promote sales of research products and newsletters.   On the other hand, depending on the corporate culture, there may be little incentive to take the risk of standing out from the crowd  It is as if some take Keynes to heart: "Worldly wisdom teaches that it is better for reputation to fail conventionally than to succeed unconventionally." Sometimes, corporate culture is broad enough to accept either approach, allowing the idiosyncrasies of the economist/analyst wider latitude. However, some are conditioned to fear being wrong that they do not let themselves be right. For them, being part of the crowd is safe. Being part of the consensus nearly always gets less pushback than being an outlier.   II Three high-frequency economic prints next week will likely move the markets whether they meet expectations or not: China's PMI, the eurozone's CPI, and the US employment report  These are the three biggest economies, and each is struggling to put it mildly. The data are unlikely to change this view but could impact the policy outlook. In addition, extreme weather aggravates existing challenges, including the energy crisis, supply chain disruptions, and inflation pressures.   The US, Japan, the eurozone, and Australia's preliminary composite PMIs fell below the 50 boom/bust level  Ironically, the UK's held slightly above, though the Bank of England of a recession that will extend into 2024. Where is China?   Its July composite stood at 52.5. It had been below 50 due to the lockdowns associated with its zero-Covid policy from March through May. It reached a 15-month high in June of 54.1.    In the US, we argued that back-to-back quarterly declines in output were a bit of a statistical quirk stemming from the challenge of managing inventories in the current economic environment and trade, to a lesser extent  While recognizing that a sustained economic contraction was likely, we did not think it actually had begun and expected policymakers to act accordingly.   In China's case, the economic data is consistent with growth  The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey sees the world's second-largest economy expanding by 3.4% quarter-over-quarter after a 2.6% contraction in Q2. However, Chinese officials are acting as if it were in a recession or will be shortly. It unexpectedly shaved its benchmark one-year medium-term lending facility rate and allowed lending prime rates to be cut. The larger (15 bp) cut in the five-year rate clearly reflected the ongoing concerns about the housing market. Beijing is using command functions and coordinating capabilities to push lending from banks to the property sector and new local government borrowing for infrastructure projects. It has accepted a weaker yuan against the US dollar. It fell to a new two-year low last week. The softer the PMI, the more the market will look for further easing, including reducing required reserves.   On August 31, the eurozone publishes its preliminary estimate of the month's CPI  Headline inflation accelerated to 8.9% in July, surpassing the US 8.5% pace. The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey is for the pace to tick up slightly to 9.0%. In addition, the core rate is seen edging up to 4.1% from 4.0%.  Many EMU members are helping struggling households by cutting the VAT on energy or other subsidies, but the price of energy is rising even quicker  While there is some debate over whether US inflation has peaked, there is less debate in Europe. Prices are still rising. Seasonal patterns may be distorted, but July's monthly change has been less than June since 2003. August's monthly CPI has increased more than July's since 2000, with the one exception of 2020 when it matched July's 0.4% decline. This month's inflation is expected to rise by 0.4% after the 0.1% increase in July. The weakness of the euro also risks boosting prices. The single currency is off about 2.5% this month after falling roughly 4.8% in the previous two months.  The European Central Bank meets on September 8  The swaps market is confident that even though the flash PMI warns that output is contracting, the ECB will continue to hike rates. Following the half-point increase in July, the market expects another 50 bp hike next month. More than that, the swaps market has about a 50% chance of a 75 bp move. Press reports confirmed that several ECB officials want to discuss a three-quarter point hike. That said, they do not appear in the majority. Not to get too far ahead of the game, but the market is pricing in around 85 bp of tightening in Q4 (two meetings, October 27 and December 15). The latest Bloomberg survey found a median forecast for the euro to finish the year at $1.02. This seems increasingly optimistic. A one-standard-deviation band around the year-end forward suggests a mathematical range of about $0.9430 to $1.0675. While the median is in the upper third of the range, our subjective idea would put it in the bottom third.  That brings us to the US August employment report on September 3, just before the long holiday weekend (Labor Day, US markets closed)  Recall that nonfarm payrolls rose about twice as much as expected in July, 528k. That the average growth in the first seven months was slightly above 470k. In the Jan-July period last year, the US grew about 555k jobs a month on average. However, that appears to have underestimated US job growth. In the benchmark revisions announced last week. The US added 571k more private sector jobs in the year through March, which translates into around 47.6k more a month.   The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey has crept up in recent days to 300k  The unemployment rate, which slipped to a new low of 3.5%, is expected to remain unchanged, while a 0.4% rise in average hourly earnings could see the year-over-year pace ticked back to 5.3% year-over-year. It was at 5.2% in June and July. By nearly any reckoning, that would still be a solid report and one that will likely encourage the Fed to deliver another 75 bp hike when it meets in late September.    Market sentiment has swung back and forth a bit over the likelihood of a third consecutive 75 bp hike  Despite the poor housing sector data and the dismal PMI, the Fed funds futures market finished last week discounting a little more than a 2/3 chance of a 75 bp instead of 50 bp. Such a move would lift the target to 3.00%-3.25%. The pricing suggests that Fed will likely slow the hikes going forward. The market is pricing in a year-end rate between 3.50% and 3.75%. The market is pricing in a strong probability of a hike in Q1 23 (~80% chance). This was unchanged from before Powell's speech at Jackson Hole. In the middle of last month, the Fed funds futures market had priced in 60 bp of cuts next year. That was the gap between the implied yield of the December 2022 Fed funds futures and the December 2023 contract. It finished last week near seven basis points., about two basis points less than before Powell's speech. III The dollar's two-week rally that began August 10-11 may not be over despite the volatility spurred by position adjusting around Powell's Jackson Hole speech Powell specifically warned that some pain will be associated with efforts to rein in inflation, which the Fed is committed to doing. That seems to suggest some economic weakness will not interfere with its course until inflation convincingly moves back towards its target. Other major central banks, but the Bank of Japan, have implied pretty much the same thing.   Dollar Index:  DXY rallied from a six-week low near 104.65 on August 10 to slightly above 109.25 on August 23. However, it stopped short of the mid-July high of almost 109.30. The sell-off before the weekend took it briefly through 107.60 to set a new low for the week before recovering to almost 108.90. The MACD is rising albeit more gently, but the Slow Stochastic is overextended and suggests that this leg up is getting long in the tooth. Still, the prospect of another healthy job report at the end of next week may deter a significant retreat. The pre-weekend low approached the minimum (38.2%) retracement of the leg up (~107.50).  Euro:  The euro recorded a new 20-year low near $0.9900 on August 23, seeming to complete the leg down that began on August 10 at around $1.0370. However, the Jackson Hole-related position adjustment saw it recover to $1.0090, which marginally surpassed the (38.2%) retracement objective (~$1.0080). The next retracement (50%) and the 20-day moving average are found in the $1.0135-40 area. Yet, the euro continues to struggle and settled nearly cent off its session highs before the weekend. The MACD descent has slowed, and the Slow Stochastic is moving sideways in oversold territory. Selling into upticks continues to be the preferred strategy. A significant low does not appear to be in place. Potential next week to toward $0.9800, maybe.   Japanese Yen:  The greenback reached JPY137.70 on August 23 and settled into a narrow range in dull dealing for the remainder of the week. Although the dollar traded on both sides of Thursday's range ahead of the weekend, it remained mired in the range established on August 23 (~JPY135.80-JPY137.70). The MACD looks constructive, but the Slow Stochastic is poised to turn lower. The US 2- and 10-year yields reached their highest level in two months, which underpins the dollar. Above the JPY137.70 area, the next resistance may be encountered near JPY138.20-40, but there is little standing in the way of another run at the JPY140 area.   British Pound:  Sterling posted a bearish outside down the day before the weekend by trading on both sides of Thursday's range and settling below Thursday's low. The Jackson Hole-related position adjustment stalled at $1.19, shy of the $1.1930 (38.2%) retracement target. It reversed low and fell to $1.1735, just above the two-year low on August 23 (~$1.1720). The MACD is trending lower, but the Slow Stochastic is moving sideways in oversold territory. The 2020 low slightly above $1.14 beckons, and there is little on the charts to prevent it. Sterling cannot sustain upticks even though its discount to the US on two-year yields has fallen from around 135 bp on August 9 to 45 bp in the middle of last week before finishing around 60 bp.   Canadian Dollar:  The US dollar had given back about half of the gains scored since August 11 (~CAD1.2730 to almost CAD1.3065) before Powell spoke at Jackson Hole. That retracement and the 20-day moving average converged around CAD1.2895. The sharp sell-off of US equities ahead of the weekend saw the greenback jump to almost CAD1.3045. The MACD is rising gently, while the Slow Stochastic has begun moving sideways near its highest level in two months near overbought. The poor price action in the S&P 500, with the upside gap on the weekly charts left unfilled before the breakdown to the lowest level since August 2, warns that the US dollar could challenge the CAD1.31 area in the coming days. The nearly two-year high was set on July 14 at around CAD1.3225. That may be the next important chart area.   Australian Dollar:  Like the Canadian dollar, the Australian dollar has recovered half of the losses seen in the latest leg down that began from the August 11 high near $0.7135 and bottomed on August 23 around $0.6855. The Aussie staged a key reversal from that low and closed above the previous day's high. That retracement objective was near $0.7000 and the next (61.8%), and it was briefly surpassed before the weekend and Aussie's reversal back to $0.6900 to take out the previous session's low.   The MACD is not generating a strong signal, while the Slow Stochastic is curling higher after dipping into oversold territory. A return to the $0.6855 area looks likely, and below that could see $0.6800, though a return to the two-year low set in mid-July near $0.6680 cannot be ruled out.   Mexican Peso:  The dollar forged a bottom against the peso in mid-August around MXN19.81-82. That is also roughly where the dollar bottomed in late June. The greenback bounced to MXN20.2665 and retreated last week to around MXN19.85. The momentum indicators are not generating strong signals, but the floor looks strong. In the face of the sharp US equity losses, and the broader risk-off mood, the peso was surprisingly resilient.  It rose by about 0.65% last week. Initial resistance may be near MXN20.06 and then MXN20.11-13. Latam currencies generally outperformed within the emerging market space last week. Four of the top five emerging market currencies were from Latam, led by the Chilean peso's 5.9% rally. The current intervention program runs out on September 30 but could be extended. The intervention to support the Chilean peso after it fell to record lows last month has given the currency a reprieve but could exacerbate the current account deficit, which reached 8.5% of GDP in Q2.   Chinese Yuan: The Chinese yuan slumped to two-year lows last week as policy divergence grew more acute with the latest Chinese rate cuts. More easing of monetary policy is expected, and there is some speculation that another cut in required reserves could materialize in early Q4. China's discount to the US on 10-year bonds rose for the fourth consecutive week, and at 37 bp, was the largest weekly close since June. The PBOC has fixed the dollar weaker than expected over the last few sessions, and the magnitude seems sufficient to suggest a warning from Chinese officials not to get too carried away. That seems similar in spirit to the reports that the State Administration of Foreign Exchange called a few banks last week and warned them about large speculative yuan sales. We suspect the message is that while a weaker yuan is acceptable, the current pace is not. The next objective is around CNY6.90, but the risk of a move to CNY7.0, which did not seem so likely a couple weeks ago, seems more so now.      Disclaimer   Source: The Week Ahead: Dollar Bulls Still in Charge

Summary:  Our weekly Commitment of Traders update highlights future positions and changes made by hedge funds and other speculators across commodities and forex during the week to August 23. A week that saw financial markets trade increasingly nervous with stocks selling off while the dollar and yields rose ahead of Friday’s speech by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Developments that triggered fund selling in precious metals while energy and grains was in demand due to a tightening supply outlook Saxo Bank publishes weekly Commitment of Traders reports (COT) covering leveraged fund positions in commodities, bonds and stock index futures. For IMM currency futures and the VIX, we use the broader measure called non-commercial.   Link to latest report   This summary highlights futures positions and changes made by hedge funds across commodities and forex during the week to August 23. A week that saw financial markets trade increasingly nervous ahead of Friday’s Jackson Hole speech from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Stocks sold off while the dollar and bonds yields rose in anticipation of a hawkish message. In the end that was exactly what Powell delivered on Friday when he cautioned about loosening monetary conditions prematurely while flagging the likely need for restrictive monetary policy for longer than the market had priced in to curb high inflation. Commodities The Bloomberg Commodity index rose 1.6% during the reporting week with concerns about the impact on demand from central banks hiking rates to curb economic growth being more than offset by concerns about a tightening supply outlook, especially across energy and key food commodities. Precious metals being the only sector struggling amid the mentioned dollar and yield strength. Overall hedge funds increased their exposure for a fourth consecutive week, this time by 13% to 1.1 million contracts, some 264k above the end of July low point.  Energy: Funds increased bets on rising crude oil prices for the first time in five weeks with the combined long in WTI and Brent being lifted by 22% to 338k lots. This in response to a near +8% rally during the week as the focus returned to a continued tight supply outlook with the gas-to-fuel switching providing an additional layer of support. While the combined gross long was increased by 20k lots, it was a 40k lots capitulation among short sellers that provided the main input to the change.Surging gas prices driving increased demand for diesel helped lift gas oil by 10% and the net long by 24% to 76.5k lots, still only half the 152k lots peak seen from last October. Natural gas traders cut their net short by 66% with the bulk of the change being driven by fresh longs being added. Metals: Precious metals saw renewed selling ahead of Jackson Hole with the stronger dollar and rising yields triggering a fresh round of short selling by funds. The result being a 34% reduction in the gold long to 30k while silver and platinum saw big increases in already established net short positions. Copper found support after China’s government announced fresh initiatives to support an economy struggling with Covid lockdowns and a property sector crisis. The result being a 71% reduction in the net short to -4.8k lots, an 11-week low. Agriculture: The grains sector, led by corn and soybeans, continued to recover from the June to July 25% correction. Buyers bought the sector for a fourth consecutive week with an improved fundamental outlook due to adverse weather in the US and China triggering fresh buying interest. The bulk of the 111k lots increase during this time has been driven by corn with the soybean complex also picking up steam while the two wheat contracts have seen net selling during this time.     Forex The forex market responded to a 1.6% increase in the Dollar index ahead of Jackson Hole by turning broad buyers albeit in small size of dollars against nine IMM currency futures. The two exceptions being GBP and CHF where short covering reduced the net short in both. The euro net short reached 44k lots or €5.5 billion, the highest since March 2020 when the market was in covid panic mode. Overall the gross dollar long reached a three week high at $18 billion, down 24% from last months peak and high for the year at $23.8 billion.   What is the Commitments of Traders report? The COT reports are issued by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the ICE Exchange Europe for Brent crude oil and gas oil. They are released every Friday after the U.S. close with data from the week ending the previous Tuesday. They break down the open interest in futures markets into different groups of users depending on the asset class. Commodities: Producer/Merchant/Processor/User, Swap dealers, Managed Money and otherFinancials: Dealer/Intermediary; Asset Manager/Institutional; Leveraged Funds and otherForex: A broad breakdown between commercial and non-commercial (speculators) The reasons why we focus primarily on the behavior of the highlighted groups are: They are likely to have tight stops and no underlying exposure that is being hedged This makes them most reactive to changes in fundamental or technical price developments It provides views about major trends but also helps to decipher when a reversal is looming   Source: COT: Crude oil and grains bought despite Jackson Hole jitters

XAUUSD - Technical analysis:   Gold has been trading upside this morning on Europe session but I see potential for the downside continuation of the trend. Trading recommendation: Due to the strong downside trend in the background and overbought condition this morning, I see further downside movement. Watch for potential selling opportunities on the rallies with the downside objective at the price of $1.712. Stochastic oscillator is showing fresh bear cross and overbought condition, which is good sign for further downside movement. Resistance is set at the price of $1.730 Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/290379 Relevance up to 14:00 2022-08-30 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade.

Relevance up to 09:00 2022-08-31 UTC+2 The Fed's monetary policy remains aggressive, putting pressure on gold following the long-anticipated speech by Fed chairman Jerome Powell at the central bank symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Powell reiterated that interest rates hikes must continue as inflation remains the biggest threat to the economy. However, some analysts believe that falling inflationary pressure could prompt markets to price in less aggressive moves from the Federal Reserve, which would weaken the US dollar and give support to gold. According to the data released by the US Commerce Department on Friday, its core Personal Consumption Expenditures Index (PCE) increased by 4.6% in July, down from June's annual increase of 4.8%. The CME FedWatch Tool is showing that markets are currently split 50/50 on whether the Federal Reserve would increase interest rates by 50 or 75 basis points in September. A weekly survey by Kitco indicates that Wall Street is largely mixed on gold. Out of 16 surveyed experts, 6 (38%) were bullish, 6 were bearish, and 4 (25%) were neutral. Retail investors were more optimistic, with 53% of respondents seeing gold prices rise. 27% expected gold to drop, while 20% were neutral. In total, 561 votes were cast. Although market sentiment doesn't create a clear path for gold, US interest rates remain the most important factor for the precious metal. If inflation continues to decline, the Federal Reserve will begin to slow down the pace of interest rates hikes. Falling gold prices at the end of last week have led to mixed sentiment in the market. Colin Cieszynski, chief market strategist at SIA Wealth Management Inc, said he is bullish on gold next week as Powell's comments didn't add anything new to the current outlook. "He didn't really say much that was new and noteworthy enough to push treasury yields or USD higher in the short term," Cieszynski said. "The US dollar is looking exhausted technically as it is and due for a correction, which could take some of the recent pressure off of gold." Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade.   Source: Forex Analysis & Reviews: Gold faces difficulties after Jerome Powell's remarks in Jackson Hole

Relevance up to 16:00 2022-08-30 UTC+2 Gold price ended last week under pressure with price breaking below the Daily Kumo (cloud). This week Gold price started again under heavy pressure making new lower lows around $1,720, but bulls made a come back and are now reclaiming $1,740. Gold bulls are trying to re-enter the Kumo. This would turn Daily trend to neutral from bearish. It is important to see a daily close above $1,740 as this could lead to a bigger bounce towards $1,780. The tenkan-sen (red line indicator) has already crossed below the kijun-sen (yellow line indicator). This is a bearish sign. On the other hand the daily candlestick in Gold suggests that bulls are strong around $1,720 and that long upper tail candlestick is a sign of a bullish reversal. Gold is showing reversal signs the day we reached the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement of the entire rise. All bulls want to see now is for price to start forming higher highs and higher lows. Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Source: Forex Analysis & Reviews: Ichimoku cloud indicator analysis on Gold for August 29th, 2022.  

Summary:  Markets traded mostly sideways yesterday as the US dollar’s advance was stymied and US yields pushed back slightly lower. China continues to allow its currency to trade toward the lows for the cycle versus the US dollar as the 7.00 area nears in USDCNH. The euro bobbed back up toward parity versus the US dollar yesterday as natural gas prices fell even as Russia shuts the key Nord Stream pipeline down for a purported few days of maintenance.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities stabilised yesterday following that knee-jerk reaction on Friday to the Jackson Hole presentations with S&P 500 futures touching and bouncing off the 50-day moving average closing above the critical 4,000 level. S&P 500 futures are trading around the 4,044 level this morning sandwiched between the 100-day moving average above this level and the 50-day moving average below suggesting a bigger move is shaping up in either direction. The next big shift in sentiment will be when we get the US August CPI print on 13 September as that is the key data point to shape expectations from current levels. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and mainland China equities pulled back moderately, Hang Seng Index -0.9%. Tech names were weak. Hang Seng Tech Index plunged as much as 3% before bouncing off the lows to finish the morning session down 1.7%.  According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, smartphone sales in China fell 2.9% YoY in the period between Jan and July. Despite reporting solid 1H results, China automaker, BYD (01211:xhg) slid 0.6%. In A-shares, mining stocks, gas, electric equipment, and auto parts underperformed, CSI 300 -0.5%. Pinduoduo (PDD:xnas), a leading Chinese eCommerce platform listed on Nasdaq reported strong 2Q results, showing stronger than peer gross merchandise value growth and better-than-expected margin improvement. US dollar and especially USDCNH The US dollar tried higher, but failed to follow through as risk sentiment stabilized and US Treasury yields eased back lower. The USDCNH rate, however, continues to push toward the high of the cycle, trading near 6.92 this morning. EURUSD trades near parity this morning after natural gas prices fell sharply in Europe yesterday and despite ECB Chief Economist Lane arguing for steady rate increases (pushing back against the pricing of a possible 75 basis point move at next week’s ECB meeting). Incoming data this week will be critical for USD direction. JPY weakness to bring back pressure on Bank of Japan USDJPY is back to testing its record July highs despite little change in money market pricing of the Fed rate path following Powell’s hawkish speech at Jackson Hole. The peak Fed funds rate is still priced in at 3.8%, while some of the Fed speakers have started to suggest 4%+ levels that may be needed to combat inflation. This brings the September dot plot in focus, but we get the jobs and CPI data before that as well. Any further upward re-pricing of the Fed path, if resulting in gains in US 10-year yields, could very well take USDJPY to new highs with Japanese yields still remaining capped due to the Bank of Japan’s yield curve control policy. If, however, US data underwhelms, the room on the downside for USDJPY is tremendous. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil prices saw their best day in six weeks amid threats of a decline in supply from OPEC and production outages in Libya. Brent futures rose above $105/barrel although some softening was seen in Asia overnight, while WTI rose to $97/barrel. This follows news from last week that Kazakhstan’s exports of crude may be impacted for months because of damage to its port facility. Meanwhile, negotiations between Iran and the US over the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal could drag on for weeks, easing fears of an imminent surge in supply. Pro Farmer tour see lowest US corn production since 2019 The just completed Pro Farmer tour across the US grain belt helped drive corn futures in Chicago to a two-month high on Monday after the tour saw the US corn crop at 13.76 bn bushels, below USDA forecasts for 14.36 billion bushels. Pro Farmer predicted a soybean crop of 4.54 billion, in line with the USDA’s latest forecast. Wheat, supported by corn’s rally, touched its highest since July 12 despite news that Ukraine agricultural exports could rise to 6.5 million ton in October, double the volume in August.  The soybean vs corn ratio needs to stay low (favouring corn) ahead of the South American planting season in order to persuade farmers there to plant more of the fertilizer intensive crop. US Treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields eased lower yesterday. An interesting paper presented at the Jackson Hole conference at the weekend suggests that the Fed will have a hard time delivering on quantitative tightening without causing harm to financial market functioning, which could mean less supply of treasuries from the Fed if its shies away from reducing its balance sheet at the previously touted pace of $95 billion/month. Otherwise, incoming US data is the focus through the August CPI release on September 13. What is going on? Shell CEO warns of prolonged European gas crisis Shell CEO Ben van Beurden gave comments from Norway’s ONS conference, suggesting that Europe could face gas shortages for a number of winters. This disproves reports suggesting that Europe has already built reserves for the winter demand and reaffirms our belief that a move to broad-based energy supply will continue to be top of mind in the long run. In the near term, demand destruction appears to be the only possible solution, and Van Beurden stressed the need for efficiency savings as well as rationing. ECB Lane dials back on jumbo rate hike expectations ECB chief economist Lane was on the wires on Monday and hinted at a steady pace of rate hikes in a “step-by-step” manner rather than jumbo rate hikes. This appears to be a pushback against calls for a 75bps rate hike at the September meeting, as he made the case to allow the financial system to absorb the rate changes. Moreover, on inflation, Lane said long-term inflation expectations remain close to the two per cent target, while near-term inflation expectations are quite elevated. BYD reported 1H earnings at the high end of the preannounced range Chinese automaker BYD (01211) reported 1H revenue up 66% y/y to RMB 151bn. In terms of segments, auto revenue surged 130% y/y while mobile handset revenues contracted 4.8% y/y. Net profits jumped 206% to RMB 3.6bn, at the top end of the preannounced range of RMB 2.8-3.6bn. Volume growth (353K new energy passenger vehicles in 2Q, +265% y/y) beating market expectations despite two rounds of price increases in 2022 and supply chain disruptions. The company’s EV market share rose to 29% (vs 17% in 2021). Pinduoduo delivered Q2 results showing stronger than peer sales growth Pinduoduo (PDD:xnas), a leading eCommerce platform with strong penetration into agricultural products and online shoppers from rural areas, reported 1H total revenue up 36% y/y, far exceeding the 3% y/y consensus estimate. The company attributed the revenue growth to a recovery in consumption since mid-May, successful promotion campaigns, and 48-hour daily necessity supply packs for people facing lockdown. The company’s strong market position in rural areas and agriculture-related products also help it stand out from its rivals. In Q2, the company achieved a 20 %-point improvement in margin, reaching 33.5%, but the management cautioned investors that the margin compression was attributed to temporary cost savings early in the quarter and spending had increased since mid-May. Non-GAAP EPS came in at RMB 7.54, +161% y/y. Shares in Uranium companies and other nuclear-related companies are back in the spotlight Japan has signaled its openness to more nuclear power, at the same time, Tesla founder Elon Musk has applauded uranium as an energy alternative, during an energy conference in Norway. Uranium stocks moved higher as a result on Monday in the US, which boosted the Global X Uranium ETF up 7%, to its highest level since June 8. Shares in the Asia-Pacific region followed. Australian stocks saw the most significant moves given the country has the largest uranium reserves globally. Australia’s Paladin rose 11%, Deep Yellow 15% and Boss Energy 10%, while Rio Tinto (which owns a deposit) rose over 1%. Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Tokyo Electric Power gained 3%. Companies to watch in Europe, include Yellow Cake and Kazatomprom. What are we watching next? August U.S. job report is out on Friday There should not be a major surprise. The economist consensus expects a 300,000 payrolls increase in August and a stable unemployment rate at 3.5 % - this is a five-decade low. If this is confirmed, it all points to a healthy labor market (despite the moderate pace of job increases). Today, the U.S. government will also release July data on vacancies and quits. Expect job openings to remain elevated, thus pointing to resilient demand for labor. These figures are unlikely to play a major role at the September FOMC meeting since it is well-known that labor market data are lagged indicators. Inflation remains the main point of concern, as mentioned by Fed Chair Jerome Powell last week at Jackson Hole Symposium. August EZ CPI will be painfully high The consensus expects a new increase of 9 % year-over-year when the data will be released on Wednesday. This should convince European Central Bank (ECB) policy makers to raise borrowing costs by a sizable increase on September 8. At Jackson Hole, ECB’s executive board member Isabel Schnabel indicated the central bank has no other choice but to act with ‘determination’. This is a matter of credibility. According to Bloomberg, traders now price a 50 % chance of a 75-basis points rate hike in September. Earnings to watch Today’s earnings focus is China are lithium miners Tianqi Lithium and Ganfeng Lithium as the growth in electric vehicles sales is putting enourmous pressure on availability of lithium and prices of lithium carbonate. Baidu is another Chinese earnings release to watch today as the company’s footprint in online advertising will give insights into economic activity. Later in the US, earnings to watch are Crowdstrike in the cyber security industry and HP in computing hardware. Today: Woodside Energy, ICBC, China Yangtze Power, Muyuan Foods, SF Holdings, Shaanxi Coal, Midea Group, Tianqi Lithium, Ganfeng Lithium, Bank of Montreal, China Construction Bank, Bank of China, Great Wall Motor, COSCO Shipping, Partners Group, Baidu, Crowdstrike, HP Wednesday: MongoDB, Brown-Forman, Veeva Systems Thursday: Pernod Ricard, Broadcom, Lululemon Athletica, Hormel Foods Friday: BNP Paribas Fortis Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0700 – Spain Flash Aug. CPI 0830 – UK Jul. Net Consumer Credit 0830 – UK Jul. Mortgage Approvals 0900 – Euro Zone Aug. Confidence Surveys 1115 – ECB's Vasle to speak 1200 – Hungary Rate Decision 1200 – US Fed’s Barkin (Non-voter) to speak 1200 – Germany Aug. Flash CPI 1300 – US Jun. S&P CoreLogic Home Price Index 1400 – US Aug. Consumer Confidence 1400 – US Jul. JOLTS Job Openings 1500 – US Fed’s Williams (voter) to speak 1600 – ECB Speakers Holzmann and others 2030 – API's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 0130 – China Aug. Manufacturing/Non-manufacturing PMI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – August 30, 2022

Summary:  Today we look at the lackluster session yesterday as risk sentiment found relief after the brief wipeout in the wake of the Fed Chair Powell speech on Friday. Helping to ease pressure on sentiment were the USD halting its rise and US yields easing back lower. In commodities, we look at the latest on the natural gas situation in Europe as Russia is set to shut down a key pipeline for purported maintenance. The corn and wheat outlook, pressure on discretionary spending and related stocks due to soaring energy prices, upcoming earnings reports and more also on today's pod, which features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are found via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: High energy costs will crowd out discretionary spending

Summary:  Consumer discretionary stocks were part of the winners since the Great Financial Crisis, but with rising interest rates and soaring energy costs the consumer is getting taxed on credit and available income for discretionary consumption. These dynamics will intensify and worsen over the winter period in Europe and several sell-side firms are already cutting price targets on many consumer discretionary stocks. We identify the 10 largest global and European discretionary stocks so investors can understand their exposure to global energy crisis. Soaring energy costs are a massive tax on consumption In our recent equity note The tangible world is fighting back we highlighted how intangibles-driven industry groups had outperformed significantly since April 2008 until October 2020. Consumer discretionary stocks was part of this mega trend, but the global energy crisis and especially here in Europe is going be negative for consumer stocks going forward. Primary energy costs in percentage of global GDP has rising to 14% up from 6.5% in 2021 according to Thunder Said Energy. This is equivalent to 7.5%-points tax on GDP which must be offset by households by cutting down on other things. The most vulnerable parts of the economy are the activities that sits at the very top of the Maslow pyramid, so things such as media & entertainment and consumer discretionary. Global consumer discretionary stocks are down 13% after being down as much 20% in June this year relative to global equities since the peak in November 2021 when the Fed announced its pivot on monetary policy in the recognition that inflation was more sticky than initially thought. The initial underperformance was interest rate driven as the higher interest rates caused equity valuations to decline. Higher interest rates also impacts consumption through consumer loans etc., but the critical point to understand is that the energy crisis has not been fully priced into consumer discretionary stocks.  Consumer discretionary stocks have been one of the big winners since the Great Financial Crisis but with households under pressure we expect demand to cool dramatically and several sell-side firms have drastically cut their price targets on many European consumer discretionary companies. MSCI Consumer Discretionary / MSCI World | Source: Bloomberg Watch out for French luxury and the car industry When talk about which consumer discretionary companies that could be in trouble the European luxury industry is probably going to be the hardest hit industry. Next after is the global car industry where the big open question is whether the EV adoption is strong enough to shield Tesla from the demand destruction. The energy tax is bad for consumer stocks but good for global energy companies, so we have also highlighted the 10 largest energy companies in the lists below. The 10 largest global consumer discretionary stocks Amazon Tesla LVMH Home Depot Alibaba Toyota McDonald’s Nike Meituan Hermes International The 10 largest European consumer discretionary stocks LVMH Hermes International Christian Dior Volkswagen Inditex EssilorLuxottica Richemont Kering Mercedes-Benz BMW The 10 largest global energy stocks Exxon Mobil Chevron Reliance Industries Shell ConocoPhillips TotalEnergies PetroChina Equinor BP Petrobras   Source: Consumer stocks to be hit by historically high energy costs

It was a volatile start to the week for energy markets. European natural gas prices sunk, whilst oil moved higher. The next week will be key for markets. For natural gas, we will need to see whether flows along Nord Stream restart later in the week following maintenance. For oil, OPEC+ will hold its monthly meeting on 5 September to discuss supply policy Corn prices have seen significant strength over the last week Energy: oil rallies on growing supply risks ICE Brent is now trading convincingly above US$100/bbl, after settling more than 4% higher yesterday. The market appears to be getting increasingly nervous about growing supply risks from Libya. This is after fighting broke out in the capital, Tripoli, in recent days. Until now there have been no reports that this fighting has impacted the oil supply. However, with Libya pumping around 1.2MMbbls/d, the market is somewhat nervous about potential supply disruptions. Although, given how volatile Libyan supply has been in recent years, one would think that there was some level of risk premium already priced into the market. In addition, market participants might be reluctant to short the market at the moment, given the uncertainty in the lead-up to the OPEC+ meeting on 5 September. This is particularly the case given that the Saudi energy minister said that the group may have to cut output, with a dislocation between the physical and paper market. Since then, a number of other OPEC members have backed Saudi comments. So, potentially, the next meeting could be quite interesting, although it will be difficult to justify cutting output when Brent is trading above US$100/bbl. However, we continue to believe that potential intervention from OPEC+ provides a floor to the market, which is not too far below the recent lows. European natural gas prices came under significant pressure yesterday. TTF settled almost 20% lower, although prices are still trading at more than EUR270/MWh. Following the higher prices run, it seems there has been some profit-taking. From a fundamental point of view, little has changed to justify the scale of the move. Although given the uncertainty and limited liquidity in the market, prices are likely to remain trading at elevated levels with a large amount of volatility. Possibly contributing to the weakness were reports that the European Commission will come up with a proposal to address the significant strength that we have seen in European power prices. Any action which caps power prices will limit the profitability of burning gas for power generation, which could possibly feed through to lower gas demand. At the moment, spark spreads provide little incentive for gas demand destruction from the power generation sector. Finally, Russian gas flows along Nord Stream are set to stop tomorrow (31 August) for three days of maintenance at a compressor station. The market will be eagerly watching to see if flows restart once maintenance comes to an end. Currently, Nord Stream is only operating at about 20% of capacity, and Gazprom has said that flows will return to these levels once the work is complete. If flows do restart when stated, it could provide a bit further downside to European prices in the immediate term. Metals: Fed hawkishness weighs on metals While the LME was closed for a holiday yesterday, prices in early morning trading today have come under pressure, with copper breaking below US$8,000/t. Sentiment in broader financial markets remains downbeat following the hawkish comments from the Fed at the end of last week. As for aluminium, Henan Zhongfu has restarted idled aluminium capacity in Sichuan province in China. The company shut down some of its capacity on 14 August due to power shortages. Large-scale industrials in the region have gradually started resuming operations, following an easing in emergency energy measures. This move should weigh on aluminium prices, although clearly there are still plenty of supply risks for the market, given the high energy price environment in Europe. Mysteel reported that Tangshan located in North China’s Hebei province aims to reduce crude steel output by 8.3mt (from last year’s level) in 2022. As per the latest target, Tangshan’s total crude steel output should not exceed 122.8mt this year, when compared to 131.11mt last year. Cumulatively, crude steel output rose 0.7% year-on-year to 74.7mt in the first seven months of the year. Agriculture: US corn concerns linger The USDA’s latest crop progress report shows that for the week ending 28 August, just 54% of the US corn crop is rated good-to-excellent, which is down from 60% at the same stage last year. Corn prices have seen significant strength over the last week, particularly after the Pro Farmer crop tour suggested that corn yields for the US crop will likely be lower than what the USDA is currently forecasting. Pro Farmer is expecting corn yields to average 168.1 bu/acre compared to the USDA’s forecast of 175.4bu/acre. As a result Pro Farmer expects US corn output to total 13.759 billion bushels, compared to the 14.359 billion bushels that the USDA is currently forecasting.   Canada is likely to see a strong recovery in crop production this year on the back of favourable weather and higher acreage due to stronger prices. In its first estimates for the year, Statistics Canada forecasts wheat production to increase by around 55% YoY to 34.6mt in 2022/23, although this is still lower than the 35.4mt produced in 2020/21. Corn production is estimated to increase by around 6% YoY to 14.8mt in 2022/23. Read this article on THINK TagsPower shortages Oil Natural gas Corn Aluminium Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

The US futures look better after the post-Powell selloff, but the market sentiment will likely remain morose after Powell’s clear declaration that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will have no pity for the markets, and continue tightening its policy until it puts inflation on a sustainable path toward its 2% policy target. At this point, it’s difficult to get a pricing that goes against the Fed. Happily for oil bulls, the Fed drama doesn’t concern the energy stocks, which had a good session yesterday thanks to firmer oil prices. The barrel of US crude advanced past the 200-DMA. The European nat gas futures however slumped 20% yesterday, as Germany said its gas stores are filling up faster than planned. But energy prices remain exorbitantly high, and governments are increasingly frustrated with the skyrocketing energy prices that hammer economies and households, while putting a lot of money in energy companies’ pockets. As a result, the European policymakers are now cooking new measures to stop the excessive rise in energy prices and decouple the price of gas from electricity. Investors will be watching how the energy companies will react to the measures. On the data front, Germany and Spain will release the latest inflation update today. The euro is making a great effort to throw itself above parity against the US dollar, and stronger than expected inflation figures could help boosting the European Central Bank (ECB) hawks, but the topside should remain limited. Special focus on Uber: is the company a good play in the long run, what are the short-term risks? Watch the full episode to find out more!   0:00 Intro 0:27 Equities under pressure 1:37 But energy stocks do well 2:17 European nat gas drops 20% on encouraging German news 2:48 European leaders will step in to bring energy prices lower 5:00 Eurozone inflation data in focus 7:59 Focus: Uber Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Energy #crisis #natural #gas #prices #crude #oil #energy #stocks #Exxon #OccidentalPetroleum #USD #EUR #inflation #ECB #hawks #Uber #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH   Source: Europeans preparing to intervene in energy markets! | MarketTalk: What’s up today? | Swissquote

Overview: Corrective pressures were evident yesterday and they extended today in Asia and Europe but seem to be running their course now. Market participants should view these developments as countertrend and be wary of waning risk appetites in North America today. Most Asia Pacific equities rallied earlier today, save China and Hong Kong. Europe’s Stoxx 600 has retraced most of yesterday’s losses and US futures are trading higher. Benchmark bond yields are softer with the US 10-year note yield off about 3.5 bp to below 3.07%. European yields are mostly 3-5 bp lower, but UK Gilts are pressured by reports that foreign investors were heavy sellers last month. The US dollar surrendered earlier gains yesterday and is mostly lower today. The Australian dollar is leading the charge, despite a much sharper than expected fall in building approvals. Among emerging market currencies, only the Philippine peso and Taiwanese dollar are failing to push higher. Gold is soft, despite the weaker greenback and lower yields. It is nursing losses for the third session. After a sharp 4.25% gain yesterday, October WTI is pulling back by around 1.75% today toward $95. US natgas is off 2%, while Europe’s benchmark has extended yesterday’s 19.5% drop with a further 6.6% slide today. China’s property sector woes are weighing on the steel sector and iron ore prices have fallen 8% over the past two sessions and is below $100 for the first time this month. December copper is off 1% after falling 2.3% yesterday. December wheat is paring yesterday’s 4.6% gain.  Asia Pacific Japan reported that its unemployment rate was unchanged in July at 2.6%. The job-to-applicant ratio unexpectedly ticked up to 1.29 from 1.27. The upticks in the yen, however, are more related to the pullback in US yields than the developments in the Japanese economy. Tomorrow, Japan reports July industrial output, and after the 9.2% surge in June, related to the lagged response to re-opening in Shanghai likely eased a bit. Retail sales offer the opposite trajectory. They fell a whopping 1.3% in June and likely stabilized in July, allowing for a small gain. In June apparel and general merchandise purchases were particularly weak. Rising interest rates are squeezing Australia's property market more intensely than expected. Building approvals plunged 17.2% in July, six-times more than the median forecast in Bloomberg's survey. The drop was driven by the private sector apartments rather than houses. The number of private sector approvals was the lowest since January 2012. The disappointment did prevent the Australian dollar from recovering today, amid the general pullback in the US dollar, but the odds of a 50 bp hike next week were shaved to around 65% from 70% yesterday. Rains in Sichuan have eased the energy emergency allowing large-scale industry to result production this week. The provincial government downgraded the emergency to level-one from level-two yesterday and several companies (including Toyota, Honda, and Foxconn) indicated a resumption of production. Cooler weather was also helping reduce household demand for electricity. Yet, Sichuan has gone from drought to flood. Reports suggest that nearly 325 mines, including 60 coal mines, with 5000 workers have been asked to take shutdown for precautionary reasons. Meanwhile, the zero-Covid policy has led to lockdowns in parts of Shenzhen. Softer US rates and a downside correction in the US dollar after reaching JPY139 yesterday has seen the greenback ease toward JPY138.15. The JPY137.95 area corresponds to a (38.2%) retracement of the dollar rally since before Powell spoke at Jackson Hole at the end of last week. We suspect the corrective pressure have been exhausted or nearly so and expect North American traders to buy the dollar the on the dip. Yesterday's low was slightly above JPY137.35. The Australian dollar took out a neckline of what may be a potential head and shoulder top yesterday but recovered to close above it (~$0.6850). Follow-through buying today has lifted it to around $0.6955. Here too, we think the short squeeze has nearly run its course in the European morning. The $0.6965-70 area may offer the nearby cap. For the fifth consecutive session, the PBOC set the dollar's reference rate lower than the market (median in Bloomberg's survey) expected, and the gap today (~249 pips) was the most since the Bloomberg survey began four years ago (CNY6.8802 vs. CNY6.9051). The PBOC seemed willing to accept an orderly decline of the yuan, especially given the divergence of monetary policy, but wants to avoid a vicious cycle. This was underscored by its announcement of a consultation period as it considers a news policy to require prior approval for companies wishing to sell long-term debt in offshore markets. At the same time, we read the fixing as a type of affirmation through negation, i.e., the PBOC's action acknowledges the strength of the demand for dollars. The dollar rose to a two-year high yesterday, after rising nearly 2% over the previous two weeks. Today, it slipped less than 0.1%. Europe Attention turns to eurozone's August inflation, ahead of tomorrow's aggregate report. Spain began with a 0.1% month-over-month increase that saw the harmonized year-over-year pace ease for the first time in four months. It slipped to 10.3% from 10.7%. However, the core rate rose to 6.4% from 6.1%. German states have reported, and they all showed of the year-over-year rate, even as the month-over-month change moderated to 0.2%-0.4%. The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey sees a 0.4% increase in the harmonized rate for an 8.8% year-over-year increase (from 8.5% in July). The risk is on the upside. With the surge in energy prices, the Bundesbank chief Nagel warned that Germany inflation could rise to over 10%. The EU is holding an emergency energy ministers meetings on September 9 to consider efforts to coordinate a response. The focus appears capping gas prices and/or decoupling electricity prices from gas prices. EU countries have already "spent" and estimated 280 bln euros on tax cuts or subsidies for energy. Quietly, the German two-year yield has doubled in the past two weeks from 0.53% on August 15 to 1.10% yesterday. The German yield has risen faster than comparable US yield. As a consequence, the US 2-year premium has fallen below 240 bp for the first time since early July. It recorded a three-year peak on August 5 a little more than 277 bp. One of the spurs to the more than 22 bp increase in the German two-yield over the past two sessions has been the push from some of the hawks for a 75 bp move at next week's ECB meeting. While it is noteworthy that it was not done via leaks to the press this time, as sometimes is has appeared in the past, and the market seems to think it is likely. The swaps market shows it be a little more than a 60% chance of materializing, up from about a 20% chance a week ago. Our own subjective assessment is that a steady series of 50 bp hikes is more likely to achieve a consensus than a jump to 75 bp and a return to 50 bp or even 25 bp. Given the fragile economic condition, and with little to gain from a larger move than cannot be achieved through the ECB's forward guidance, a stable, predictable course is likely preferable. That said, the provocative tactics of the hawks seems to be an attempt to deliver a fait accompli to the ECB. If they deliver a 50 bp hike, they will appear as dovish versus expectations and could pressure the euro lower in disappointment. The short-covering bounce in the euro began yesterday when the $0.9900 area held. There are a little more than 3 bln euros in options struck there that roll-off today. The gains maybe spurring demand related to 1.55 bln in options struck at $1.00 that expire tomorrow. The euro is at its best level since Powell spoke. Just prior to the Fed Chair's speech last week, the euro spiked to $1.0090. This area should provide a cap now. Sterling's recovery off yesterday's two-year low (~$1.1650) seems less inspired and has not been able to push above yesterday's high (~$1.1785). And even if it does, the upticks will likely be limited to the $1.18 area, which is the (61.8%) retracement of the decline since the high set before Powell spoke (($1.1900). The intraday momentum indicators are stretched by the gains of a little more than half a cent in the European morning. Separately, the decision by the Hungarian central bank is awaited. It is expected to hike the base rate by 100 bp today after hiking by 300 bp last month. This move will bring the base rate to 11.75%. It was at 2.4% at the end of last year.    America The two-year breakeven has now fallen slightly more than 25 bp over the past three sessions to about 2.70%. Over the three sessions, the nominal two-year yield has risen by a grand total of three basis points to 3.42%. The odds of a 75 bp hike next has edged to about 75% from about 66% before Powell spoke at Jackson Hole and gave no signal besides saying it could be 50 bp or 75 bp move. The difference, the 25 bp is coming in addition to the other anticipated moves. What this means is the market now sees the year-end Fed funds target closer to 3.75% rather than 3.50%. The implied yield of the March 2023 Fed funds futures is pricing in about an 80% chance of a hike in Q1, unchanged for the third consecutive session. The market also continues to price in 7-9 bp of easing by the end of next year as it has for the past five sessions. Ahead of the US jobs data, which are the highlight of the week, with the ADP estimate tomorrow, house prices, the Conference Board's consumer confidence, and the JOLTS report on job openings are featured today. While the Fed's Kashkari's comments about the stock market and the Fed's objective of tightening of financial conditions are really revealing anything new, the undiplomatic expression seemed to set the chins wagging. Equity prices are part of the financial conditions but so are interest rates, ease of credit, and asset prices more generally. House price inflation appears to be slowing and this alongside weaker financial asset prices are part of the process. Canada reports its Q2 current account surplus, which is reflecting the positive terms-of-trade shock. Consider that in 2019, before Covid, Canada recorded a C$47 bln current account deficit. With a Q2 surplus of C$6.8 bln expected, it would mean Canada has recorded a nearly C$11 bln current account surplus in H1 22. Tomorrow, Canada reports Q2 GDP and it is expected to have accelerated to around 4.4% form 3.1% in Q1. Still, even with today's modest gain, the Canadian dollar is off about 2.7% this year against the US dollar. The broader risk environment is a more important driver of the exchange rate. Mexico reports its July unemployment rate. It is expected to have ticked up to 3.53% from 3.35%. The market does not appear sensitive to this time series. Tomorrow, the central bank's inflation report is due, but it’s unlikely to impact expectations for a 75 bp hike late September. The US dollar set a new high for August near CAD1.3075 before pulling back toward CAD1.2990. Follow-through selling today has been limited to the CAD1.2970 area, just above CAD1.2965 retracement objective. The momentum indicators suggest that losses below that will be limited and instead the greenback could recover toward CAD1.3025. The Mexican peso's resilience is evident. It continues to trade well within this month's range. The dollar has built a base around MXN19.81 and has not closed above the 20-day moving average (~MXN20.0735) since August 2. However, further dollar losses today look limited.     Disclaimer   Source: Turn Around Tuesday Began Yesterday, Likely Ends before Wednesday

Brent Crude oil has broken above its short-term falling trendline and seems to start reversing the down trend trading around the 0.382 retracement level at USD104.38. Next key resistance is 110.67-112.32, the latter is the 0.618 retracement of the June-August Bearish move. A close above those levels 120-125 is in the cards.If Brent oil drops back below the falling trend line the uptrend is likely to be reversed. If closing below 98.14 it is reversed and 90 is likely to be tested. RSI is still below 60 and needs to close above to underline the uptrend. Source: Saxo Group On the weekly chart we can see that Brent Oil retraced 0.382 of the bullish trend since 2020. RSI is testing its falling trend line and a close above is an indication of Brent resuming its medium- to long-term uptrend Source: Saxo Group WTI Lights Sweet Crude oil that broke out of its falling trendline last week is now in a confirmed uptrend (higher highs and higher lows). However, RSI has not yet confirmed the trend by closing above 60. Resistance at around USD100.23. If buyers can lift WTI above that level the big test is can it move above 55 and 100 SMA’s. If that scenario plays out a move to 0.618 retracement at around 109.18 is likely.If WTI closes below 91.13 the downtrend is likely to resume Source: Saxo Group WTI only retraced around 0.236 of the 2020 extreme low (where WTI oil went to minus 40.32) till (so far) 2022 peak. RSI is still above i.e. in positive sentiment and could test its falling trend line with in a week or so.If WTI loses steam and closes below 85.41 a bearish move to 75.27 and even 65.25 could be seen. Source: Saxo Group Dutch TTF gas has peaked out a few Euros below previous peak at EUR345 – at least short-term - and has since retraced. A correction down to around 240 which is the 0.382 retracement level and a test of the short-term rising trendline is likely. However, a correction down to test the medium-term (black) rising trendline is not unlikely before uptrend quite possibly resumes.RSI is at the time of writing below its rising lower trend line but there is no divergence indicating we could see higher price levels in coming weeks. Source: Saxo Group Henry Hub Gas is having trouble closing above USD10 and could be set for a correction. If breaking the steep rising trendline and drops below 8.87 a correction down to 8.23 is likely but could spike down to around 7.68-7.55 key support.RSI is at the time of writing breaking below its rising trendline and if closing below it support the correction picture. However, there is no divergence on RSI indicating higher levels after a possible correction. Source: Saxo Group   Source: Technical Update - Oil breaking falling trendline, building uptrend. Gas rejected at previous peaks but higher prices are in the cards

XAGUSD seems to be forming a correction wave b of the cycle degree, which is part of a large zigzag. Apparently, correction b is a primary triple zigzag Ⓦ-Ⓧ-Ⓨ-Ⓧ-Ⓩ. The first four parts of it have already been fully completed, now we see the construction of the last wave Ⓩ. Most likely, the wave Ⓩ will be an intermediate triple zigzag (W)-(X)-(Y)-(X)-(Z). It seems that the formation of the actionary intermediate wave (Y) has come to an end, it has taken the form of a double zigzag W-X-Y. Thus, now we see growth in the intermediate intervening wave (X). It can be assumed that the wave (X) will end in the form of a minor double zigzag W-X-Y near 21.169. At that level, it will be at 50% along the Fibonacci lines of sub-wave (Y). Alternatively, it is assumed that the bearish primary wave Ⓩ may end in the form of a double zigzag (W)-(X)-(Y). Most likely, the market is now in the final part of the actionary wave (Y), or rather in its final minor sub-wave C. Wave C may end in the form of an impulse consisting of minute sub-waves. To complete this impulse, a final sub-wave ⓥ is needed. The end of the specified impulse is possible near 12.473. At that level, primary wave Ⓩ will be at 200% of actionary wave Ⓨ.

Goldman Sachs comments... Investment bank Goldman Sachs note that now is the perfect time to trade commodities. Goldman's analysts Sabine Schels, Jeffrey Currie and Damien Courvalin noted that investors should consider how to access commodities as stocks are likely to suffer even bigger losses. Nevertheless, Goldman Sachs considers recession fears exaggerated. According to analysts, oil is the commodity of last resort in an era of severe energy shortages, and the downturn in the entire oil complex provides an attractive entry point for long-term investments. A supply chain problem pushed oil prices to record highs in June. However, recent recession worries have prompted a pullback in prices due to fears of a slowdown in demand.   Jerome Powell Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's speech at the Jackson Hole symposium on Friday doubled down on those concerns as he remained hawkish and signaled that rates could stay high longer. Stocks fell in response to Powell's comments, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling more than 1,000 points on Friday and another 300 points on Monday.     According to the forecast of Goldman Sachs economists, the outlook for stocks is even more dire than expected. Stocks could take a hit as inflation remains high. And now is the time to return to commodities. They noted that commodities are the best asset class to hold late in the cycle when demand remains above supply. One of the obstacles may be further growth of the US dollar index, which is trading near 20-year highs. This makes buying goods in other currencies more expensive.   Relevance up to 09:00 2022-08-31 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/320282

Saudi Arabia reinforces support Oil prices are easing a little with Brent potentially settling around $100 and WTI a little below around $95. While there remain many moving parts in the oil market at the moment, the comments last week from Saudi Arabia have reinforced support below the current price. It seems OPEC+ isn’t interested in the oil price slipping much below $100 a barrel and while those warnings would be put to the test in the event of a nuclear deal, which still looks very challenging, or a global recession, the words alone could keep prices high for now. Gold failing to bounce back Gold continues to struggle in the aftermath of Powell’s comments on Friday, even though the dollar is falling on Tuesday and US yields are a little lower. The yellow metal continues to test $1,730 today, a sign that not all are on board with the recovery trade we’re seeing elsewhere. A significant break of $1,730 would be a real blow for gold, with the next area of notable support falling around $1,680-$1,700. A move back above $1,765 could get gold bulls excited once more but that may be easier said than done if trading over the last few sessions is anything to go by. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.   Source: Oil prices dip, gold under pressure

Relevance up to 14:00 2022-08-31 UTC+2 Currently, most investors are confident that the USD index rally will continue, and the trend in US stock indices will remain bearish. They also ignore the increase in the likelihood of a 75 bps increase in the ECB deposit rate in September to over 50%, and the reluctance of the VIX fear index to climb well above 25, signaling no panic in the stock market. Going against the crowd is always dangerous, there is a risk of being burned at the stake, but trends break at the very moment when the majority is sure that they are right. After Jerome Powell's speech at Jackson Hole, the Fed's position became more than transparent. Regardless of the further dynamics of inflation, the Central Bank intends to raise rates, as a pause in this process can turn into sad consequences. Entrenched high prices and a deep recession. The Fed is ready to sacrifice the labor market, so I would venture to assume that the August employment statistics are unlikely to dot the I. Everything will depend on inflation data on September 13. That's when it will become clear whether the rate will increase by 50 or 75 bps at the next FOMC meeting. This circumstance, in my opinion, transfers the initiative from the Fed to the ECB. Indeed, European inflation data is released earlier, and the Governing Council meeting is approaching. They are clearly worried about the fall in EURUSD, which accelerates energy prices, raises inflation expectations and pushes the eurozone into recession. Christine Lagarde and her colleagues must do something. And the best option seems to be a 75 bps increase in the deposit rate on September 8. Dynamics of European inflation expectations It is about such a step that the heads of the central banks of Austria and the Netherlands, Robert Holzmann and Klaas Knot, are talking about. Nevertheless, investors are used to seeing them as the main hawks of the Governing Council, and the statement by ECB chief economist Philip Lane that monetary policy should be tightened gradually to look at the reaction of the economy, brought down the EURUSD bulls' momentum. In fact, it was Lane who put forward the proposal to raise the deposit rate by 50 bps in July, although before that, he also talked a lot about gradualism. In my opinion, a further decline in gas prices against the backdrop of growing occupancy of European storage facilities and an increase in LNG imports from China, coupled with the acceleration of European inflation and the "hawkish" rhetoric of ECB officials, will create the foundation for EURUSD correction. The dollar in the current situation will be able to draw strength only in the fall of the S&P 500. However, the stock index is able to jump up in response to weak employment statistics in the US. Technically, on the 4-hour chart, the consolidation of EURUSD above the pivot point at 0.999 and moving averages indicates the seriousness of the intentions of the bulls. The longs formed on the break of resistance at 0.9985–0.9999 are kept and increased in case of updating the local high at 1.0055 or on a rebound from parity. Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Source: Forex Analysis & Reviews: Euro goes against the crowd

Summary:  US stocks move below the key 4,000 level for the first time since July, while also moving under the 50-day moving average, signifying the S&P500 could gain momentum to the downside and potentially retreat to the low set in June. Selling pressure in GBP ramps up, crude oil prices tumble from fresh highs, iron ore retreats below the key $100 level and could remain contained for the year ahead, meanwhile, coal prices remain in record territory. The first shipment of wheat out of Ukraine arrives in Africa. In company news, we cover the latest in the EV space, plus what the latest is from Crowdstrike, the cybersecurity giant. Here is what's happening in markets right now, and what to consider next. What is happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) again on the back foot, being pressured lower US equities fell for the third straight day on Tuesday, with the S&P and the Nasdaq both falling 1.1%. Pressure fell upon equities last night for several key reasons; firstly the market had another reality check - rate rises will intensify. New York Fed President John Williams said on Tuesday restrictive policy will be needed to slow demand, and rate hikes have not achieved that yet. Over in Europe a policy makers said the ECB should make a 75 basis-point hike at its September meeting. All in all, this caused short-term rates, the US 2-year Treasury yield, to rise to its highest level in almost 15-years, as traders bet more rate hikes are coming. This pressured commodity prices, which pulled back on fears rate hikes will soften demand. On top of that OPEC+ didn’t discuss production cuts. So Oil fell ~6%. WTI settled around ~$91.64. As such, the Oil and Gas sectors fell 4%, adding the most weight to Tuesday’s drop. Secondly, equities were also pressured on fears that geopolitical tensions could escalate, after Taiwanese soldiers fired shots to ward off civilian drones flying close to islands near China. And Thirdly, equities are also facing end of month rebalancing; where investors typically take profits from top performers and buy laggards to bring their assets allocations into alignment. Noteworthy movers in US equities   Retailers Big Lots (BIG:xnys) and Best Buy (BBY: xnys) surged 11.8% and 1.6% respectively after reporting Q2 earnings that beat market expectations.  Big Lots’ narrower loss was attributed to margin improvements from cost controls. Likewise, Best Buy’s better-than-expected earnings was largely due to cost controls, as sales fell nearly 13% YoY in the quarter. The discount retailers indicated they’re copping the brunt of trade-downs, while they also warned about a pullback in consumer spending.  U.S. treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas)   Treasury yields were little changed on Tuesday, with the 2-year yield rising modestly by 2bps to 3.44% as the market continued to price in a 75bp Fed hike at the September FOMC.  The stronger JOLT job openings data and consumer confidence data, plus Fed officials’ reiteration of determination to bring inflation back under control contributed to the bids to the front end of the curve. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg)   Hong Kong and mainland China equities pulled back moderately, Hang Seng Index -0.37%. Tech names were weak.  Hang Seng Tech Index plunged as much as 3% before bouncing off the low to finish the day only 0.5% lower.  The news of Shenzhen and other cities stepping up pandemic control measures fuelled the risk-off sentiment that has already been hanging over the market.  Share prices of Chinese developers were broadly lower as mortgage repayment boycott cases increased to 103 cities and 347 development projects.  According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, smartphone sales in China fell 2.9% YoY in the period between Jan and July.  Despite reporting solid 1H results, China automaker, BYD (01211:xhg) slid 0.5% following an exchange filing showing that Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway reduced its stake in the company. Auto retailer, Zhongsheng (00881:xhkg) plunged by 7%.  In A-shares, mining stocks, gas, electric equipment, and auto parts underperformed. In U.S. trading, Hang Seng Index Futures tumbled 2.3% in a confluence of factors including Taiwanese soldiers on front-line islands firing shots at civilian drones believed flying from mainland China, a newswire report saying the U.S. regulator, PCAOB, selected Alibaba (BABA:xnys/09988:xhkg) for audit inspection commencing in September, Berkshire Hathaway reducing holdings in BYD, Covid-related lockdown concerns, and the continuous decline of the U.S. equity markets.  Compared to their closes in Hong Kong, ADRs of BYD fell by 4.2%, and Alibaba by 3.3%. Selling pressure in GBP ramps up Despite a relatively stable USD, pessimism built in sterling after Goldman Sachs hinted that peak inflation in the UK could reach 22% in early 2023 and downgraded its GDP forecast. GBPUSD touched lows of 1.1622 before settling around 1.1660. EURUSD was stable-to-stronger given the stabilising gas situation and the hawkish ECB rhetoric pushing for a jumbo rate hike at the September meeting again. EURGBP pushed higher to 0.8600, its strongest levels since early July.   Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2)   Crude oil was down over 6% after recording the best day in six weeks on Monday when Brent traded above $105/barrel. The reversal yesterday came on the back of a general improvement in risk appetite as European gas prices plunged. This will likely lower diesel prices, reducing the demand for oil. Fresh lockdown announcements in key Chinese cities also raised demand concerns. Meanwhile the supply situation looked better in the near-term amid reduced Iraq supply disruptions risk and rumours of a potential Iran agreement. Oil inventories also surprised with 593k barrel rise. Reports that OPEC+ not considering a production cut supported price action in the Asian morning hours, and WTI futures reversed to inch back above$92/barrel. Further volatility can be expected in European gas prices today, and that could spill over to crude oil as well, as Nord Stream 1 goes into maintenance.  Gold (XAUUSD)   Gold continues to have trouble finding direction amid a hawkish Fed speak but rising geopolitical tensions. A host of Fed speakers were on the wires yesterday, and all of them focused on inflation, suggesting aggressive action from the Fed will continue. Meanwhile, Taiwanese soldiers fired shots to ward off civilian drones flying close to islands near China, spooking fears that tensions could escalate. Strong US economic data both from consumer confidence and JOLTS jobs opening also bumped up the US 10-year yields, and Gold was seen dipping below the key 1729 support on Tuesday, coming in sights of the one-month lows.  First shipment of wheat out of Ukraine arrives in Africa   The first export of wheat from Ukraine since the invasion of Russia in February has arrived in Djibouti, east Africa. The 23,000-ton shipment is bound for Ethiopia which is struggling with ongoing drought and conflict. A recent agreement between Russia and Ukraine, mediated by the UN and Turkey, has allowed 50 ships to resume shopping grain around the world. Wheat harvest was also seen picking up in Canada as yields improved amid better weather conditions, helping to ease supply worries in the key agricultural crop.  What to consider?  US consumer confidence and JOLTS data came in better-than-expected   US consumer confidence rose to its highest level in three months to come in at 103.2 in August from 95.7 previously. Both the expectation index and present situation index saw improvements, rising to 75.1 (prev. 65.6) and 145.4 (prev.139.7), respectively. This could be partly driven by lower pump prices, but also signals that a healthy job market report may be coming this week. The 1-year ahead inflation expectation fell to 7.0% (prev. 7.4%), which was a seven-month low. Meanwhile, US JOLTS rose to 11.239mln in July, above the expected 10.45mln and previous 10.698mln, hinting that the labor market remains tight.  German CPI’s upside surprise, ECB still leaning towards front-loading   Germany CPI came in higher than expected at 7.9% YoY (vs. 7.5% prev and 7.8% expected) while the MoM print was slightly softer at 0.3% (vs. 0.9% prev and 0.4% expected). Food and energy price gains underpinned, but fuel rebate helped to take some pressure off. Meanwhile, ECB speakers continued to push for more front-loaded rate hikes, in contrast to ECB’s Lane calling yesterday for more step-by-step increases and signaling recession concerns yesterday. ECB’s Knot however clearly said he’s leaning towards a 75bp hike in September but he is open to a discussion, as did Muller. Wunsch also vouched for rates in restrictive territory, and Vasle (non-voter) said the September rate hike should exceed 50bps.  The Chinese Communist Party will hold its national congress on Oct. 16   The politburo meeting held on Tuesday decided to propose to the Central Committee of the 19th National Congress to schedule the next once-every-five-year National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (the “CCP”) for Oct 16, 2022.  The 2,300-odd delegates attending the National Congress will elect the CCP’s Central Committee which consists of 205 full (voting) members and 170 alternate (non-voting) members. The full members of the Central Committee will elect among themselves the 25 members of the Politburo and the members of the Politburo will then choose among themselves the seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee, who are the highest leaders of the CCP.  The National Congress will review the CCP’s work over the past five years and formulate policy directions and action plans for the next five years.   Taiwan shot at drones flying close to its offshore islands    Taiwan’s authorities said in a statement Taiwanese soldiers fired shots in three incidents on Tuesday to ward off drones flying close to small offshore islands controlled by Taiwan. The statement did not identify where these civilian drones were from but said that the drones flew away in the director of Xiamen, a coastal city of mainland China. Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen previously urged Taiwan’s military force to take “appropriate by necessary” actions to drive away civilian drones having been buzzing Taiwan’s military installations on its front-line islands.   Iron ore falls below the key $100 level   The key steel ingredient fell below $100 for the first time in five weeks, on signs of China’s steel industry worsening. Steel production will fall by more than 8 million tons in the second half, due to plans to restrict output in the key hub of Tangshan. This is according to Minmetals Futures. That cut in production equates to a decline of 10%. China’s steel industry is reeling amid a property crisis, that’s showing no promise of turning around any time soon. Authorities in Tangshan, near Beijing also decided to cut production at a recent meeting, Meanwhile a major steel maker, Angang Steel says it sees tough conditions persisting through the end of the year. This backs up BHP’s comments last week, where BHP’s CFO told Saxo in an one-on-one interview, that iron ore demand will remain limited in the year ahead, not able to outpace supply. This means iron ore pricing will remain capped. Coal prices are back at record highs, amid the energy crisis   With global electricity prices skyrocketing and likely to worsen, and nothing being resolvable, the coal price is being bid again, pushing it once again back to record territory. For consuemrs, unfortunately this means higher power bills, especially in those regions dependent on coal for electricity (India, China, Australia). With the coal futures price, and the spot coal price moving to higher levels, this supports future earnings and cashflows in coal companies. As such, many coal stocks are trading at record highs. Shares in Australia’s largest pure-play coal company Whitehaven Coal (WHC) hit a brand-new record all-time high yesterday, A$8.15, but today is facing selling pressure (profit taking perhaps). Other stocks that make money from Coal include BHP in Australia. In Asia, Bayan Resources, and Yankunang Energy, as well as Shaanxi Coal. Alibaba has been selected for audit inspection by the PCAOB   According to Reuters, Alibaba (BABA:xnys/09988:xhkg) has been selected, together with some others, by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the “PCAOB”) for audit work inspection commencing in September.  Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway reduces its stake in the Chinese EV maker BYD   Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway sold around 1.33 million shares of BYD (01211:xhkg) at an average price of HKD277.10, bringing its stake in BYD to 19.92% of the total issued H shares or 7.51% of the total issued share capital on Aug. 24.  Comparing the ending balance after the sale to the ending balance as of June 30 revealed in BYD’s interim results announcement released earlier this week, Berkshire Hathaway had previously undisclosed sale of 4.95 million shares since July.  Assuming the 4.95 million shares were sold at the average closing prices in July and August, Berkshire Hathaway cashed out a total of about HK$1.8 billion from the sale of these 6.28 million shares over the past two months which was similar to the aggregate cost that Berkshire Hathaway had initially paid for the whole amount of 7.73% stake (or 20.49% of H shares) in BYD. Covid cases resurface in 31 provinces in China   China’s southern technology hub, Shenzhen shut down the world’s largest electronics retailing marketplace in response to a surge of Covid cases. The cities of Dalian, Chengdu, Yiwu, and Sanya are also under some sort of restriction. Baidu reported inline Q2 results   Baidu’s (BIDU:xnys/9888:xhkg) revenue fell 5% YoY to RMB 29.65 billion, largely in line with consensus estimates. Its operating margin came in at 22%, contracting 5 percentage points YoY, due to sluggishness in the high-margin ads business and a revenue mix shifting toward lower-margin non-ads business.  Q2 Non-GAAP EPS increased 2% YoY to RMB15.79, well above analysts’ RMB9.82 median forecast.      American companies have a downbeat outlook on doing business in China   The US-China Business Council’s annual member survey showed that a record 21% of the 117 multinational companies headquartered in the US said they were downbeat on their business in China for the next five years, (according to those surveyed). 90% of respondents said their businesses were affected by lost sales and uncertainty over reliable deliveries.   China is set to tighten scrutiny of companies seeking to raise funds through issuing offshore bonds   According to a consultative draft document on the portal of the National Development and Reform Commission, China is planning to require companies that seek to issue bonds offshore to register, report and receive approval from the authorities for debts that have tenors exceeding one year.   China’s official PMIs are scheduled to be released today   The median forecasts of economists surveyed by Bloomberg expect China’s official NBS manufacturing PMI to edge up to 49.2 in August from 49.0 in July, while firmly remaining in contractionary territory. Heatwaves and drought-induced power curbs have caused Sichuan and Chongqing to shut-down manufacturing activities for six days and eight days in August respectively. The stepping up of pandemic controls in some cities could also affect the survey negatively. The median forecast for August official NBS non-manufacturing PMI is 52.2, down from last month’s 53.8 but remains in expansionary territory.   Crowdstrike, the cybersecurity giant reported better than expected results   Crowdstrike shares were higher after hours in the US, following a 0.7% rise in the regular session after reporting second-quarter results that topped analysts expectations, while it raised its forecasts for the year. The cyber security giant reported revenue rose to $535 million, up from the $337.7 million in the year-ago quarter. Annual reoccurring revenue grew 59% to $2.14 billion compared to the same time last year. This is a somewhat of a testament that cyber security is a defensive industry that is able to do well, regardless of economic conditions weakening. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: APAC Daily Digest: What is happening in markets and what to consider next – August 31, 2022

Summary:  Whiplash in global sentiment as the US equity market ended yesterday on a sour note at new local lows, only to see the mood brighten considerably in Asia, perhaps in part due to a massive plunge in crude oil prices. Sentiment toward the euro has certainly improved this week, as the single currency posted strong gains nearly across the board yesterday on another steep drop in natural gas prices and fresh hawkish rhetoric from an ECB member ahead of next Thursday’s meeting.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures reversed hard yesterday after pushing through above the 100-day moving average closing below the 4,000 level at 3,987. The culprit was more hawkish comments from both the Fed and ECB on top of very strong JOLTS Job Openings supporting the view that the labour market remains tight, likely leading to more wage pressures. Also, the S&P CoreLogic house index for June showed that house prices slowed down significantly on m/m basis highlighting the negative impact from higher mortgage rates. S&P 500 futures are trading back above the 4,000 level this morning with the 50-day moving average sitting around the 4,017 level is a key support level to watch today. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) In U.S. trading the night before, Hang Seng Index Futures tumbled 2.3% in a confluence of factors including Taiwanese soldiers on front-line islands firing shots at civilian drones believed flying from mainland China, a newswire report saying the U.S. regulator, PCAOB, selected Alibaba (BABA:xnys/09988:xhkg) for audit inspection commencing in September, Berkshire Hathaway reducing holdings in BYD, Covid-related lockdown concerns, and the continuous decline of the U.S. equity markets. Hang Seng Index gapped down by nearly 2% at the Asian market open but managed to crawl back all the loss and turn to a gain of 0.5% at the time of writing. The tech space led the charge higher, Hang Seng Tech Index (HSTECH.I) surged by 2.4%. In A shares, CSI 300 reversed the downtrend in the morning and bounced to 0.8% higher. Surging euro take the single currency higher across the board The EURUSD exchange rate was stable-to-stronger as the EU continues to build natural gas supplies ahead of the winter and as the price for gas dropped sharply yesterday again. More hawkish comments from the ECB, this time from Nagel, who argued for “front-loading” rate hikes, also helped the euro higher. The Euro was higher across the board, with EURCHF surging nearly to 0.9800 and EURUSD staying above parity despite the USD strength elsewhere. The bigger level in the latter is toward the 1.0100 local range high and former range low. Next Thursday’s ECB will be critical for the euro outlook, with the market leaning for a 75 basis point hike. Selling pressure in GBP ramps up Pessimism built in sterling after Goldman Sachs hinted that peak inflation in the UK could reach 22% in early 2023 and downgraded its GDP forecast. GBPUSD touched lows of 1.1622 before settling around 1.1660.  EURGBP pushed higher to 0.8600, its strongest level since early July. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil on track for a third monthly drop took a 7.5% tumble on Tuesday after recording the best day in six weeks on Monday. Both highlight a market suffering from low liquidity and lack of direction. Brent has returned to $100 with the slower growth and demand narrative once attracting sellers. In addition, a two-day plunge in EU gas prices also weighing on sentiment while new Covid infections and the worst heatwaves in decades in China added to the negative sentiment. On the supply side the Iraq turmoil is not having any impact on oil supplies while an Iran nuclear deal still lingers. Ahead of today’s EIA weekly stock report, the API last night reported a 600k barrels increase in oil stocks with big draws seen in gasoline and diesel. Further volatility can be expected in European gas prices over the coming days, and that could spill over to crude oil as well. EU Gas traders watch Nord Stream 1 and political initiatives to suppress power prices Dutch TTF benchmark gas which touched €350/MWh on Friday trades €270/MWh on the opening with focus on Gazprom’s announced 3-day closure of the NordStream 1 pipeline for maintenance, and whether it will reopen on September 3 or remain shut as part of Putin’s gas war against Europe. The closure coinciding with maintenance in Norway, including at the giant Troll fields. NordStream 1 currently supplies Europe with 33 mcm/day compared with its capacity of 167 mcm/day. A re-opening on September 3 could send prices tumbling further towards €200/MWh, a level still high enough to curb demand. Gas has also been losing altitude in response to rapidly filling storage sites, although daily flows will be needed throughout the winter, and signs the EU is preparing to intervene to dampen soaring power prices. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold remains troubled by the recent hawkish shift by the US Federal Reserve, but the downside pressure has eased a bit by a weaker dollar and geopolitical tensions. The price nevertheless trades below support-turned-resistance at $1729/oz with $1715/oz support preventing another attempt to challenge key support at $1680/oz. A host of Fed speakers were on the wires yesterday, and all of them focused on inflation, suggesting aggressive action from the Fed will continue. Meanwhile, Taiwanese soldiers fired shots to ward off civilian drones flying close to islands near China, spooking fears that tensions could escalate. What is going on? First shipment of wheat out of Ukraine arrives in Africa The first export of wheat from Ukraine since the invasion of Russia in February has arrived in Djibouti, east Africa. The 23,000-ton shipment is bound for Ethiopia which is struggling with ongoing drought and conflict. A recent agreement between Russia and Ukraine, mediated by the UN and Turkey, has allowed 50 ships to resume shopping grain around the world. Wheat harvest was also seen picking up in Canada as yields improved amid better weather conditions, helping to ease supply worries in the key agricultural crop. US consumer confidence and JOLTS data came in better-than-expected US consumer confidence rose to its highest level in three months to come in at 103.2 in August from 95.7 previously. Both the expectation index and present situation index saw improvements, rising to 75.1 (prev. 65.6) and 145.4 (prev.139.7), respectively. This could be partly driven by lower pump prices, but also signals that a healthy job market report may be coming this week. The 1-year ahead inflation expectation fell to 7.0% (prev. 7.4%), which was a seven-month low. Meanwhile, US JOLTS rose to 11.239mln in July, above the expected 10.45mln and previous 10.698mln, hinting that the labor market remains tight. German CPI’s upside surprise, ECB still leaning towards front-loading Germany CPI came in higher than expected at 7.9% YoY (vs. 7.5% prev and 7.8% expected) while the MoM print was slightly softer at 0.3% (vs. 0.9% prev and 0.4% expected). Food and energy price gains underpinned, but fuel rebate helped to take some pressure off. Meanwhile, ECB speakers continued to push for more front-loaded rate hikes, in contrast to ECB’s Lane calling for more step-by-step increases on Monday and signaling recession concerns yesterday. THe ECB’s Nagel argued for front-loading rate tightening and Knot clearly said he’s leaning towards a 75bp hike in September, but he is open to a discussion, as did Muller. Wunsch also vouched for rates in restrictive territory, and Vasle (non-voter) said the September rate hike should exceed 50bps. Pricing for the ECB meeting next Thursday closed yesterday around +65 basis points. Taiwan shot at drones flying close to its offshore islands Taiwan’s authorities said in a statement Taiwanese soldiers fired shots in three incidents on Tuesday to ward off drones flying close to small offshore islands controlled by Taiwan. The statement did not identify where these civilian drones were from but said that the drones flew away in direction of Xiamen, a coastal city in mainland China. Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen previously urged Taiwan’s military force to take “appropriate by necessary” actions to drive away civilian drones having been buzzing Taiwan’s military installations on its front-line islands. Crowdstrike reports better than expected results Shares were higher in US extended trading, following a 0.7% rise in the regular session after reporting second-quarter results that topped expectations, while it also raised its forecasts for the year. The cyber security giant reported revenue rose to $535mn, up from $337.7mn last year. Annual recurring revenue grew 59% to $2.14bn compared to the same time last year. This is a somewhat of a testament that cyber security is a defensive industry, as it is able to somewhat thrive regardless of economic conditions weakening. Chinese lithium miners are seeing explosive growth Tiangqi and Ganfeng, two of the world’s largest lithium miners, both reported very strong results seeing net income increasing multiples times from last year as lithium carbonate prices have risen 80% this year in China driven by supply shortages of lithium and extremely rapidly growing demand for electric vehicles. What are we watching next? The EU will hold an emerging energy meeting on 9 September This happens while the EU is set to meet its gas storage filling goal (80 %) two months ahead of target. Germany, which is one of the largest European economies most dependent on Russian gas, is also on track to meet its national storage goal before the deadline expires. In recent weeks, the EU has scaled up efforts in order to avoid energy rationing this winter. On this emergency meeting, Spain is expected to propose that the entire EU apply the ‘Iberian exception’ to set electricity prices. In mid-April 2022, the European Commission agreed that Spain and Portugal create a temporary mechanism to decouple the price of gas from that of electricity for a period of 12 months. Concretely, the price of gas was capped to an average of €50 per megawatt-hour. This resulted in electricity bills being halved for about 40 % of Spanish and Portuguese consumers with regulated rates. This could be applied at the EU scale. The Chinese Communist Party national congress commences on Oct. 16 The politburo decided to propose to schedule the next once-every-five-year National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (the “CCP”) for Oct 16, 2022.  The 2,300-odd delegates attending the National Congress will elect the CCP’s Central Committee which consists of 205 full (voting) members and 170 alternate (non-voting) members. The full members of the Central Committee will elect among themselves the 25 members of the Politburo and the members of the Politburo will then choose among themselves the seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee, who are the highest leaders of the CCP.  The National Congress will review the CCP’s work over the past five years and formulate policy directions and action plans for the next five years.  Today is the first report of US ADP Payrolls Change using new methodology The ADP Research Institute and Stanford Digital Economy Lab have revised the methodology for the ADP’s monthly employment report, arguing that the new report will offer a better view on the labor market, with breakdowns of weekly data for the prior month and more data on changes in pay. Only time will tell whether the market will begin to trust this data more than the official nonfarm payrolls “establishment” survey. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is MongoDB expected to report 42% y/y revenue growth in FY23 Q2 (ending 31 July) with operating profit getting very close to break-even. The database company has been running positive cash flow from operations over the past two quarters, but investors would like to see operating income (includes share-based compensation) break-even as well. Today: MongoDB, Brown-Forman, Veeva Systems Thursday: Pernod Ricard, Broadcom, Lululemon Athletica, Hormel Foods Friday: BNP Paribas Fortis Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0755 – Germany Aug. Unemployment Change/Rate 0800 – Poland Flash Aug. CPI 0900 – Eurozone Flash Aug. CPI 1200 – US Fed’s Mester (voter) to speak 1215 – US Aug. ADP Private Payroll change 1230 – Canada Jun. GDP 1345 – US Aug. Chicago PMI 1430 – EIA's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 2300 – South Korea Q2 GDP 0145 – China Aug. Caixin Manufacturing PMI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – August 31, 2022

Relevance up to 13:00 UTC+2 Technical analysis:   Gold has been trading downside as I expected and the downside objective has been reached at the price of $1.711. I still potential for further downside movement. Trading recommendation: Due to the strong downside momentum and no signs for the reversal, i still see potential for further drop. Watch for potential selling opportunities on the intraday rallies with the downside objective at the price of $1.680. MACD oscillator is showing fresh new downside momentum, which is another sign that sellers are in control. Key resistance is set at the price of $1.726   Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade.   Source: Forex Analysis & Reviews: Analysis of Gold for August 31,.2022 - First downside target has been reached

Summary:  Crude oil’s bounce from a six-month low has faded fast with risk appetite across markets taking a hit after Fed chair Powell's hawkish speech once again raised concerns that the central banks aggressive stance towards combatting runaway inflation will drive down growth and demand for crude oil and fuel products. In addition, the energy market has to deal with long liquidation into a low liquidity market, reduce gas-to-fuel focus as EU gas prices drop as well as Iraq, Libya and Iran developments. Crude oil’s bounce from a six-month low has faded fast following Friday’s hawkish message from Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve Chairman, which once again raised concerns that the central banks aggressive stance towards combatting runaway inflation would mean lower growth and with that lower demand for crude oil and fuel products. The battle between these macro concerns continues to battle with micro developments, the majority of which still point to tightness during the coming months. In Europe, the gas and power crisis continue with punitively high prices attracting substitution demand into fuel products like diesel and heating oil. In the short-term the price of gas into the autumn month will continue to be dictated by Russian flows, and not least whether Gazprom (and Putin) as announced will resume flows on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline following the three-day maintenance shutdown that ends at 0100 GMT on September 3. Other developments currently impacting the market: China’s continued battle with Covid infections which is currently found in 31 provinces, and which has led to fresh curbs being implemented, among others in two of southern China’s most economically vibrant areas. Deadly turmoil in Baghdad after Moqtada Al-Sadr, a prominent cleric, decided to resign from politics, thereby deepening a political crisis that has left the country without a government since last October’s election. For now, the clashes have not spread to oil-rich area and exports from one of OPEC’s biggest producers remain uninterrupted. Clashes in Libya’s capital Tripoli over the weekend which left at least 32 people dead have raised risks of a civil war in Libya, a very volatile producer which has seen its output swing between 0.7 and 1.2 million barrels per day during the past year. On the supply side, the market will be watching the impact of the EU embargo on Russian oil which will begin impacting supply from December and the 180-million-barrel release, at a rate of one million barrel per day, from US Strategic Reserves that look set to run until October 21. In the following months the US government plans to buy back 60 million barrels, a decision that is likely to be delayed given the prolonged war in Ukraine. Finally, an Iran nuclear deal has yet to be reached, but if successful it could lead to millions of barrels of on and offshore stored oil being released into the market. WTI Crude Oil: Following Monday’s short squeeze the subsequent sell-off has forced recently established longs to reduce their exposure. Developments that from a technical perspective have opened the risk of a return towards key support around the mid-August low at $85.5/b. Source: Saxo Group Lack of liquidity and speculative positions being wrongfooted have both added to the latest gyration which saw the biggest jump in six weeks on Monday being  followed by a near 9% two-day drop. In the week to August 23, hedge funds added 80k lots of crude oil and fuel exposure, the biggest weekly increase since January, and the latest tumble may have forced many too hastily exit those recently established and now loss-making positions.            With the summer holiday driving season winding up we are seeing gasoline refinery margins trading sharply lower while demand for diesel as a substitute for expensive gas has supported diesel margins, both in the US and especially in Europe. However, since Friday’s peak in EU gas prices we have seen softer but still elevated margins there as well.              The weekly oil and fuel stock report from the US Energy Information Administration will be watched closely given its frequency and with that the ability to provide an up-to-date snapshot of the current supply and demand situation across crude oil and fuel. Last night the API reported a 600k barrels increase in oil stocks and a combined 5.1 million barrels drop in gasoline and distillates stocks. The report will also provide the EIA’s assessment of production, which has been adjusted lower for the past two weeks to 12 million barrels a day, and somewhat short of the EIA’s latest end of year forecast of 12.45 million. Crude and distillates exports will also be watched after the combined figure hit a record last week. As per usual I will post the charts and tables on Twitter once the report has been released at 14:30 GMT.               Source: Oil drops as hawkish Fed drives fresh demand concerns

Summary:  The Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) announced an emergency energy meeting will be held on 9 September in Brussels (Belgium). This aims to discuss concrete measures to tackle the energy crisis while power prices continue to reach record high. Last week, France 1-year forward electricity prices crossed for the first time ever the level of €1,000 per megawatt-hour (MWh). Before the crisis, anything above €75-100 per MWh was considered as expensive. Three main options are on the table : targeted compensatory measures for low-income households, applying the ‘Iberian exception’ to the entire EU (temporarily decoupling the price of gas from that of electricity) and reforming more fundamentally the European electricity market. There is no easy answer. Each of these options has downfalls. In our view, the energy crisis is here to stay. The world of cheap energy is over. We have entered into a brave new world of high inflation and high energy prices. An unbearable cost : According to the calculations of the Brussels-based think-tank Bruegel, EU governments have allocated almost €280bn to help companies and households to cope with higher energy bills since September 2021. In nominal terms, the largest European economies allocated the most funding (Germany €66bn, Italy €49bn and France €44bn). In percentage of GDP (which is a better way to compare), the financial cushion deployed is the largest in Greece (3.7 %), Lithuania (3.6 %) and Italy (2.8 %). This cannot last forever. Several countries are looking to reduce financial support. They want to implement a targeted approach to mostly help low-income households. In France, the government capped energy prices in 2022 (gas prices were frozen at the levels of Autumn 2021 and electricity prices increased only by 4 % this year for households). But this is costly (around €20bn – this is about half of the annual budget of the French ministry of Education). Based on current energy prices, expect the cost to be close to €40bn for this year. In light of higher interest rates and risks that massive financial stimulus further fuels inflation, we believe that many European governments will follow the pace of the French’s. They will decide to downsize the financial package aimed to cushion the energy crisis. On top of that, several EU countries are embattled with the need to bailout utilities at risk of insolvency (Germany’s Uniper and two Vienna municipal utilities, for instance). This is only unfolding now. Electricity market intervention is back on the agenda : Yesterday, the president of the European Commission (EC), Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen acknowledged the EU electricity market is no longer functioning. This is an understatement. There are mostly two options on the table. Both will be discussed at the upcoming emergency meeting of 9 September. The first option is to propose that the entire EU apply the ‘Iberian exception’ to set electricity prices. In mid-April 2022, the EC agreed that Spain and Portugal create a temporary mechanism to decouple the price of gas from that of electricity for a period of 12 months. Concretely, the price of gas was capped to an average of €50 per megawatt-hour. This resulted in electricity bills being halved for about 40 % of Spanish and Portuguese consumers with regulated rates. This could be applied at the EU scale. This is supported by Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain and Portugal especially. However, this is far from being perfect. It led to significant leakage – basically a surge in power exports to France. In other words, a lot of the subsidy actually ends up in France. In addition, prices continue to increase at a speedy rate for 60 % of consumers. The second option is to separate the wholesale power market into two segments : a mandatory pool for low-variable cost technologies (wind, solar, nuclear, for instance) and a conventional market for fossil condensing plants. This proposal is pushed forward by Greece. This is a more fundamental reform of the EU electricity market. But there are several downsides, especially regarding how existing long-term contracts will be treated. Much more emergency meetings will be required before a coherent approach will be approved. Don’t expect major decisions to be announced next week. The nuclear option : In our view, the European energy crisis is an opportunity to rethink policy stance on nuclear power. Last week, several non-partisan organizations launched a petition to prevent Switzerland from leaving nuclear power in 2027, as scheduled. This decision was initially taken in the aftermath of the 2011 Fukushima crisis (Japan). According to the July data from the World Nuclear Association, France and the United Kingdom are the two main European countries with the most nuclear capacity under construction. But others don’t seem to embrace this option. In Germany, the Greens prefer to restart coal-fired power stations rather than rethinking the nuclear exit plan. This is puzzling. Nuclear power is not without issues (see corrosion issues in France nuclear reactors). But it guarantees energy independence and lower energy prices in the long-run. While Asia is embracing nuclear power (South Korea is reversing nuclear phaseout and China is accelerating its huge buildout in reactors, for instance), we fear that the EU will still be reluctant to bet on nuclear for ideological reasons. Like it or not, nuclear energy is our best option at the moment to reduce dependence on expensive fossil energy and move forward fast with the green transition. On the spot side, electricity prices continue to remain close to record high in France and Germany, respectively at 641 and 604€ per MWh. In contrast, they remain comparatively low in Spain and Portugal, around 200€ per MWh. This is roughly 10 times more than before the Covid, however. Source: EU Emergency Energy Meeting : A Never Ending Story

Technical analysis: Gold has been trading downside as I expected. I see potential for further drop towards the next downside reference. Trading recommendation: Due to the strong downside trend and rejection of the supply trend-line in the background, I see potetnial for the fuhrer drop. Watch for potential selling opportunities on the intraday rallies with the next downside target at $1.680. Stochastic oscillator is showing fresh bear cross, which is good confirmation for the further downside movement. Key resistance is set at the price of $1.722 Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/290983   Relevance up to 10:00 2022-09-02 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/290983

At the close of the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones rose 0.46%, the S&P 500 rose 0.30%, and the NASDAQ Composite fell 0.26%. The leading performer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was Johnson & Johnson, which gained 4.00 points or 2.48% to close at 165.34. Amgen Inc rose 5.20 points or 2.16% to close at 245.50. Merck & Company Inc rose 1.79 points or 2.10% to close at 87.15. The losers were Boeing Co shares, which lost 6.59 points or 4.11% to end the session at 153.66. Dow Inc. gained 2.04% or 1.04 points to close at 49.96, while Salesforce.com Inc shed 1.66% or 2.59 points to close at 153. .53. Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were DXC Technology Co, which rose 7.75% to hit 26.70, General Holdings Inc, which gained 5.72% to close at 233.01, and also Moderna Inc, which rose 5.05% to end the session at 138.95. The losers were shares of NVIDIA Corporation, which lost 7.67% to close at 139.37. Shares of Hormel Foods Corporation shed 6.56% to end the session at 46.98. Quotes of Monolithic Power Systems Inc decreased in price by 6.11% to 425.47. Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Hempacco Co Inc, which rose 63.41% to hit 8.35, GigaCloud Technology Inc, which gained 61.43% to close at 23.65, and also shares of Virax Biolabs Group Ltd, which rose 58.69% to end the session at 5.57. American Virtual Cloud Technologies Inc was the biggest loser, shedding 52.17% to close at 0.22. Shares of Newage Inc lost 46.87% and ended the session at 0.12. Quotes of Okta Inc decreased in price by 33.70% to 60.60. On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2231) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (901), while quotes of 101 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2,416 companies fell in price, 1,333 rose, and 244 remained at the level of the previous close. The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 1.20% to 25.56. Gold futures for December delivery lost 1.13%, or 19.55, to hit $1.00 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI October futures fell 3.54%, or 3.17, to $86.38 a barrel. Brent oil futures for November delivery fell 3.71%, or 3.55, to $92.09 a barrel. Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD fell 1.11% to hit 0.99, while USD/JPY edged up 0.89% to hit 140.20. Futures on the USD index rose 0.91% to 109.65.         Relevance up to 04:00 2022-09-03 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/291092

Early in the European session, Gold (XAU/USD) is trading at around 1,697. We can see the 2/8 Murray zone as strong support for gold. If the asset manages to consolidate above this level, we can expect a bullish acceleration towards the top of the downtrend channel which has been developing since August 22nd. Yesterday in the American session, XAU/USD fell to a low of 1,688.65, due to US initial claims for unemployment benefits, reaching the highest level since April. Another factor that could exert pressure on gold is expectations that the FED will raise its interest rate by 0.75% at its next meeting in September. In case gold breaks below 1,687, it could hit a 2021 low of around 1,675. A recovery above 1,702 and a consolidation above the downtrend channel would ease downside pressures. XAU/USD is trading above 2/8 Murray (1,687) and below the 21 SMA located at 1,717. Gold is expected to trade within this range in the coming hours pending US employment data. Nonfarm payrolls could give strong volatility to the market. In the next few hours, gold is expected to break and consolidate above 3/8 Murray (1,718). If the price of gold remains above this level, it could mean an acceleration to the upside and the metal could reach the top of the downtrend channel at around 1,730 which has been formed since early August. Since August 22nd, the eagle indicator is showing a slightly bullish signal and a positive divergence. If it consolidates above this level in the next few hours, it could continue to give gold a positive signal and the precious metal could reach the 200 EMA located at 1,755. In case gold breaks and consolidates below 1,685, we should avoid buying as the bearish cycle is likely to resume again and the price could reach the psychological level of 1,650. On the other hand, as long as gold trades above 2/8 Murray, it will be a buying opportunity with targets at 1,717, 1,735, and 4/8 Murray around 1,750.       Relevance up to 06:00 2022-09-07 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/291104

The energy crisis in the EU continues to deepen amid Russia's full shutdown of the Nord Stream pipeline over the past weekend. The interruption of gas supply has sent the euro downwards once again. Early on Monday, the European currency lost 0.5% against the US dollar and hit a 20-year low at 0.9903. EUR/USD came under pressure following Russia's decision to extend maintenance of the Nord Stream pipeline. Gazprom shut down the pipeline indefinitely, citing an oil leak in one of its turbines. EU officials believe the technical issues are merely a pretext by the Kremlin to shut down gas exports to the European Union According to the West, Moscow is trying to impose an energy blockade on the EU at the beginning of the heating season in a last-ditch attempt to force EU to relax its sanctions against Russia. At the same time, the Kremlin has blamed Western sanctions imposed on Russia for the pipeline's shutdown. Russia is claiming that sanctions prevent Gazprom from keeping the Nord Stream's turbines running. On Saturday, Gazprom tried to alleviate EU concerns by stating that the company would increase natural gas exports to Europe via Ukraine. However, the West has deemed Gazprom's promises to be unreliable. Such an increase would not fully compensate for the shutdown of Nord Stream. Furthermore, this cannot be a permanent solution. Natural gas deliveries via Ukraine could be difficult due to the ongoing conflict between the two countries. This escalation of the gas war between Russia and the EU is forcing EU policymakers to seek solutions for the supply problem. The EU is worried that the shutdown of Nord Stream could send natural gas prices in Europe even higher. On Friday, EU energy ministers are set to present emergency measures to tackle rising energy prices. These measures would likely include natural gas price caps. Furthermore, EU politicians would push for a reduction in gas demand and consumption in the European Union. The ongoing energy crisis will be in the headlines this week, dimming the short-term prospects of the euro. As the gas conflict escalates, risks of an economic slowdown would rise. With the ECB preparing for another interest rate increase, the timing for these risks could not be worse. The ECB's policy meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday. The EU regulator is now increasingly expected to carry out more aggressive policy measures after inflation in the eurozone reached 9.1%. However, with the EU facing a renewed threat of an energy collapse, recession, and a serious financial crisis, many analysts do not believe that ECB president Christine Lagarde will take a more hawkish step than in July. Earlier, the European Central Bank increased the key rate by 50 basis points to 0.5%. At the same time, the Federal Reserve hiked the rate by 75 basis points to 2.25-2.5%. The gap between EU and US interest rates could likely increase even further in September, as traders expect another 75 bps move by the Fed in September. It would be a third such increase in a row. "Everything is pointing to a lower euro," Carol Kong, senior associate for international economics and currency strategy at Commonwealth Bank of Australia said. "We've heard a great deal of negative news about the European economy, and I think the decline in the euro can continue this week." On the technical side, EUR/USD bears hold dominance in the market. The 7-week support line at 0.9880 is acting as an additional downside filter for the pair. EUR/USD must regain 1.0100 for bullish traders to return to the market.     Relevance up to 10:00 2022-09-10 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/320805

Technical analysis: Gold has been trading sideways today at the price of $1.712/ I see potential for further downside rotation. Trading recommendation: Gold is still trading in the bigger downside channel and I see potential for the downside movement. Watch for the selling opportunities with the downside objective at the price of $1.691. Stochatic oscillator is showing fresh downside cross from the overbought zone, which can be good sign for the further downside rotation. Key resistance is set at the price of $1.720   Relevance up to 14:00 2022-09-06 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/291439

European stock markets are plunging at the start of the week following a day of mixed trade in Asia, with Gazprom’s announcement on Friday weighing heavily on the bloc. In the USA there is a bank holiday, Euro goes down as Nord Stream 1 is shut down A bank holiday in the US often results in relatively quiet trade everywhere else but that’s certainly not looking the case today. The decision not to restart gas flows via Nord Stream 1 after an oil leak was apparently discovered has created enormous uncertainty in Europe going into the winter. The euro slipped to a new 20-year low against the dollar in response to the shutdown. The decision conveniently came hours after the G7 agreed to an oil price cap and as countries announced they’re ahead of schedule in filling gas reserves. Many would argue it was only a matter of time until the decision was taken, with Europe having been squeezed over a number of months for one reason or another. There have been reports that Gazprom could increase deliveries via Ukraine as a result of the shutdown but it’s not clear whether this would be enough to offset the loss of Nord Stream 1. And considering Siemens has claimed that such a leak would not ordinarily affect the operation of a turbine and is easily fixed, you have to wonder whether Russia would actually take that decision. A painful winter lies ahead. A massive job for the incoming UK PM The UK will discover who its new Prime Minister will be today, with Liz Truss the standout favourite to win the run-off against Rishi Sunak. Whoever is victorious, the job facing them is enormous, with the economy facing a long recession and eye-watering inflation. Alleviating one while not exacerbating the other will be the first job for the incoming Prime Minister and it won’t be easy, to put it mildly. There’s a huge amount of pessimism around the UK at the moment, as evident by the pound, which looks on course to fall to its lowest level since 1985 against the dollar. Chinese headwinds strengthen China is also facing numerous headwinds going into the end of the year, with Covid once again creating huge uncertainty. Beijing’s commitment to its zero-Covid policy has created major challenges for the economy this year and with mass testing taking place over the weekend and lockdowns being extended in Chengdu, that’s going to persist. ​ The pressure is being felt in the yuan which fell for a sixth month in August and is continuing to fall against the dollar. That’s despite the best efforts of the PBOC which continues to set the yuan fix stronger than markets expect. To make matters worse, US President Biden is reportedly weighing up measures to limit US investment in Chinese tech firms. The US is becoming increasingly hawkish toward China and the latest move is another blow to its tech space. Major support being tested Bitcoin is continuing to show resilience around $20,000 but that’s really being put to the test as risk aversion sweeps through the markets once more. It’s down 1% so far today and trading a little below that crucial support level. A significant break at this point could be really damaging, with the following key level below here being the June lows around $17,500. Considering the outlook for risk appetite in the near term, it’s not looking good. For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar: www.marketpulse.com/economic-events/ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Risk aversion sweeps across Europe - MarketPulseMarketPulse

OPEC+ meets after price cap announcement Today’s OPEC+ meeting has been somewhat overshadowed by all the talk of oil price caps and Nord Stream 1. The group is expected to leave output targets unchanged but it’s likely that a cut will be at least discussed which, if followed through on, would create more volatility and uncertainty at a time of considerable unease. The economic outlook and potential for a new nuclear deal have weighed on prices recently, much to the frustration of Saudi Arabia in particular. An output cut won’t make them any friends at a time when the world is facing a cost-of-living crisis already and the group has failed to keep up with demand this year. The more sensible option may be to hold this month and revisit in the future when there’s more clarity; something that is seriously lacking at this moment in time. ​ Gold holding up for now Gold is treading water at the start of the week even as the dollar rallies strongly once more. Traders are favouring the safety of the greenback this morning but that’s not damaging appeal for the yellow metal. It’s come under considerable pressure in recent weeks as yields have risen and the dollar has bounced back and it’s now trading around a key area of support, which may be why we’re seeing more resilience. While $1,700 looks like a psychological barrier, $1,680 is key. A break of that could signal further pressure on gold, especially if accompanied by more aggressive tightening from central banks. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Oil eyes OPEC and Nord Stream 1, gold steady - MarketPulseMarketPulse

OPEC+ members surprised the market yesterday by agreeing to cut their output target by 100Mbbls/d for October. However, given that OPEC+ has been producing well below production targets for some time now, the impact of this cut on actual supply is limited What was agreed? OPEC+ agreed to cut production in October by 100Mbbls/d, which would take production targets back to the same levels as in August. The group highlighted volatility and reduced liquidity in the market as justifications for the move by helping improve stability and ensuring that the market functions in an efficient manner. Given the volatility in the market coupled with plenty of uncertainty, OPEC+ has not ruled out further action if and when it is needed. Is a 100Mbbls/d cut really a 100Mbbls/d cut? While the headline number is for a 100Mbbls/d cut, in reality, the actual cut will be much smaller. It is important to remember that OPEC+ have failed to hit their production targets all year. In July, OPEC+ output was actually more than 2.7MMbbls/d below the target production. Most producers have not been able to hit their targets and are producing quite some distance below where they should be. It is only Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait that have been producing at or near their agreed output levels. Therefore, it will likely be only these producers that will need to reduce output by their share of the 100Mbbls/d. Combined, these three producers would need to reduce output by around 40Mbbls/d from September levels. What does this mean for the market? Fundamentally this changes little in our supply and demand balance, and we will be keeping our oil price forecasts unchanged for the remainder of this year and 2023. However, the action from OPEC+ does seem to confirm that the floor for Brent is not too far below US$90/bbl. And while little changes in the supply/demand balance, it does not send a great message to the US administration, which has been putting pressure on OPEC for much of the year to increase output more aggressively. Read this article on THINK TagsSaudi Arabia Russia-Ukraine OPEC+ Oil Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

A large decline in US crude oil inventories has supported prices, while the market continues to wait for further detail on how Iranian nuclear talks are progressing Source: Flickr Energy- hefty US crude draw EIA numbers released yesterday were fairly constructive. US commercial crude oil inventories fell by 3.28MMbbls over the last week. However, when taking into account releases from the strategic petroleum reserve, total US crude oil inventories declined by a significant 11.37MMbbls. While crude oil exports fell by 823Mbbls/d over the week to 4.18MMbbls/d, these historically are still fairly strong flows. In fact, when looking at total oil and product exports over the week, they hit a record 11.08MMbbls/d, due to strong product exports. Gasoline inventories saw a marginal decline of 27Mbbls, while distillate fuel oil stocks fell by 662Mbbls. We are in a period where we should be seeing distillate stocks building. Instead, the gap to the 5-year average continues to grow. Total US distillate stocks are around 35MMbbls below the 5-year average. This tightness in middle distillates is something that we continue to see in all regions around the world. The one bearish factor from the EIA release was implied demand. Total implied demand for products fell by 1.88MMbbls/d over the week, while gasoline demand declined by 914Mbbls/d. There was further progress on the Iranian nuclear deal yesterday. The US finally replied to the EU’s proposal for reviving the deal. And while clearly, negotiations appear to be moving in the right direction, the US has said that “we’re not there yet” and that there are still “gaps” that remain. We are currently not assuming an increase in Iranian supply in our balance sheet, and so a deal would mean the need for us to make revisions to our current price forecasts. Metals – aluminium stocks jump higher LME aluminium yesterday gave up much of the gains made earlier in the day after a sudden jump in LME inventories was reported. The latest data from the LME shows that aluminium stocks jumped by 10.6kt - the largest daily increase since 10 February. The majority of the inflows were reported at Malaysia’s Port Klang warehouses. The latest monthly update from the International Copper and Study Group shows that the supply deficit for copper stood at 66kt in June, compared to a deficit of 34kt in the previous month. Over the first half of the year, the market was in a deficit of 72kt, compared to a deficit of 130kt during the same period last year. Global mine and refined production increased by 3%YoY and 3.2%YoY respectively, while overall apparent consumption over the same period grew by 2.7%YoY. Agriculture – grains benefit from adverse weather conditions CBOT grains have been trading firm this week as weather and crop reports from China and the US added to supply concerns. Weather reports show that China has witnessed severe heatwaves over the past few weeks which could negatively impact crop production for the current season. China’s National Meteorological Services warned again of high temperatures and drought in large parts of the country, with the government issuing notices to several provinces to use water resources conservatively. Similarly in the US, dry and hot weather was seen impacting corn yields, especially in the Midwest region. Read this article on THINK TagsIran nuclear deal Grains EIA Copper Aluminium Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Technical analysis:   Gold has been trading upside in the background but I found strong rejection of the important resistance at the price of 1.725, which is good ign for further downside rotation. Trading recommendation: Due to strong rejection of the key resistance at the price of $1.725, I see potential for the downside movement. Watch for the selling opportunities on the intraday rallies with the downside objectives at the price of $1.709 and $1.690. MACD oscillator is showing bear divergence, which is another sign for the further downside rotation. Key short-term resistance is set at the price of $1.725     Relevance up to 10:00 2022-09-07 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/291570

It’s been a mixed start to trade on Tuesday, similar to what we saw in Asia overnight, and as we await the return of the US after the long bank holiday weekend. Europe in particular was rattled on Monday by the Gazprom announcement that came after the close on Friday in relation to Nord Stream 1. The latest move in the apparent weaponisation of energy supplies has once more created huge uncertainty ahead of the winter. Conveniently the announcement came hours after the G7 agreed to a Russian price cap and as Europe was boasting about being ahead of schedule on filling gas stores. RBA signals more hikes ahead The Reserve Bank of Australia raised the cash target rate by 50 basis points to 2.35% on Tuesday, in line with expectations, as it continues to aggressively push back against soaring inflation. The central bank reiterated that it is not on a pre-set path but will continue hiking interest rates with markets of the belief that there’s still plenty more to come including another 50bps next month and 25 at each of the following three. Read next: Russia Suspends Flow Through The Nord Stream 1 Pipeline, Cotton Futures, Gold Prices Increase For The First Time In 3-weeks| FXMAG.COM Of course, forecasting even that far ahead has become far more challenging in such an uncertain global environment but it’s clear that central banks around the world still have a massive job on their hands and the coming months will be tough. That said, the RBA is of the belief that inflation will peak later this year before returning to 3% in 2024. PBOC desperate to support CNY The PBOC once again set a stronger yuan fix today as it continues to push back against its decline. Controlling the decline in the yuan has clearly become a huge priority, with the 2% cut in the FX reserve requirement ratio intended to support that initiative. Rather than stop a decline in the yuan, these efforts may simply slow it with a move above 7 against the dollar looking like a matter of when rather than if, given the relentless rally in the greenback. Hit the ground running Liz Truss will be sworn in as Prime Minister today and will have to hit the ground running as the UK prepares for a brutal winter. Reports claim the new PM intends to freeze energy bills this winter at a cost of up to £130 billion, a move that would certainly fall into the bold category. The question is what impact it will have on inflation and gas demand. This will be a core part of what will need to be a much greater package to shield the economy from the grim forecasts we’ve seen in recent weeks. Struggling for rally momentum Bitcoin pushed briefly back above $20,000 today but is struggling to build on that. Broadly speaking, it’s trading in a range between $19,500 and $20,500 as it has for a little over a week now but rallies do appear to be increasingly struggling which may be a slightly bearish signal. A break of $19,500 would confirm that although with trading currently so choppy, it’s tough to read too heavily into today’s moves so far. The broader market environment also remains quite risk averse which could work against cryptos. For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar: www.marketpulse.com/economic-events/ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Steady after a rocky start - MarketPulseMarketPulse

What caused the first OPEC+ decision to cut production in more than a year? Why was the verdict so symbolic? 100,000 bpd is a negligible amount, especially given that the alliance has been producing about 3 million bpd below its quotas in recent months. Only because of Nigeria and Angola, it was missing 1 million bpd. Investors are scratching their heads over the outcome of the meeting of the cartel and its allies, which forces Brent to stabilize near the $95 per barrel mark. At first glance, the OPEC+ decision is purely economic in nature. Over the past three months, oil has lost about a quarter of its value. The West is going to restart the nuclear deal with Iran, which will increase the supply by more than 1 million barrels per day. Meanwhile, China's COVID-19 lockdown expansion has already reduced the country's apparent oil consumption by 9.7% in July and threatens global demand. The revenues of Saudi Arabia and other producing countries are falling, and a signal must be given to prevent further declines. The 100,000 bpd is ideal. Such a symbolic sum is reminiscent of a warning shot in the air. If the markets do not listen, it will be possible to shoot point-blank. On the other hand, politics may be involved in the OPEC+ verdict. Russia intends to take revenge on the West for sanctions, which it has already proved by first reducing the capacity of the Nord Stream to 20% and then completely ceasing to supply gas to Europe. It is more difficult with oil since the eurozone is less dependent on this raw material than on blue fuel. It easily replaced Moscow with the United States and Africa, and together with the United States, is making plans to punish the Russian Federation for its interference in the life of Ukraine. Dynamics of Russian oil flows The discussion by the G7 countries of the price ceiling mechanism for Russian oil also does not look like a good idea. Moscow is already reorienting its oil flows from West to East, and the creation of a cartel of European and American buyers, on the one hand, will accelerate this process, on the other hand, will challenge OPEC+. And the alliance can easily respond to what it hinted at by deciding to cut production. Without the backing of India and China, the G7's price flow plan doesn't look deadly, and Asian giants joining it is doubtful. Thus, oil is caught between fears of a reduction in demand from China and the EU and the intention of OPEC+ to support prices by reducing supply. Given the modest steps taken by the alliance, Brent is likely to continue to be under pressure. At the same time, consolidation in the range of $89.5–103.5 per barrel looks quite real. Technically, on the daily chart, the failure of the North Sea variety to break above the $97.2 pivot point, where the moving averages are also located, is a sign of bullish weakness. Only a successful test of this resistance will make it possible to buy oil. On the contrary, the fall of Brent below $92.7 is a reason for sales.   Relevance up to 09:00 2022-09-11 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/320917

Previous trading tips in gold pointed at a possible decrease in prices. The target of the move is the 2021-2022 low, which is $1675. Most likely, there will be a false breakdown today at the local support-resistance level of $1717. This means that short positions are the best option in the gold market. Set stop loss at $1726 and take profit on the breakdown of $1675. This trading idea is based on the "Price Action" and "Stop Hunting" methods. Good luck and have a nice day! Don't forget to control the risks!       Relevance up to 09:00 2022-09-07 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/320899

Oil prices fell as traders weighed in OPEC's production cuts, as well as further lockdowns in China. WTI dropped below $89 immediately after the group agreed to cut production by a modest 100,000 barrels a day. Following this surprising decision, Saudi Arabia said OPEC is ready to take additional action to support the oil market if needed. Oil prices have been declining since early June, and signs of a global slowdown, monetary tightening and lockdowns in China threaten to undermine energy demand. This prompted OPEC withdraw barrels of oil from the global market, changing course to restoring supply cuts imposed during the pandemic. The decision shows that the group is serious about managing oil markets, and that they are ready to take preemptive action.       Relevance up to 10:00 2022-09-07 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/320921

Production in the construction sector prevented industrial activity from falling further in July. At the same time, high energy prices are leaving their mark on German industry   Is this the first gust of wind preluding a perfect storm? In July 2022, production in industry in real terms was down by 0.3% on the previous month on a price, seasonally and calendar adjusted basis, from an upwardly revised 0.8% MoM in June. On the year, industrial production was down by 1.1%. According to the statistical office, the relatively small number of school holidays and holiday leave prevented an even larger decrease in production compared with July last year. On the month, production in industry, excluding energy and construction, was down by 1.0%. Outside industry, energy production in July was up by 2.8% and production in construction by 1.4% from the previous month. Compared with developments in the second quarter, industrial production is down, while the construction sector shows some resilience. High energy prices have become biggest concern German industry is clearly suffering from disrupted supply chains on the back of the war in Ukraine, the aftermath of pre-summer lockdowns in China, low water levels in the main rivers and increasingly, higher energy prices. The statistical office released additional data showing that production in the energy-intensive industrial segments declined by more than the broader industry (-1.9% year-on-year). Production in this area has dropped by 6.9% since February 2022. For Germany’s industrial backbone, small and medium-sized enterprises, higher energy prices look like a ticking time bomb. With ongoing pressure on consumers’ disposable incomes, companies’ pricing power is fading. In this regard, it is remarkable that the government’s third relief package presented on Sunday provided only very limited support for this segment of the economy. Looking ahead, shrinking order books since the start of the Ukraine war, the well-known supply chain problems (both international and domestic) plus high uncertainty, high energy and commodity prices and potential energy supply disruptions will not make life any easier. Judging from the first macro data for the third quarter, the German economy has not fallen off a cliff at the start of the third quarter but is rather sliding into recession. Read this article on THINK TagsIndustrial propduction Germany Eurozone Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Technical analysis: Gold has been trading downside during the Tokyo session and the price has been reached my main downside objective at $1.690. Anyway, Gold reacted strongly from the support and now its on the way for the upside objective. Trading recommendation: Due to the strong rejection of the key support at $1.690, I see further upside movement towards next upside reference point. Watch for the potential buying opportunities on the intraday dips with the upside objectives at $1.709 and $1.717. Stochastic oscillator did show the bull divergence this morning, which is one of the reasons of the early morning rally. Key support is set at the price of $1.690   Relevance up to 10:00 2022-09-08 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/291759

Gold continues to trade under pressure, dropping to $1,700 an ounce. US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's keynote speech last week had a sustained impact that continues to push US equities and precious metals lower. His speech was strong and clear, confirming that the Fed is determined to bring down inflation at all costs. According to the Evening Briefing by Bloomberg, Powell has given up on the possibility of a soft landing and is now aiming for something that could potentially cause much more suffering for US corporations and individuals. However, many analysts are convinced that the Fed's hawkish monetary policy will not be enough to achieve its intended goal. Further, the article states that analysts have called this economic scenario the paradoxical name of "growth recession." It differs from a soft landing in that it is defined as a protracted period of meager growth and rising unemployment. The belief that Chairman Powell is trying to reduce inflation with a "growth recession" to avoid an outright recession is similar to cutting out a picture to fit the frame. The simple truth is that a recession is most likely inevitable, and the question is how deep it will be and how much pain it will cause corporations and Americans in 2023. Achieving an inflation target of 2% when the latest data relative to PCE is above 6% is a pipe dream without an increase in interest rates or a gradual increase in rates with the understanding that this will be a multi-year process of fighting inflation. A historical perspective on how various Federal Reserve Chairmans have faced the challenge of bringing inflation to a manageable target shows that this has never been accomplished without raising interest rates to meet the inflation target.         Relevance up to 11:00 2022-09-02 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/320561

Gold price is trading around $1,700. We use the Ichimoku cloud indicator in order to identify key resistance levels that need to be broken in order for short-term trend to change to bullish. For now bears are in full control of the trend. Price is below the Kumo (cloud) and both the tenkan-sen (red line indicator) and the kijun-sen (yellow line indicator). Price tested the short-term resistance by these two indicators at $1,707. Price is showing rejection signs. A break above the resistance by these two indicators, we should expect price to test the cloud at $1,718 and $1,727. As long as price is below the Kumo (cloud) bears will have the upper hand and price will remain vulnerable to more downside. The Chikou span (black line indicator) is below the candlestick pattern confirming that bears remain in control. Concluding, there is no sign of a reversal yet.   Relevance up to 13:00 2022-09-08 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/291788

Summary:  US Treasury yields retreated sharply yesterday, bringing relief to equity markets and turning the US dollar back lower. The soaring USDJPY found resistance near 145.00, while EURUSD backed up toward parity ahead of today’s ECB meeting, which is set to deliver the largest rate hike in the central bank’s history of 75 basis points as the bank seeks to catch up with global peers in its fight against inflation. Crude oil slumped below support on demand concerns, especially in China.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities rallied hard yesterday with S&P 500 futures surging 1.8% in what mostly looks like a technical rebound across many asset classes as positions maybe are trimmed ahead of the US CPI report on Tuesday. The obvious key level to watch in S&P 500 futures on the upside is the 4,000 level with the futures trading around the 3,988 level this morning. The 50-day moving average at 4,027 is currently colliding with the 100-day moving average making the 4,030 level a key area to test in the short-term. Apple unveiled a low-risk update to its iPhone suite introducing the iPhone 14 with a few hardware updates. The cost-of-living crisis may jeopardize Apple’s expected upgrade cycle that the market is currently expecting. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Despite the S&P 500 rallied by nearly 2% and the Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index surged by 2.3% overnight in the US, Hang Seng Index (-0.4%) continued its multi-session decline since the beginning of September. In mainland China, the CSI300 had a lackluster day fluctuating between small gains and losses. The weakness in Tencent (00700.xhkg), -2.3%, dragged down the benchmark index in Hong Kong. According to filings to the stock exchange, about $7.6bn worth, or 2% of the market cap, of Tencent shares have been transferred to the exchange’s clearing and settlement system. The news stirred up speculation that Prosus, a majority shareholder holding over 28% of Tencent, is selling Tencent shares.  In June, Prosus (PRX:xams) announced that the company was going to offload its stake in Tencent to raise cash to buy back its own shares and Naspers’ (NPN:xjse) shares (Prosus’ parent) at a discount to NAV. Strong USD tamed by treasury yields. EURUSD focus today in FX on ECB The latest leg higher in the US dollar was driven by a sharp move higher in US Treasury yields, a move that reversed yesterday and took the US dollar back a few notches with it. An important test ahead for the broader US dollar picture today is in EURUSD as the ECB is expected to deliver a 75-bp rate hike, the largest hike in its history, in an attempt to play catchup with global peers in its inflation fight – will the move support the Euro further or does Europe’s grinding energy emergency keep a lid on EURUSD for now? The market has priced more than 50/50 probability of a 75-bp move versus a 50-bp move and would need to hike 100 basis points to really impress the market. JPY downward spiral as global yields jump The USDJPY spike finally found resistance at the 145.00 level yesterday as US Treasury yields reversed lower. The move higher has been aggravated by the rising tide of global yields that contrasts with the Bank of Japan policy of standing pat with its yield-curve-control (YCC) policy. Often, a weak JPY encourages hedging activity by the Japanese holders of enormous savings held abroad but hedging activity has been low this time as Japanese investors abroad have enjoyed strong returns. The cycle top in EURJPY just above 144.00 is also a focus today as the ECB is set to hike as noted above. Given the scale of JPY weakening in recent days, Japanese officials will likely be out soon with a more determined response, generating two-way volatility. Crude oil (CLV2 & LCOX2) Oil prices steadied in the Asian morning after steep declines in the last few days amid demand concerns especially in China where its zero Covid policy is now impacting areas and a population that accounts for around 25% of GDP. Before the slump below $90 in Brent and WTI $85 the market had briefly rallied on Putin threats that he would cut supplies to countries agreeing on a price cap for Russian oil and gas. Supply issues had little impact, even as EIA lowered its annual oil production forecast for this and next year while raising its global demand outlook amid rising gas-to-fuel switching activity, mainly in Europe. The likelihood of an Iran nuclear deal adding supply is also fading. Focus on further OPEC+ action with Brent sliding further away from $100/b. Resistance: WTI at $85.75 and Brent at $91.50. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold once again managed to find buyers below $1700 thereby avoiding another attempt at challenging key support around $1680, a level from where the price has bounced multiple times during the past two years. Main source of directional input continues to be provided by yields and the dollar, both of which trade softer overnight (see above and below comments). Gold’s best chance of a further bounce at this point would come from short covering from recently established short positions, but for that to happen, the price as a minimum would need to break above $1735. Focus today on today’s expected ECB rate hike and its impact on EURUSD. US Treasuries (TLT, IEF) US Treasury yields reversed much of the previous day’s gains yesterday and followed through a bit lower still, taking the 10-year treasury yield below 3.25% this morning. The move helped bring relief to global risk sentiment as the USD also edged lower. The persistent move higher in US longer yields from the early August base allows for a test all the way to the 3.00% yield area in that 10-year benchmark without reversing the trend. The focus to the upside is the 3.50% peak from mid-June, around the timing of the June FOMC meeting. What is going on? Putin supply threat lifts wheat futures The Chicago and Paris contracts both jumped by more than 3% on Wednesday with the US traded contract reaching the highest level in nearly two months, after Putin criticized the UN-brokered Ukrainian grain export deal, saying the developing world had been “cheated” with the bulk of the shipments going to Turkey and Europe. Comments that could see Russia trying to revise its term to limit countries that can receive shipments. Paris Milling wheat, the high protein variety used for human consumption, still trades 25% below the May panic peak but any developments that reduces flow from Ukraine may add to global supply worries and lift the price further. New dock workers strike in the United Kingdom The UK has been facing recurring transport disruptions over the past few years. This is related to Brexit, Covid and now higher cost of living. A dockers strike at Felixstowe port (the country’s biggest container port) ended a few days ago. But a new one is looming at the port of Liverpool. The dockers trade union is calling for a strike from 19 September to 3 October (at least) after negotiations to raise salaries failed. This matters a lot. The port of Liverpool is a key hub for transatlantic sea transport. If inflation continues to rise (which is likely), expect many more strikes to come and not only in the transport industry. Social tensions will probably increase sharply in the coming months. Apple unveils iPhone 14 models If investors were hoping for a major product release of the most popular and iconic smartphone on the market they were left disappointed yesterday. Apple delivered a low-risk upgrade to its iPhone series with the iPhone 14 delivering some few hardware upgrades and no change to its overall design. The computer chip A15 Bionic is also staying the same. The biggest positive was probably no price increases which is quite telling, but also underscoring the cost-of-living crisis that many consumers are facing and in fact is jeopardizing the expected upgrade cycle of the iPhone. US retail investor readings still rock-bottom The AAII investor readings are still dire reading for the market with the spread between bullish and bearish readings hitting -35.2 in its latest data point which is worse than during the lows in 2020 and on par with the darkest hours during the Great Financial Crisis. This very negative sentiment of course could be fuel for a sharp rebound in the case Tuesday’s US inflation print turns out lower than expected. Dovish speech from Reserve Bank of Australia chief Philip Lowe In Australia overnight, RBA Governor Lowe delivered perhaps the first somewhat dovish speech in a long while from a non-BoJ developed market central bank, arguing that “the case for a slower pace of increase in interest rates becomes stronger as the level of the cash rate rises”. This lowered anticipation that the October RBA meeting will deliver another 50-bp hike after four consecutive half-point increases that have taken the policy rate to 2.35%. Australia’s trade surplus halves as coal and iron ore exports fall from record highs Australia’s trade surplus almost halved in July, plunging from A$17.1b to a A$8.7b surplus, when the market expected the surplus balance to fall to just A$14.5b. It comes as exports of coal and iron ore fell from their record highs, dragging down total exports by 10%. Coal export earnings fell 17% with the northern hemisphere in peak summer, while iron ore export earnings fell 15% tarnished by China’s slow down. Australian imports (covering outbound tourists) rose 5% with Aussies escaping the record cold winter to enjoy European sun. Fed speakers, and another possible WSJ article “guiding” for the September FOMC Meeting? Federal Reserve Vice Chair Brainard noted rates will need to rise further and policy will need to be restrictive for some time. She needs to see several months of low inflation readings to be confident inflation is moving down to 2% but how long it takes to get back to target will depend on a combination of continued easing in supply constraints, slower demand growth, and lower markups, against the backdrop of anchored expectations. The Cleveland Fed’s Mester (2022 voter) reaffirmed that she is not yet convinced about inflation peaking yet, and she also spoke on the August jobs report, where she said they are beginning to see some moderation, but labour market conditions remain strong. Elsewhere, the WSJ's Nick Timiraos wrote: "The Federal Reserve appears to be on a path to raise interest rates by another 0.75 percentage point this month in the wake of Chairman Jerome Powell’s public pledge to reduce inflation even if it increases unemployment." After a Timiraos article triggered a spike in anticipation that the June FOMC meeting would deliver 75 basis points rather than 50 bps, the market may have taken note, as money market pricing of a 75bps rate hike at the September 21 FOMC meeting has picked up from 68% on Tuesday to 81% now. Bank of Canada hikes 75 basis points As expected, the Bank of Canada hiked rates by 75bps bringing the rate to 3.25% and into restrictive territory, given the central bank’s estimate of neutral rate is 2-3%. The tone remained hawkish, but lacked clear guidance as it reiterated that further hikes will be necessary to bring inflation to target, implying the BoC is not done yet and will move even further into restrictive territory. While growth is slowing and housing prices are down 18% since February, short-term inflation expectations remain high, signaling a risk that elevated inflation becomes entrenched. What are we watching next? Japan’s Ministry of Finance, Bank of Japan and FSA to hold first three-way meeting since June This is clearly in response to the breathtaking weakening in the Japanese yen this week. We can expect some form of more determined intervention from here and with it, more two-way volatility. ECB interest rate hike today The ECB will have no other choice but to send a strong signal to the market regarding its commitment to lower inflation (expect a 75-basis point interest rate hike today). We forecast the ECB will need to keep increasing rates in the coming months for at least four main reasons: 1) inflation is high and it is not just about energy prices. Core inflation stands at 4.3 % year-over-year and is likely to continue rising in the short-term; 2) inflation expectations are up sharply. In the space of only eight months, inflation expectations for 2023 have risen from 1.5 % to 4.2 %; 3) the economy is able to cope with higher interest rates (eurozone consumer credit growth is steady which seems to indicate that monetary policy is not tight enough); and 4) the low euro exchange rate is a headache (since it increases imported inflation). The ECB will need to convince the markets they are able to curb the decline of the single currency. This is not an easy task. EU proposes five measures to curb gas demand and prices Ahead of Friday’s emergency energy meeting, European Commision President Ursula von der Leyen proposed five radical steps to curb costs and demand: 1) Smart savings of electricity by mandatory targets to reduce peak hour demand for electricity; 2) Cap on revenues of companies producing electricity with from low-cost sources such as wind and solar with profits being re-channeled to vulnerable people and companies; 3) Solidarity contribution from fossil fuel companies; 4) Liquidity support for energy utility companies in order for them to cope with elevated market volatility; 5) Cap on Russian gas revenues on the remaining 9% Russia supplies  to Europe, down from a pre-war level around 40% Earnings to watch Today’s key earnings release is DocuSign which was a pandemic darling but has since been seeing growth coming down dramatically and its valuation hit by higher interest rates. Analysts expect FY23 Q2 (ending 31 July) to show revenue growth of 17.7% y/y with a significant jump in operating income which the company must deliver to avoid further downward pressure on its valuation. Thursday: Sun Hung Kai Properties, Sekisui House, Zscaler, DocuSign Friday: Dollar Stores, Kroger Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1100 – Mexico Aug. CPI 1215 – ECB Rate Announcement 1245 – ECB President Lagarde Press Conference 1300 – Poland central bank governor Glapinski press conference 1310 – US Fed Chair Powell to speak at a conference (includes Q&A) 1430 – EIA Natural Gas Storage Change 1500 – EIA's Weekly Crude Oil and Fuel Stock Report (delayed by a day) 1525 – Canada Bank of Canada’s Rogers to deliver report 1600 – US Fed’s Evans (voter 2023) to speak 1820 – US Fed’s Kashkari (voter 2023) to speak 1900 – US Jul. Consumer Credit 0130 – China Aug. PPI/CPI  Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher     Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-sep-8-2022-08092022

The broader strength seen in the USD has weighed heavily on the commodities complex, whilst Chinese demand concerns are certainly not helping. For oil, we will need to keep an eye on OPEC+ and how they might react to the more recent weakness in the market Energy - Brent breaks below $90/bbl The oil market continues to come under pressure. Brent settled more than 5% lower yesterday at US$88/bbl. This morning we are seeing somewhat of a relief rally. The strength that we have seen in the USD is not helping oil or the broader commodities complex, whilst there are clear demand concerns, particularly when it comes to the continued Covid-related lockdowns that we are seeing across parts of China. Chengdu has seen another extension to its lockdown. The more recent weakness in oil prices does increase the risk that we see some form of intervention from OPEC+. The group made it clear that further action could be taken if they felt it was necessary, and the market is likely trading towards levels where they are starting to get a bit uncomfortable.   While there are clear demand concerns in China, imports of crude oil rebounded in August. Imports averaged 9.54MMbbls/d over the month, up 8.1% MoM and the highest import volumes seen since May. These flows are still down 9.4% YoY, while cumulative imports over the first 8 months of the year are down 4.7% YoY. We will get a better idea on how much of these imports in August went towards stock building once output data is released. In its latest Short Term Energy Outlook, the EIA made revisions lower to its US oil production forecasts. US crude oil output in 2022 is expected to average 11.78MMbbls/d, up around 540Mbbls/d YoY. In August the EIA was forecasting output to average 11.86MMbbls/d. As for 2023, output is expected to grow by around 850Mbbls/d to average 12.63MMbbls/d. This is down from a previous forecast of 12.7MMbbls/d. Finally, comments from Putin yesterday were a clear sign of an escalation in the use of energy as a weapon. The Russian president threatened that any country which adopts the G-7 oil price cap would see all flows of Russian energy stop - including oil, refined products, natural gas and coal. While Russia may be able to afford taking this action if big buyers don’t take part in the cap, it becomes a little bit more difficult to follow through with this threat if the likes of China and India were to join the price cap. Clearly that is a big "if", as it could be a significant challenge for G-7 nations to convince China and India to take part in a price cap. Metals - rising USD weighs on the complex Weaker-than-expected trade data from China along with a stronger USD weighed on the metals complex yesterday. Copper settled lower on the day, whilst aluminium fell to an intra-day low of US$2,233/t (the lowest levels since April 2021) yesterday. Aluminium supply cuts in Europe continue to get more severe as yet another smelter announced production cut plans yesterday. Speira GmBH announced it will curb production by 50% at its smelter in Germany due to elevated energy costs. The smelter expects the curtailment process to be completed in November for an indefinite period. Speira's plant in Germany can produce about 160ktpa of aluminium, however, current output is around 140kt. The market continues to ignore these cuts, with the market of the view that downstream demand is taking a bigger hit than supply. The latest trade numbers from China Customs shows that imports for unwrought copper rose 7.4% MoM and 26.4% YoY to 498kt in August. Cumulative imports over the first 8 months of the year are up 8.1% YoY to total 3.9mt. Meanwhile, copper ore and concentrate imports rose 19.5% MoM and 20% YoY to a record high of 2.27mt last month. Iron ore imports saw somewhat of a recovery, rising 5.4% MoM to 96.2mt in August and reaching their highest levels since February. Lower prices and peak construction season are likely to have supported imports. However,  YTD inflows are still down 3% YoY to total 723mt. Agriculture – Putin questions Ukrainian grain deal Wheat prices surged higher yesterday, trading almost 7% higher at one stage during the day. This comes after Putin questioned the Ukrainian grain export deal from the Black Sea, claiming that poorer countries are not benefiting from this supply and that instead the bulk of these supplies are going to Europe. Ukraine has pushed back on these comments, saying that two thirds of shipments from the deal have gone to Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The latest trade data from China Customs shows that soybean imports fell by 24.5% YoY (down 9% MoM) to 7.17mt in August, as higher prices and softer demand for edible oils weighed on import requirements. Soybean crushing margins in China have been in negative territory for quite some time now, with current margins at around negative CNY170/t. Although a significant improvement in hog farming profits in recent months should support soymeal demand in the latter half of the year. Read this article on THINK TagsRussian oil price cap Russia-Ukraine OPEC+ Energy crisis China Trade Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Despite a hawkish Riksbank, SEK may struggle to recover before next year. Europe’s energy crisis is impacting Sweden both directly and indirectly, while global risk sentiment remains unstable. Riksbank’s FX reserve build-up may also get in the way of a near-term recovery. This week’s general election shouldn't have much impact on the currency Source: Shutterstock Sweden isn't immune from Europe's energy crisis Sweden is far from immune from Europe’s energy crisis and rising recession risk. That’s perhaps a little surprising, given Sweden uses little-to-no gas in its power system and uses relatively little for domestic heating either. Instead, the country relies predominantly on hydro (in the north of the country) and nuclear power (in the south). And in the case of the former, reservoir levels are fuller than usual for this time of year, despite drought conditions in much of Europe. That typically bodes well for keeping power prices in check. But the reality is the energy system isn’t balanced. Hydro-rich Luleå in the north, one of Sweden’s four electricity bidding zones, has typically paid less than 30 EUR/MWh for power in recent months. However, in the much more populous south, which saw nuclear power plant closures last year, prices have topped 300 EUR/MWh in recent days. The reality is that the electricity grid in southern regions is often reliant on imported power, which in some cases comes from gas-powered generation. It’s these areas that account for the vast majority of Sweden’s power usage, and these prices have often proven closely comparable to Germany and other European countries. Sweden's electricity prices vary dramatically across the country Source: Macrobond, ING   The bottom line is that Sweden is just as exposed as many of its neighbours to energy price spikes this winter. And that means that, like the eurozone, Sweden is likely heading for a recession – even if it's a mild one. Consumer confidence has hit all-time lows, and real consumer spending has begun to inch lower. A contraction in house prices is also underway, where the sharp rise in mortgage rates is affecting the 40-50% of customers on a floating rate. Riksbank should remain hawkish For the time being, this isn’t getting in the way of aggressive Riksbank tightening. The jobs market is exceptionally tight right now, and that’s very important ahead of multi-year wage negotiations due to conclude in coming months. Almost 90% of Swedish employees are covered by collective bargaining, and inflation expectations among both employer/employee organisations have spiked. An agreement that locks in faster wage rises over the next three years, compared to the last set of negotiations that took place in the midst of the pandemic, is likely and is at the heart of the Riksbank’s argument for hiking rates. We expect a 75bp rate hike at the September meeting, which partly reflects a need to front-load hikes, but is also because the Riksbank has fewer scheduled meetings than many of its counterparts. It has to make each meeting count. SEK recovery delayed as European growth worries mount Despite the central bank’s hawkish pivot this year, the krona has been the worst performing G10 currency (-15% vs USD) after the Japanese yen since the start of the year. The reasons are well known: the Ukraine conflict, the equity sell-off, and an ever-worsening outlook for Europe on the back of high energy prices and inflation. We had held a relatively sanguine approach on pro-cyclical currencies like SEK for most of the year, assuming a rather optimistic base-line scenario for the global economy and risk sentiment. Recent developments have convinced us that what appeared to be short-term woes before the summer are now more serious and long-lasting concerns, especially when it comes to Europe’s recession risks. The implications for SEK are big. With our economics team now expecting a eurozone recession around the turn of the year and flagging a very elevated risk of the gas supply crisis extending into the next year, SEK’s role as a proxy trade for European sentiment as a whole is set to limit its ability to stage a major recovery.   In our view, this story will prevent EUR/USD from climbing back to 1.05 before early next year, and given SEK’s high sensitivity to Europe’s growth outlook, we forecast EUR/SEK at 10.60 in 4Q22. In the coming weeks, the balance of risks remains tilted to the upside, and a further deterioration in risk sentiment could prompt a re-test of July’s recent high (10.78) and potentially March’s highs (10.86). In 2023, some improvement in the eurozone’s story and the end of global tightening cycles should help pro-cyclical currencies, including SEK, to re-appreciate. A calmer market environment may also revamp the search for carry and allow SEK to benefit from its relatively more attractive rate profile compared to EUR. As shown in the chart below, the 2-year EUR-SEK swap rate differential (which mirrors the ECB-Riksbank policy divergence) is the widest in favour of SEK in nearly a decade. We expect a gradual return to 10.00 over the course of 2023, although geopolitical and energy-related developments do pose non-negligible risks to this profile. Policy divergence points at weaker EUR/SEK Source: Refinitiv, ING Riksbank adding pressure on SEK with reserve build-up While the likes of the ECB and Bank of England are vocally protesting against their weak domestic currencies, the Riksbank’s acceleration in FX reserves build-up since February (from SEK 5.5bn to SEK 11.6bn per month) may well have exacerbated SEK weakness. Even more crucially, it does send a counterintuitive signal to markets as a weak currency neutralises the anti-inflationary effects of monetary tightening. However, Riksbank’s Deputy Governor Martin Floden recently ruled out any tweak to FX purchases as – he said - reserve management is independent from monetary policy.  Assessing the effective impact of the Riksbank’s FX purchases on SEK is quite hard, especially in a period of elevated FX volatility. Since the end of 1Q22, the Riksbank’s foreign currency reserves have risen by SEK 88bn, and if the reserve composition has remained the same as of April 2022 (chart below), and we exclude valuation effects, the Riksbank would have sold around SEK 55bn versus USD and SEK 18bn versus EUR in five months. We think the ongoing FX build-up could help keep a cap on SEK in the near term, but we doubt that would be able to counter any strong macro-driven recovery in 2023. Riksbank has accelerated FX reserves accumulation Source: Riksbank, ING Election unlikely to have material impact on currency Sweden goes to the polls on Sunday, and it’s looking highly uncertain. The incumbent Social Democrats are polling at roughly the same level as in 2018 at roughly 30%. But broken down by the two potential broad coalitions or groupings, it’s virtually neck-and-neck. Having said that, the impact on the broader financial market is less clear. Economic issues haven’t dominated the campaign, and perhaps surprisingly it’s crime and the country’s migration policy, that has instead been the central focus. And while the election has the potential to deliver a more right-leaning government, Sweden is among the most favourable towards the EU among member states, according to Pew Research. A tight election race Source: Various polls, ING Read this article on THINK Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

OPEC+ will be watching closely Oil prices are rebounding slightly on Thursday, up almost 1%, after collapsing more than 5% a day earlier on renewed global growth concerns. With policymakers around the world still hawkish on interest rates, most notably in the US, and China locking down major cities in its zero-tolerance fight against Covid, the demand outlook is weakening. After such a long period of supply driving the crude price, it’s demand that appears to be dominating now with traders anticipating a slowdown, maybe even a recession next year. I can only imagine how OPEC+ is taking the recent price moves, with its warnings and token cut seemingly falling on deaf ears. An emergency meeting may well be on the cards ahead of its scheduled October gathering. Gold recovers as dollar pares gains Gold enjoyed a little reprieve on Wednesday, as yields pared recent gains and the dollar pulled off its highs. I’m not sure we should get too excited about gold’s resurgence just yet, in fact, it’s already slipping a little today. The rebound means crucial $1,680 support continues to hold for now but given the backdrop of hawkish central banks and immense uncertainty in the markets, I’m not sure traders are ready to abandon the dollar just yet. That said, it will be interesting if gold can manage to catapult itself back above $1,730 as that would suggest – in the short term at least – it has found some favour in the markets. With a double bottom perhaps forming in gold, a break of $1,730 could indicate a much more significant corrective move, even if the longer-term trend is still very much against it. ​ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Oil bounces back, gold recovers - MarketPulseMarketPulse

Metals have received somewhat of a boost, with supply risks growing and some optimism in Chinese construction. For energy markets, all attention will be on EU energy crisis talks today Source: Shutterstock Energy - EU energy crisis talks today The oil market yesterday managed to recoup some of its declines from earlier in the week. ICE Brent continues to trade below US$90/bbl and the market will be watching for any signs from OPEC+ of possible intervention. The partial recovery in the market comes despite fairly bearish EIA numbers. The EIA reported that US commercial crude oil inventories increased by 8.85MMbbls over the last week - the largest increase seen since April. When you factor in the SPR release, total US crude oil inventories increased by a more modest 1.32MMbbls. An increase in crude imports, lower exports and lower refinery utilization (due to the BP Whiting outage) over the week all contributed to the crude build. Despite lower refinery activity, gasoline and distillate fuel oil stocks increased by 333Mbbls and 95Mbbls respectively. European gas prices continue to trade in a volatile manner, with TTF breaking below EUR200/MWh at one stage yesterday, only to finish the day above EUR220/MWh. The market will be sensitive to developments today, given that EU ministers will be meeting to go through proposals to tackle the energy crisis. These proposals include various forms of a price cap, along with potentially mandatory demand cuts not just for gas but also the power market. Liquidity measures for European power companies will also be pretty high on the priority list. As we have mentioned before - while price caps will offer some relief to consumers, it doesn’t help the market try to balance itself through demand destruction.   Metals – Escondida strike lifts copper prices LME copper prices ended the day higher, amid reports of potential mine strikes in Chile. Workers at BHP’s Escondida, the world’s largest copper mine, voted to go on a partial strike from next week over safety concerns, according to the mine’s union. The strike will result in a partial stoppage on 12 and 14 September and will be followed by an indefinite strike lasting until a deal with BHP is reached. Spread action also suggests a tightening in the prompt copper market. The LME copper cash/3m backwardation reached US$145/t (highest since November) yesterday, compared to a backwardation of US$76/t a day earlier and a contango of US$7.75/t at the start of 2H22. Vale SA raised its nickel production guidance to reach 230-245kt per year in the medium term, higher than its previous forecast of 200-220kt in May, the battery metal producer announced. In the long-term, Vale expects annual nickel production to reach over 300kt to tap into the growing demand for the metal. In ferrous metals, the most active SGX iron ore contract moved above US$100/t yesterday amid hopes of a recovery in construction activity in China. According to the latest market reports, the Chinese city of Zhengzhou will resume all stalled housing projects by 6 October, by making use of special loans, asking developers to return misappropriated funds, and encouraging some real estate firms to file for bankruptcy, according to Reuters reports. Read this article on THINK TagsOil Nickel Natural gas Energy crisis Copper Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Your daily roundup of commodities news and ING views Energy - oil bounces The retreat in the USD has provided a boost to oil prices, with ICE Brent briefly trading back above US$95/bbl at one stage yesterday. Despite this rebound, there are still some clear downside risks for the market. The most important continues to be China’s zero covid policy. The latest data from the US Department of Energy (DOE) shows that US strategic petroleum reserves (SPR) fell by 8.4MMbbls over the last week to 434.1MMbbls, the lowest level that the SPR has seen since October 1984. The current releases are set to come to an end in October. However, there are reports that the US is looking to potentially extend SPR releases. Clearly, the US administration is concerned about what happens to oil prices once the current releases come to an end. EU ministers continue to work towards coming up with a plan to intervene in European energy markets. A draft proposal suggests that the EU will look to enforce mandatory demand cuts for power- overall demand cuts as well as during peak hours. In addition, the EU is also proposing a levy on energy companies’ extra/abnormal profits. Finally, the EU also wants to cap revenues for power generators, with the exception of gas fired power capacity. This is still a proposal, but the hope is that a deal is finalised before the end of September.   Metals - weaker dollar boosts prices Base metals prices started the week higher, boosted by the weaker dollar as the US currency retreated from a record high it reached last week. Aluminium supply risks were exacerbated amid talks of potential power cuts to smelters in China’s Yunnan province. The province, which accounts for more than 12% of the country’s production, may begin reducing operating rates by 20-30% this month amid a drought-induced shortage of hydropower. Meanwhile, the European Union said it will outline this week concrete measures to address the worsening energy crisis, including a proposal for targets to reduce electricity demand as well as aiming to cap excessive revenues of companies producing power from sources other than gas, through a limit on the price of electricity generated from technologies such as renewables, lignite or nuclear energy. Agriculture - USDA revisions push soybeans higher The latest USDA WASDE report shows expectations of further tightening in US corn and soybean supply.  For corn, the USDA has revised its 2022/23 ending stocks to 1.22bn bushels a previous estimate of 1.39b bushels. This was still somewhat higher than the 1.19bn bushels the market was expecting. US corn output was revised down from 14.36b bushels to 13.94bn bushels. This lower output was partly offset by lower domestic demand as well as exports. US soybean production estimates were revised down, from 4.53b bushels to 4.38b bushels, due to lower acreage and yield estimates. As a result, US ending stocks for soybeans were lowered from 245m bushels to 200m bushels for 2022/23, some distance from the 246m bushels the market was expecting. The USDA left US wheat supply and consumption unchanged. For the global market, the USDA estimates corn ending stocks to fall from 306.7mt to 304.5mt for 2022/23, still above the 301.7mt the market was expecting. Global corn production estimates were lowered by 7mt to 1,172.6mt due to supply losses from the US (-10.5mt) and the EU (-1.2mt). Similarly, soybean global ending stocks were lowered from 101.4mt to 98.9mt, lower than market expectations of a little over 101mt. Finally, global wheat ending stocks were increased from 267.3mt to 268.6mt, largely on the back of an increase in production estimates for 2022/23. Read this article on THINK TagsWASDE Oil Energy crisis Aluminium Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Oil steady after rebound Oil prices are relatively steady so far today after rebounding strongly in recent days. An improvement in risk appetite in the markets combined with a softer dollar may have contributed to the crude recovery. Especially when combined with another stall in negotiations between the US and Iran over the nuclear deal and recent warnings from OPEC+ about output. The price of Brent was trading near six-month lows prior to the rebound and that may have got traders a little nervous. Gold steady ahead of the inflation report Gold is relatively flat on the day after recovering well in recent days. A weaker dollar and stable US yields have aided the moves in the yellow metal but we are seeing that stall ahead of the inflation data. The near-term outlook will be heavily influenced by the August report, especially if we see another sharper deceleration in price growth. If inflation doesn’t retreat as much as expected, that disappointment could hit gold hard and potentially draw focus back towards $1,680 where it previously saw strong support. For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar: www.marketpulse.com/economic-events/ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Oil prices steady, gold eyes US inflation - MarketPulseMarketPulse

We aren’t seeing much change in Europe ahead of the open on Tuesday after a broadly positive session in Asia as China, Hong Kong and South Korea returned following the bank holiday weekend. The last few days have seen a notable improvement in market sentiment. It’s not always easy to pinpoint what’s driving such a turnaround but the fact that it’s happening in the days leading up to the US inflation report is certainly interesting. Perhaps last month’s report has given investors confidence that another faster deceleration could be on the cards for August. That may sound premature but the fact is that two consecutive reports showing a sharp deceleration combined with last month’s goldilocks jobs report will be a really encouraging sign and could trigger a broader risk rebound in the markets. It may not be enough to tip the Fed balance in favour of a more modest 50 basis point rate hike next week but it may slow the pace of tightening thereafter. The Ukrainian counteroffensive in previously Russian-controlled territories in the east and the south, most notably in Kharkiv, may also be lifting sentiment. Pressure will mount on the Kremlin and while there’s no saying what its response will be, there’s certainly more hope that momentum is moving back in favour of Ukraine. Meanwhile, Europe is putting together plans to cope with higher energy prices this winter with the UK joining others in setting a cap on energy bills. While that won’t solve the problem of supplies or generate as much demand destruction, it will protect many households and businesses that otherwise wouldn’t have been able to cope this winter and could save the UK from recession. If not, it will no doubt make it much less severe. Not what the BoE wanted to see It’s not often that you see the unemployment rate fall to the lowest in almost 50 years and aren’t overjoyed, but that will certainly be the feeling at the Bank of England right now. The decline in the rate was driven by a decline in the labour force, while employment rose by only 40,000; far less than expected. What’s more, wage growth accelerated faster than expected, hitting 5.5% including bonuses in the three months to July compared with the same period last year. Less labour market slack and faster wage growth increase the odds of a 75 basis point hike from the MPC next week, especially against the backdrop of higher core inflation expectations over the medium term as a result of the new cap on energy bills. Can it build on the recovery? Bitcoin is holding onto gains ahead of the inflation data. The recovery has been very strong until this point but it may need a favourable report in order to hold onto them. A positive inflation number could see bitcoin add to recent gains with the next major test to the upside falling around $25,500. For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar: www.marketpulse.com/economic-events/ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Nerves ahead of US inflation - MarketPulseMarketPulse

Gold reverses an intraday dip to sub-$1,700 levels, though struggles to gain any meaningful traction. A modest USD weakness offers some support; bets for more aggressive Fed rate hikes continue to cap. Signs of stability in the equity markets also suggest that the path of least resistance is to the downside. Gold shows resilience below the $1,700 mark for the second successive day and attracts some dip-buying on Wednesday. The XAU/USD sticks to a mild positive bias through the early North American session, though seems to struggle to capitalize on the move and remains below the $1,710 level. Following the previous day's stronger US CPI-inspired rally, the US dollar edges lower and turns out to be a key factor offering some support to the dollar-denominated commodity. The modest USD downtick lacks any obvious fundamental catalyst and is more likely to remain limited amid expectations that the Fed will keep raising interest rates at a faster pace to tame inflation. The implied odds for a full 1% rate hike at the September FOMC meeting stands at 34%. Moreover, the markets have also been pricing in another 75 bps rate hike move in November. This, in turn, lifts the yield on the rate-sensitive two-year US government bond to levels last seen in November 2007 and the benchmark 10-year Treasury note holds steady near the YTD peak touched in June. The prospects for a more aggressive policy tightening by the Fed, along with elevated US Treasury bond yields, favours the USD bulls and caps the non-yielding gold. Apart from this, a modest recovery in the risk sentiment - as depicted by signs of stability in the equity markets - further contributes to keeping a lid on any meaningful upside for the safe-haven precious metal. Looking at the broader picture, gold has been oscillating in a familiar band over the past two weeks or so. Given that the XAU/USD, so far, has been struggling to gain any meaningful traction, the range-bound price action might still be categorized as a bearish consolidation phase. This, in turn, suggests that the path of least resistance for the commodity is to the downside.

A still uncertain outlook for oil demand Oil prices suffered alongside risk assets on Tuesday, albeit to a much lesser extent, with the threat to the US economy of much higher interest rates a downside risk. Of course, it’s yet another risk that I’m sure OPEC+ will be keen to stress it would adapt to in its desperation to ease market volatility and keep prices high. The oil price is a little higher after the IEA monthly report which claimed oil use for power generation will hit 700,000 barrels per day, while at the same time indicating that demand growth will halt in the fourth quarter before rising by 2.1 million barrels per day next year. It, therefore, lowered its forecast for world oil demand growth this year by 110,000 BPD to two million while warning of downside risks including the faltering Chinese economy and a slowdown in OECD countries. Ultimately, the outlook is heavily subject to revisions given the still rapidly evolving environment. A nervy week ahead It won’t come as a surprise to anyone that gold went into freefall following the US inflation report as it became clear that the Fed is in no position yet to ease its foot off the brake. Suddenly the yellow metal is looking down rather than up, with $1,730 remaining strong resistance to the upside but $1,680 now very vulnerable. It’s going to be a nervy week for gold bulls. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Oil outlook uncertain, gold under pressure - MarketPulseMarketPulse

US commercial oil inventories rose by 2.4M barrels last week following an increase of 8.8M earlier. This dynamic fits in with seasonal trends, with inventories starting to fill at some point in September. Around the same time and volume levels, net accumulation was reversed in 2018 and 2019. Note, however, that before 2014 (the shale boom), the fluctuations in stocks were mainly within the 300-360M range. So, here we see some business as usual for commercial producers. A vital point of the picture is the 30% drop in strategic reserves over the last year, almost equal to commercial reserves. In other words, a net fall in overall inventories could have stimulated a ramp-up in production. But we see a slow increase in volumes in comparison to the 2011-2015 and 2016-2020 episodes. And there are a couple of significant reasons for this. First, the sale of oil from reserves is aimed at bringing down the final price, which is not to the producers' liking and is holding back investment. In the last couple of weeks, the number of working rigs in the US has been falling, clearly showing that businesses are in no hurry to sell oil at a discount from the free market, topping up reserves. Secondly, production in the Permian Basin - the main shale production region of recent years - is declining. New drilling is going to make up for the exhausted fields. Increased rates and the promise to raise more, combined with rising wages, further hold back the process. As if that were not enough, US producers said Europe should not expect further supply increases. Perhaps this signals that companies following OPEC have switched from fighting for market share to maximising profits. Read next: Australian Dollar (AUD): Reserve Bank Of Australia May Choose Less Aggresive Varaint As Unemployment Increased A Bit| FXMAG.COM As a result, we see gains in oil and gas prices over the last week against a general decline in financial markets. At the same time, we believe that the US government is unlikely to quickly abandon its oil price restraint policy, postponing the restocking momentum. Investors and traders should also remember that a decisive policy tightening, by historical standards, puts additional pressure on prices. In our view, the downward momentum in oil prices is not over yet, although local attempts for WTI to exceed $91.50 and for Brent to return to $97 cannot be ruled out.

Oil steady after inventory data Oil prices have steadied a little after rebounding strongly this past week. There are many forces dictating the price action in oil markets right now, with economic uncertainty right up there alongside a potentially unpredictable OPEC+. The stronger dollar is potentially another headwind, with the rally losing steam earlier this week as the greenback surged in the aftermath of the inflation release. The inventory data on Wednesday didn’t cause much of a wobble despite surpassing forecasts with a 2.442 million barrel build against expectations of something far more modest. Of course, this was still much smaller than what the API number indicated a day earlier so perhaps that limited the surprise factor. Has the damage been done? Gold is still hurting after the inflation data on Tuesday. It was just starting to find its feet again ahead of the data and the report delivered a crushing blow. The yellow metal is off around four-tenths of one percent this morning and comfortably below $1,700. The key level though is $1,680 and a significant break of this could be painful, with it having been a floor over the last couple of years. We could then see some support around $1,660 but at that point, the damage will have been done. For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar: www.marketpulse.com/economic-events/ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Oil steady, gold vulnerable - MarketPulseMarketPulse

Oil falls as US economy slows Crude prices got knocked again as demand fears intensified after a wrath of economic data shows the US economy is slowing down. ​ Oil fundamentals are still mostly bearish as China’s demand outlook remains a big question mark and as the inflation fighting Fed seems poised to weaken the US economy. ​ The US Department of Energy also clarified that the restocking of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) won’t happen due to prices falling at a certain level and that they won’t take action until after fiscal 2023. ​ This clarification from the DOE tentatively removed any support crude had just ahead of the $80 a barrel level. ​ Despite all the doom and gloom across the world, the oil market remains tight and prices should outperform all the other commodities. Gold Gold got pummeled ruthlessly after another round of economic data supported the Fed’s case to remain very aggressive with fighting inflation. While both Fed regional surveys offered some relief that price increases are slowing, the rest of the data paints a picture of a very strong labor market that is still seeing decent spending and production activity. Until the bond market selloff eases, gold is in trouble. ​ Once gold fell below the prior summer low of $1690, momentum selling took over. ​ If Treasury yields keep going up that will keep the selling pressure on bullion. Gold should find support soon as investors will refrain from any overweight positions until they hear directly from the Fed. ​ The last hurdle for gold is in the University of Michigan inflation expectations. ​ Unless markets are surprised with an increase in inflation expectations, gold should stabilize above the $1650 region. ​ ​ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Crude lower, gold pummeled - MarketPulseMarketPulse

Gold remains under intense selling pressure for the fourth successive day on Friday. Aggressive Fed rate hike bets boost the USD and drive flows away from the metal. The risk-off impulse offers some support to the XAU/USD amid oversold conditions. Gold continues losing ground for the fourth successive day on Friday and drops to its lowest level since April 2020. The selling pressure now seems to have abated, at least for the time being, allowing the XAU/USD to hold above the $1,650 level. The US dollar catches fresh bids on the last day of the week amid expectations of a hefty rate hike by the Fed and turns out to be a key factor exerting downward pressure on the dollar-denominated gold. In fact, the markets started pricing in the possibility of a full 100 bps rate increase at the upcoming FOMC meeting on September 20-21 following the release of the stronger US CPI earlier this week. Moreover, market players also expect the US central bank to deliver another supersized 75 bps rate hike in November. This remains supportive of elevated US Treasury bond yields, which offer additional support to the greenback and further contribute to driving flows away from the non-yielding yellow metal. That said, the risk-off impulse helps limit losses for the safe-haven gold, at least for now. The market sentiment remains fragile amid worries that the rapid rise in borrowing costs will lead to a deeper global economic downturn. This, along with the economic headwinds stemming from fresh COVID-19 lockdowns in China and the protracted Russia-Ukraine war, has been fueling recession fears. This, in turn, tempers investors' appetite for riskier assets and triggers a sell-off in the equity markets. Apart from this, extremely oversold conditions on the 4-hour chart hold back bearish traders from placing fresh bets around gold. Investors might also prefer to move to the sidelines ahead of next week's key central bank event risks. The Fed is scheduled to announce its decision on Wednesday, which will be followed by the Bank of Japan, Swiss National Bank and the Bank of England meetings on Thursday. Nevertheless, the fundamental backdrop remains tilted firmly in favour of bearish traders and suggests that the path of least resistance for gold is to the downside. Hence, any meaningful recovery attempt might still be seen as a selling opportunity and runs the risk of fizzling out rather quickly.

Gold's timid attempts to push back from the lower end of a more than two-year range were foiled by a stiff market reaction to US inflation statistics. Gold plunged to $1660 on Friday, rewriting its low from April 2020, while buying has been rising for the last 19 months just after touching the $1680 area. Notably, gold reversed sharply last month from the round level of $1800, which had acted as support several times between February and June. Thus, the gold bulls are one by one, giving away the technical levels that were significant before. In addition to the consistent retreat from the horizontal levels, we note that the downwardly directed 50-day moving average has been acting as local resistance since June. Last week's last downward momentum was precisely from this curve. The move to higher timeframes generates even more worries about the outlook for gold. Gold closed last week a hair above its 200-week moving average. That was mainly due to Friday's local bounce, as the bears were lowering profits from the big move. The start of the new week is under this curve. The fall under it in 2013 and the inability to get a foothold over it in 2016 were followed by a strong sell-off, which is a worrying sign now. A test of the 200-week average is a once in a few years event that can set the trend for years to come, and the forthcoming Fed meeting this week provides a meaningful macroeconomic backdrop for this choice. If the Fed's decisions and Powell's comments prove to be as adamant about fighting inflation as the markets now expect, we could see a repeat of the 2013-2015 pattern of gold's failure. Back then, a breakout of the lower end of the sideways range in 2.5 years of the steady decline took more than 30% off the price. A similar failure will wipe out all of the gains from 2018, returning to the $1170 area over the next two years. Read next: How High Will The Bank Of England Raise Rates?| FXMAG.COM However, on our side, the odds are now slightly outweighed that the FOMC will shift the rhetoric towards easing, as the markets had expected since June. But they seem to have dropped that idea last week after the inflation report, and we note that it was quite a minor upshot. Moreover, long-term inflation expectations have already returned to normal. In addition, there are increasing signs that financial markets are under stress, which the Fed will also consider when setting policy. Looking at financial markets in favour of the Fed indicates that the committee has slowed down asset sales from the balance sheet, increasingly deviating from its declared trajectory. Excessive stress on financial markets can effectively shut down the economy and turn around the labour market. If the markets perceive current prices as profitable for gold and miners to buy, this week, we could see the formation of a long-term wave that could take gold above $2600 for the next two years.

Gold meets with a fresh supply and slides back closer to the YTD low set on Friday. Resurgent USD demand turns out to be a key factor exerting downward pressure. The risk-off impulse helps limit losses ahead of key central bank meetings this week. Gold maintains its offered tone through the early North American session and is currently placed near the $1,665 region, just above the daily low. A stronger US dollar is seen weighing on the dollar-denominated commodity, which remains well within the striking distance of its lowest level since April 2020 touched on Friday. Expectations that the Federal Reserve will stick to its aggressive rate-hike path to tame uncomfortably high inflation continue to underpin the greenback. A fall in the near-term inflation expectations for consumer prices in the US to a one-year low in September forced investors to scale back bets for a full 100 bps Fed rate hike move. The US central bank, however, is expected to deliver at least a 75 bps at the end of a two-day monetary policy meeting on Wednesday, which continues to underpin the greenback. This, in turn, remains supportive of elevated US Treasury bond yields. This, along with the prospects for a faster interest rate hike by other major central banks, further contributes to driving flows away from the non-yielding yellow metal. That said, the prevalent risk-off environment, as depicted by a fresh leg down in the equity markets, offers some support to traditional safe-haven assets. This turns out to be the only factor lending some support to gold and limiting the downside, at least for now. Investors also seem reluctant to place aggressive bets and prefer to move to the sidelines ahead of a flurry of central bank meetings this week. The Fed is scheduled to announce its decision on Wednesday, which will play a key role in influencing the near-term USD price dynamics. This will be followed by the Bank of Japan (BoJ), the Swiss National Bank (SNB) and the Bank of England (BoE) on Thursday. This, in turn, should assist investors to determine the next leg of a directional move for gold.

Oil Crude prices were under pressure as fears of an aggressive central bank tightening are driving concerns for a quickly weakening global economy and as the UAE plans to increase oil output. ​ The global economy is slowing and that has been troubling for the crude demand outlook. ​ Oil pared losses as Wall Street saw a broad reversal at the NY open. While pessimism remains elevated for global growth, extreme positioning before the Fed seems unlikely. ​ Gold Gold is breaking as surging real rates show no signs of easing and as it fails to act like a safe-haven. ​ This is a brutally tough weak for bullion as so many central banks this week are contemplating jumbo-sized interest rate hikes. It is hard to get a handle on what will be the peak for the Fed and until that happens, gold will remain vulnerable. ​ Gold will eventually resume its role as a safe-haven, but the peak in the dollar needs to be put in place and that won’t happen for a couple of meetings. ​ What is driving the hesitation for scaling into a long-term position with gold is that investors are not convinced that even when the Fed pauses, that might not guarantee they are done hiking. ​ The risk that the Fed will pause and then have to restart raising rates is elevated and that has completely upended the gold trade. ​ Gold is due for a bounce and even if that happens post-Fed this week, a sustained rebound will only occur if more signs emerge that inflation is easing. ​ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. - MarketPulseMarketPulse

WTI oil suffered an intraday drop of more than 4.5% to $81.70 yesterday but managed to regain all losses by the end of the day, trading now at $85.40. The $85 area has repeatedly acted as the Rubicon since 2007. In 2008, the failure was provided by the near collapse of the financial system. Oil only fell below that level after the bankruptcy of Lehman. At that time, oil didn’t get firm footing until $35. In 2014, the world feared a then unknown “tapering” from the Fed, but Saudi Arabia had the final knockdown for prices, temporarily switching to fight for oil market share. A return to the firm ‘quota’ policy, but now with Russia, did not occur until early 2016, and prices went as low as $30. On the other hand, we saw prices steadily above $85 between 2010 and 2014, when the global economy was recovering strongly from oil consumption thanks to stimulus and near-zero interest rates. In 2022, the move above resulted from Europe’s severe energy crisis and fears of production cuts due to Russia’s rapid oil abandonment. And now, the price remains above that level, despite heightened equity market volatility and a stronger dollar in forex. However, these are the most influential factors affecting the price. A high-profile event or shock in geopolitics or financial markets could break the steady support of oil buyers on the downturn in the coming days. For example, it could be a new round of tightening Fed rhetoric consisting of a 100-point rate hike at once or a hint of further hikes as long as the rate markedly exceeds inflation. Read next: How High Will The Bank Of England Raise Rates?| FXMAG.COM The converse cannot be ruled out either: the Fed could hint at a move to more fine-tuning policy in the future, promising less harsh decisions. Such a bullish market reversal could validate fundamental price support at current levels. However, knowing how central bankers like to leave all doors open, it is also worth being prepared for the Fed to try to soften the effect on the markets by extending the period of uncertainty as much as possible. In the latter case, geopolitics could prove decisive. However, there are still no clear signals of a change in the geopolitical setup around the energy market. Gas prices in Europe and the USA have retreated from their highs; OPEC+ made a symbolic move in early September by limiting production, and the USA continues to sell off reserves.

In this article our power market experts Gerben Hieminga and Nadège Tillier discuss the energy price cap recently proposed by the European Commission and detail the 10 things they will be monitoring closely in the run-up to, and after, the introduction of the cap State of the Union introduces a price cap On 14 September 2022, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission (EC), announced in her State of the Union speech a set of proposals to mitigate the impact of high energy prices. These are:   Joint gas storage: On average natural gas storage capacity across Europe stands at 84%, with the goal to reach maximum capacity in the coming months. Hydrogen: €3bn funds to facilitate hydrogen development in order to switch from a niche market to a mass market product. Energy savings: Member states are asked to reduce gas and electricity consumption by 10% with an additional 5% during peak hours. Taxes on fossil fuel companies: The EU will apply additional taxes to fossil fuel suppliers given that the current crisis partly fuels higher profits from surging oil and gas prices. Price cap on electricity: The EU proposes a €180/MWh day-ahead wholesale price cap for low-cost technologies. The scheme is expected to bring some €140bn in excess revenues that would be redistributed to the final energy consumers.   This article is about the price cap on electricity. Von der Leyen previously said: “Skyrocketing electricity prices are now exposing the limitations of our current electricity market design… We need a new market model for electricity that really functions and brings us back into balance”. Which price cap to implement? It is not clear what a new market design would look like, but many politicians have called for price caps, albeit in many different forms. Some have argued for a price cap on Russian gas, which is essentially a trade policy that would likely result in a full stop to gas deliveries by Russia to Europe. Others have called for a price cap on all the gas that Europe imports, but that would limit the ability to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) and threaten our energy security as a result. Yet others have called for a price cap on retail energy bills, like the ones that exist in the UK, which could be a game-changer for utilities and might trigger support schemes in order to keep delivering energy to households and businesses. All these price caps, for good reason, did not make it to the final EC proposal. The proposal introduces a price cap on power generated by non-fossil fuels, in particular from solar panels, wind turbines, hydropower and nuclear power plants. Capping the price of low-cost technologies The proposal splits the merit order into two; one part for power-generating technologies with low marginal costs (wind, solar, nuclear power, hydropower and lignite power plants) and a part for technologies with high costs (plants that run on brown coal, oil and gas). Once the wind is blowing, the sun is shining, or a nuclear or hydro plant is running, it costs very little to produce an extra MWh of electricity. But coal and gas-fired power plants and oil aggregates need to buy expensive fuel. The merit order ensures that the cheapest technologies enter the market first but implies that the price is set by the most expensive technology to meet power demand. In the current market, those are the gas-fired power plants as gas prices have increased tenfold. What follows is an extremely high power price for all the technologies in the merit order. A price that meets a lot of resistance; why should technologies get a power price of hundreds of euros per megawatt-hour (MWh), while they were already profitable at power prices between 50-100/MWh? The working of the merit order: the power plant that meets demand sets the power price for all the technologies Source: ING Research   The best solution to solve this problem and bring down power prices is to reduce power demand to the extent that gas-fired power plants are no longer needed to meet demand. Unfortunately, this is not realistic in the short term as, on average, 23% of all the power in the European Union is generated with gas-fired power plants. And the shares vary considerably across Europe. It ranges from 42% to up to 65% in the Netherlands in the past 10 years, while it ranges from 2% to just 8% in France. Given that European nuclear output volumes are expected to remain far below average for some more months and that hydropower reserves remain depressed, gas power plants are expected to continue to set the average market price. Setting the cap at €180/MWh A second-best solution is capping the power price for low-cost technologies (solar, wind, nuclear and hydropower). The EU proposes a €180/MWh day-ahead wholesale price cap for these technologies. The market still clears at the high power price set by the gas plants, but utilities need to pay back the difference between the market price and the price cap to a fund. If the market clears at €400/MWh, utilities have to pay back €220/MWh, which is called the inframarginal price. So, in essence, this proposal is not a price cap for end-users, but a revenue cap for utilities with low marginal cost technologies (or inframarginal technologies) like wind, solar, hydro and nuclear plants.  The justification for this market intervention is that operators did not anticipate these revenues in their investment decisions and that they were profitable at power prices between €50-100/MWh. Governments also seek sources of funding to alleviate the burden of high energy prices for consumers. At a European level, this scheme is expected to generate up to €140bn that will be used to compensate households and businesses. Note that Germany has proposed a technology-specific price cap instead of a general price cap of €180/MWh. It is still unclear if this will be adapted on a European level or if countries can choose their own method. The current EC proposal sets a maximum cap of €180/MWh, so technology-specific caps seem to be allowed if a revenue cap does not exceed €180/MWh. The cap of €180/MWh is likely to fit most low-cost technologies, but not all projects Unsubsidised life-cycle-costs of electric for solar, wind, nuclear and hydro power projects: Source: ING Research based on Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) and Trinomics   In the long run, the price from the merit order needs to be high enough to cover the full costs of power-generating assets, not only the marginal costs. While the marginal costs cover the fuel costs, they don’t capture capital costs and operational costs. The life-cycle cost of electricity (LCOE, or Levelised Cost of Electricity) is a measure of the average total electricity costs of an asset over its full life cycle. The proposed cap of €180/MWh is sufficient to cover most solar and wind projects without subsidies and even for some projects with battery storage attached. But the cap does not cover the full and unsubsidised costs of new nuclear and hydro projects. These tend to be very capital intensive and have a history of large budget overruns. This could pose a problem for the ‘nuclear renaissance’ that French President Emmanuel Macron recently called for.  The proposed cap only covers a small portion of the large and complex power market A single or one power market does not exist. In fact, power markets are multi-headed-beasts that consist of many segments which all serve a purpose to keep the physical complex power grids working. European power grids are among the most reliable grids in the world and power users, small to large, take it for granted that power is always available. In liberalised power markets this can only be done by a complex system of power markets, where vast amounts of power are traded within seconds and years in advance. The proposed price cap only applies to the day-ahead market The power market is in fact a collection of many complex sub-markets: Source: ING Research   The proposed price cap only applies to the day-ahead market in which approximately 20-30% of the power is traded. So, most of the power is not subject to the price cap. European power generators, for example, tend to pre-sell about 80% of their future power production in one-year ahead future contracts or through Power Purchase Agreements. Hence, most of their revenues won’t be impacted by the cap. Furthermore, supply is currently hedged at prices well below the cap (in the range of €30-85/MWh). Utilities tend to pre-sell most of their power in future markets at prices lower than the cap Share of power generation sold upfront through exchanges or purchasing power agreements and the average power price: Source: ING Research based on annual reports Potential drawbacks: 10 things we will be looking out for Market intervention is bound to run into drawbacks, especially in markets as vast and complex as power markets. The wholesale market cap in the Spanish power market provides a point in case. Due to power leakages and increased power generation from gas-fired power plants, gas use in the months following the introduction of the cap went up not down. These are the 10 things we will monitor closely in the run-up to, and after, the introduction of the proposed price cap. 1   Power leakage A price cap in the day-ahead market might trigger generators of renewable assets to sell their power abroad, for example in non-EU markets like Britain and Norway. The power market in continental northwest Europe is well connected with these markets through the Britnet cable and North Sea Link. There were already plans for a EuroAfrica interconnector that connects Greece and Cyprus with Africa in a couple of years’ time. And this energy crisis is likely to speed up investment in new interconnectors. 2   Power demand The market reform aims to redistribute revenues from high power prices, but the scheme could trigger an increase in power demand. For example, bakeries are switching from gas-fired ovens to ovens that run on power. And in some countries, there is a run on electric heaters as households try to save on gas. The size of this feedback loop is hard to anticipate as it will depend on future gas and power prices. In any case, it remains to be seen to what extent the goal of lower power prices can be combined with the goal of power savings of 10% in overall demand and 5% in peak demand. Overall, savings tend to require high prices, while lower prices tend to increase demand. 3   Gas use in power sector Northwestern European countries might need to generate more electricity with gas-fired power plants in case of sizable power increases and/or leakages. Hence gas use could go up instead, while this market design is intended to save gas and reduce the impact of high gas prices on the merit order. 4   Interference with longer-term power markets Generators might shift from selling on the spot market (day-ahead market) to longer-term markets. For example, by selling power above the cap of €180/MWh for months ahead through in the futures market or through a purchasing power agreement (PPA). Liquidity in the important day-ahead market needs to be monitored closely in order to keep this important part of the power market functioning. 5   Interference with shorter-term power markets (flex-market) European power grids increasingly face congestion problems as the share of wind and solar power increases. Batteries can be a solution, both large-scale batteries and homesize batteries. The big question is to what extent the €180/MWh revenue cap in the day-ahead market is high enough to spur growth in battery capacity, for example by combining solar panels and wind turbines with batteries (so-called co-location business models). 6   Profitability of energy providers In an earlier report published in June 2022, we concluded that a price cap can be a game changer for European utilities and their profitability. As a result, utilities have been outspoken about their scepticism regarding price caps. Price caps are intended to minimise the windfall profits of utilities and to provide governments with a revenue source to compensate households and companies for high energy bills. But they should not reduce the profitability of utilities as that will limit the much-needed and increasing amount of investments in the energy transition. 7   Implementation risk The aim of this market intervention in the merit order of the day-ahead market is to provide short term relief in European power markets. Will it be implemented quickly enough to provide relief this winter? History is not supportive as previous energy market reforms took years to be implemented. In that respect, a timeline of a couple of months seems ambitious but would mean that it is implemented at the end or after the winter period when energy prices are likely to be high. On the other hand, history also shows that policy interventions can be implemented quite fast in a crisis. 8   Regulatory risk As more renewables enter the power system, gas and coal-fired power plants become increasingly important to act as a backup. In Europe’s predominant energy-only-markets generators with gas and coal-fired power plants are usually not paid to stand idle for the short term but important moments that the system needs them. Hence, the business case of investing in backup power is built on high and flexible prices, albeit for short periods of time. This form of policy intervention introduces a regulatory risk for the business case: a risk of governments intervening when prices are high. This might make investors wary to provide finance for much-needed backup capacity. 9   Legal risk Will this policy intervention trigger lawsuits and hold up in court? It is not uncommon that major changes in market design are taken to court or that parties will call for ‘force majeure’ under existing contracts. This is not something we can assess as economists, but it is likely that market players will reassess their legal risk premiums in the business case for renewables. 10   Cost of capital and investor return If regulatory and legal risks are deemed sizable, investors will require a higher return on their investment for low carbon and/or fossil fuel power generation. This might impact the high ambitions of governments to solidify, extend and transform European power systems and grids. This energy crisis calls for an even faster speed of the energy transition. Utilities and investors are needed to invest billions of euros. They will only do so as long as the risk-return profile is acceptable.   All in all, price caps sound appealing but in practice they are hard to implement and not without potential drawbacks. Since the State of the Union speech, we know the price cap is aimed at a specific segment of the power market, but many details have to be worked out. EU energy ministers will meet again on 30 September, so more details are expected in the coming weeks. Read this article on THINK TagsRussia-Ukraine Gas Energy Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Markets have been trading in a fairly choppy manner, while sentiment remains relatively negative for risk assets. Participants will be focused on the Fed meeting later this week and expectations in the lead-up to the meeting have been fairly hawkish Energy - US SPR release The oil market continues to trade in a relatively choppy manner. ICE Brent traded in a US$4/bbl range yesterday, and managed to settle higher on the day, after trading weaker earlier in the session. A weaker USD would have provided some support to oil prices. However, like for most risk assets, market participants will be waiting for some clarity from the Fed when it meets later this week. The big question is how aggressive will it be in terms of hiking. Our US economist is of the view that we will see the Fed hiking by 75bps at this week’s meeting. Also not helping sentiment in the oil market at the moment is the weakness that we are seeing in refinery margins. Margins have come under pressure, with reports that China could release 15mt of export quotas for refined products. The refined product market, particularly middle distillates, has faced significant tightness for much of the year, and so increased Chinese supply would be welcomed by many in the market. The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it will be selling an additional 10MMbbls of crude oil in November from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). This sale would be part of the Biden administration’s announcement back in March to release stocks from the SPR to combat higher prices. Under that initial announcement the DOE authorized the release of 180MMbbls of crude oil from the SPR. According to the DOE, roughly 155MMbbls has been released up until now - this further sale would take the total volume to around 165MMbbls. According to Bloomberg the UAE is wanting to bring forward its plans to increase crude oil production. Adnoc is wanting to have the capacity to pump 5MMbbls/d of oil by 2025, rather than by 2030 as previously planned. The UAE currently has production capacity of a little over 4MMbbls/d - due to the OPEC+ supply deal, production is closer to around 3.16MMbbls/d at the moment. Agriculture – Ukraine grain exports According to the latest update from the United Nations, almost 3.9mt of agricultural products have been exported from Ukrainian Black Sea ports under the export corridor deal since early August. Corn makes up almost 50% of these exports, whilst wheat makes up around a quarter of exports under the deal. Latest trade data from China shows that corn imports dropped 44.% YoY to 1.8mt in August, while YTD imports are down 21% YoY to total 16.9mt. Among other grains, China’s wheat imports fell 25% YoY to 530kt over the month, while cumulative imports declined 10% YoY to total 6.25mt over the first eight months of the year. The USDA’s weekly export inspection data shows the demand for US grains remained strong over the last week. US weekly inspection of corn for exports rose to 549kt over the last week, up from 474kt in the previous week and 403kt from the same time last year. Similarly, soybean shipment inspections rose to 519kt over the last week, compared to 342kt from a week ago and 279kt at the same time last year. Read this article on THINK TagsUS Federal reserve UAE SPR Oil Grains Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Summary:  Equity markets traded sideways ahead of today’s important FOMC meeting as the Fed is set to bring at least another 75 basis points of tightening and expectations for further tightening are at the highs for the cycle. At the longer end of the yield curve, US yields have risen to new eleven-year highs, helping the US dollar to new highs for the cycle in places, including against the Chinese yuan. The Bank of Japan meets tonight in Asia and has shown no signs of backing down from its cap on bond yields, creating enormous attention as yields have risen again elsewhere. What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities came under pressure yesterday as US yields advanced with the 10-year yield reaching as much as 3.6%. The market is split on tonight’s FOMC decision but consensus among economists is still a 75 basis point rake hike. We argued yesterday that if the Fed wants to tighten financial conditions a lot they need a surprise which argues for a 100 basis point hike. In any case, the guidance in the dot-plot and the subsequent press conference will be key for equity sentiment in the near-term. Yesterday’s low in S&P 500 futures at 3,643 is the key support level to watch on the downside and 3,800 after that. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index gave back all its gains yesterday and more, falling over 1% ahead the U.S. FOMC meeting. Mega-cap China interest stocks declined from 1% to 3%, dragging the Hang Seng Tech Index down by over 2%.  Energy stocks outperformed coal mining names up from 1% to 2%.  COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation (01138:xhkg) soared more than 8%. Bloomberg reported that Chinese refiners are applying for quotas from the Chinese government to export as much as 16.5 million tons of fuel oil, such as gasoline and diesel.  CSI 300 fell nearly 1% and making a new low last since May this year. USD traders mull FOMC meeting today A minority of observers are looking for another 75-basis point move from the Fed, as discussed below, with forward guidance also playing a roll, although the market continues to price the end-2023 policy rate at below even the end-2022 rate, with the peak rate somewhere in between, despite FEd pushback. The USD has traded to new highs in places, like against all 5 of the smallest G10 currencies and is near the cycle high versus sterling, while EURUSD and USDJPY still trade slightly away from cycle extremes. The Fed will want to maintain a hawkish tone here, but as US 2-year yields have risen sharply to nearly 4%, the bar is somewhat high for a hawkish surprise. Watching the reactivity in treasury yields and risk sentiment for the impact on the US dollar – particularly how USDJPY might treat a fresh strong surge in longer US yields after the 10-year broke above the former cycle high since 2010 of 3.50% yesterday. USDJPY USDJPY could be set for considerable volatility over the next 24 hours as the Bank of Japan meets tonight in Asia’s Thursday session. The pressure for the Bank of Japan to adjust its yield-curve-control strategy has built further on the surge to new cycle highs in longer US yields yesterday above the 3.50% level. The Bank of Japan and Ministry of finance have recently pushed back rather hard on the latest blast of JPY weakness, but will likely be challenged on where and when they intend to intervene against JPY weakness if the BoJ overnight refuses to adjust its policy and if the Fed surprises hawkish at tonight’s FOMC meeting and the entire US yield curve lifts. The 145.00 area is the cycle high, with 150.00 the next obvious psychological level. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold trades near a two-year low but within a relatively narrow 20-dollar range ahead of today’s FOMC meeting (see below). Weeks of selling have seen speculators accumulate a net short position in COMEX futures, a relatively rare occurrence, and one that could set the stage for a surprise upside move, should the dollar and yield retrace some of their recent strong gains. Resistance however remains firm at $1680 while below $1654, last week's low, the market may target the 50% retracement of the 2018 to 2020 rally at $1618. Crude oil (CLV2 & LCOX2) Crude oil remains rangebound with a slight negative tilt ahead of today’s FOMC rate hike given its impact on the dollar and growth expectations. The Fed decision will be followed by other central banks from Europe to Asia which are also expected to announce growth reducing rate hikes. The long-term outlook remains price supportive with US production struggling to find a higher gear and Saudi Aramco saying lack of investments could see spare capacity being wiped out. Also focus on Russia from where seaborne exports is lower this month and where Putin is looking into his toolbox for ideas to reverse his disastrous war against Ukraine. Ahead of today’s EIA stock report the API reported builds in crude oil as well as fuel products. Wheat sees largest gain since March on Russia tensions Wheat futures in Chicago (+7.6%) and Paris (+4.1%) jumped on Tuesday after Russia said it intended to hold votes on annexing the three regions of Ukraine still under its control (see below). Such a move raises the risk of a full Russian mobilization and would increase tensions with Europe and the US while casting more doubts over grain supplies from the Black Sea area, especially the UN sponsored export corridor from Ukraine which recently has helped ease supply worries for wheat and sunflower oils. Also focus on today’s FOMC rate hike and its impact on the dollar. December wheat (ZWZ2) at $8.88 trades near the highest level since July but may face resistance at $9.14/bu, the 200-day moving average. US Treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields spilled over to new cycle highs yesterday ahead of tonight’s FOMC meeting as the market has sensed a hawkish determination from the Fed to forge ahead with rate hike and provide no sense that it set to pivot to a more neutral stance, although that would have to come at some point. The 10-year benchmark rose to a new cycle high yesterday above 3.50%, posting the highest yield since 2011. What is going on? Shocking August German PPI According to the German statistics office Destatis, the PPI rose by 7.9 % month-on-month in August. This is much higher than the consensus (2.4 %). This shows that forecasting in the current macroeconomic environment is more challenging than ever. On a year-over-year basis, the increase is at 45.8 %. This is an historical record. The continued jump is explained by higher energy prices (+139% year-over-year). But not only. Actually, inflation is broad-based. Prices for intermediate goods, for capital goods and for non-durable consumer goods are much higher too. This will probably get worse in the short-term. In the eurozone, it is unlikely the peak in inflation has been reached (contrary to the situation in the United States). Russia-Ukraine tensions heat up Heightened geopolitical tensions regarding Russia and Ukraine where the “separatists” are to hold a referendum in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhya on September 23rd-27th, although Ukraine and its allies have denounced the referendums as illegal, and few countries are likely to recognize the results. An update from Putin on the matter is being awaited, where there have been some suggestions that he is considering introducing martial law and full mobilisation of the Russian army - the speech has now reportedly been delayed until 06:00BST/01:00EDT Wednesday. The move threatens to escalate the conflict even further, potentially giving Putin the formal legal basis to use nuclear weapons to defend what Moscow would consider Russian territory. Riksbank’s 100bps rate hike sets the stage for FOMC The Swedish Riksbank surprised yesterday with a 100-basis point hike to take the rate to 1.75%. This, in addition to guidance that the Riksbank would look to continue hiking rates, took Swedish yields higher, but didn’t do much for the currency, which fell to new cycle lows versus the EUR and USD after a kneejerk jump. The decision to hike by 1% was unanimous, prompted by the highest level of CPIF inflation since 1991 and the negative implication it could have on the upcoming wage negotiation which will lock in pay growth for the next three years. However, with global tightening wave turning more hawkish that expectations after ECB’s 75bps rate hike and Riksbank’s 100bps, the stage is being set for the FOMC to deliver above expectations as well. Schneider Electric agrees to acquire Aveva for £9.4bn The French industrial giant is announcing this morning that it has agreed to acquire UK-based engineering and software group Aveva for £31 per share valuing the company at £9.4bn. Schneider Electric already owns 60% of Aveva and a full consolidation will bolster Schneider Electric’s ambitions in software within the engineering industry. Rio Tinto joins BHP in saying Copper’s near-term outlook is challenged Rio Tinto’s CEO has joined a suite of companies, including BHP, saying copper’s short-term outlook faces pressure. From supply-chain issues to 30-year high inflation and restricted demand from China, the metal is seeing less demand, and supply is outpacing supply. However, that is not expected to be the case in the longer term with Goldman Sachs predicting copper demand will exceed supply by 2025 and will push prices to twice their current levels. Copper is used in everything from buildings to automobiles, to wiring in homes and mobile phones. Germany nationalises utility company Uniper The German government is injecting €8bn into Uniper to avoid a collapse of the German utility taking full control of Finland-based utility Forum’s shares in Uniper. What are we watching next? Can the Fed surprise hawkish at FOMC or are we nearing peak tightening expectations? The Powell Fed has kept a hawkish tone in recent communications, clearly indicating a desire to forge ahead with rate hikes. After the strong August US CPI print, a minority of observers are even looking for a 100-bp move from the Fed today, though we are more likely to get 75 basis points. This is a quarterly meeting that will bring the latest Fed forecasts for the economy and for the policy rate, a chance for the Fed to send a further message on where it sees its policy evolving for the remainder of this year and next. The forecast in the “dot plot” of Fed policy rate forecasts for the end of 2022 will receive close attention. Currently the market is looking for a policy rate of about 4.2% through the December meeting, which would mean a 75-bp hike today, another in November, followed by a 50-bp hike in December. The Fed raising the 2023 forecast to a median of 5% might make an impression as well, although the market has persistently priced the Fed to begin easing yields at some point next year, figuring that the economy will be in recession at some point next year. This meeting also brings the first batch of 2025 forecasts for the economy and Fed policy, and another way that the Fed could guide hawkish would be in raising PCE core inflation forecasts for next year and/or 2024 (last two forecasts have kept the last of these at 2.3% YoY) or surprising with its 2025 forecast. Earnings calendar this week This week our earnings focus is on Lennar today as US homebuilders are facing multiple headwinds from still elevated materials prices and rapidly rising interest rates impacting forward demand. Later during this week, we will watch Carnival earnings as forward outlook on cruise demand is a good indicator of the impact on consumption from tighter financial conditions. Today: Lennar, Trip.com, General Mills Thursday: Costco Wholesale, Accenture, FactSet Research Systems, Darden Restaurants Friday: Carnival Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1400 – US Aug. Existing Home Sales 1430 – EIA’s Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 1800 – US FOMC Rate Announcement / Policy Statement 1830 – US Fed Chair Powell Press Conference 2100 – New Zealand Q3 Westpac Consumer Confidence 2130 – Brazil Selic Rate announcement 2245 – New Zealand Aug. Trade Balance 2300 – New Zealand RBNZ Deputy Governor Hawkesby to speak Bank of Japan meeting Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-sep-21-2022-21092022

Oil goes on rollercoaster ride Oil prices went on a rollercoaster as energy traders watched President Putin escalate the war in Ukraine and as the EIA report signals some crude demand weakness. ​ The EIA crude oil inventory report was a lot to process, but it really didn’t deliver that many surprises: Production remains steady at 12.1 million b/d, which is impressive considering oil rig counts have been declining, Imports from Canada are roaring back and that should help restore stockpiles, Jet fuel demand is rather soft despite solid TSA passenger throughput data, and the Strategic Petroleum Reserve steadily draws down. ​ WTI crude seems to have solid support at the $80 level and even as the Fed seems positioned to deliver a hard landing, the oil market should still remain tight over the short-term. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Gold Gold is breathing a sigh of relief as Fed funds futures are gaining confidence that the Fed will be cutting rates during the latter half of next year. ​ The hawkish Fed projections are a rather grim outlook for the economy and that could eventually trigger a resumption of a safe-haven role for gold. ​ The Fed acknowledged that we’re at the very lowest levels of what is restrictive and that they are prepared to soften this labor market. ​ This inflation fight is going to get ugly for the economy, but right now it seems the Fed will be done hiking in February. Gold will remain vulnerable to selling pressure if inflation does not continue to ease, but it could start to stabilize now. ​ ​ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. FOMC React: Hard landing will lead to a pause, housing market cools, Putin’s escalation, bitcoin stabilizes - MarketPulseMarketPulse

XAUUSD struggles to bounce back Bullion whipsawed after the Fed's rate hike came out in line with expectations. The price’s failure to hold above the critical level at 1680 may have triggered a long journey to the south. The RSI’s oversold condition led to some profit-taking by intraday traders. But stiff selling could be expected in the former demand zone around 1700. The bulls, if there is any left must lift 1735 before a bounce could materialise. Otherwise, the precious metal may drift towards 1640 from the base of a bullish breakout back in April 2020. SPX 500 tests critical support The S&P 500 plunged after another super-sized US rate hike. The break below 3900 has invalidated the recent bounce and put the buy side on the defensive. As sentiment deteriorates, strong selling pressure may continue to prevail. A fall below 3820 at the origin of a bullish breakout last July shows little buying interest left, and the index could continue to sink to the daily support at 3725 which is a critical floor to prevent a bearish reversal. The support-turned-resistance at 3920 is the first hurdle in case of a rebound. USOIL awaits breakout WTI crude weakens over a gloomy economic prospect amid tighter financial conditions. Sentiment has remained fragile after the psychological level of 90.00 proved to be a tough level to crack for now. The current consolidation above 81.50 is temporary, and a breakout on either side would dictate the direction in the days to come. Only a rally above 90.00 could turn the mood around in the short-term. The bearish bias might take over and a breakout would resume the downtrend and send WTI to 78.00.

Summary:  The FOMC delivered a hawkish message to the market sending equities and bonds lower. Russia also announced a partial mobilization of its reservists increasing the stake in its war in Ukraine impacting commodities. We go through the details of yesterday's FOMC decision and details, and what knock-on effects they have caused throughout the various markets. We also discuss BOJ's decision to stay firm on its rate policy putting more pressure on JPY. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities and Ole Hansen on commodities. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are found via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com. Share   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-sep-22-2022-22092022

Smelters in China’s Yunnan province are reducing output on tight power supply caused by declining rainfall while European and US capacity is being cut amid rising power costs following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine Source: Shutterstock Yunnan province cuts supply Aluminium smelters in Southwest China’s Yunnan province, which accounts for 11% of China’s aluminium output, have been required by the government to reduce their operating rates due to hydropower shortages in the drought-stricken province. The smelters have been ordered to reduce the use of electricity by 15% to 30% from last week, which is expected to cut 800,000 tonnes to 1.6 million tonnes of aluminium production capacity. The output reductions in Yunnan come after Sichuan smelters cut 920,000 tonnes of capacity in August, accounting for 2% of China’s total. The duration of the power cuts in Yunnan has not been officially announced yet but the market believes it will depend on how quickly weather conditions improve in the region. Chinese aluminium output climbs to record highs Still, China’s aluminium output has held up despite the energy crunch. The country’s primary aluminium production hit a record in August surging 9.6% year-on-year to 3.51 million tonnes, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, beating the previous high in July. Output in the first eight months of the year gained 2.1% to 26.47 million tonnes. However, output could have been constrained over September due to the ongoing power rationing in Yunnan province. China’s exports of unwrought aluminium and aluminium products have also risen in 2022 - up 31.5% so far this year versus a year earlier to 4.7 million tonnes - and are likely to rise further in the fourth quarter as European and the US producers have been slashing capacity over the past 12 months amid the worsening energy crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In August, China exported 540,400 tonnes of unwrought aluminium and aluminium products, up 10.2% versus a year earlier. Meanwhile, imports dropped 19% from a year earlier, reflecting muted domestic demand, record-high domestic production and tightening overseas supply. The country brought in 200,400 tonnes of unwrought aluminium and products in August, according to customs data. On the raw material side, China’s alumina exports are also increasing, with annual shipments through August reaching 720,000 tonnes, from just 100,000 tonnes a year earlier as buyers in Russia seek alternatives after the war in Ukraine cut off their traditional supplies. Globally, despite Chinese smelters facing energy rationing and European smelters slashing output, global aluminium production rose 3.5% year-on-year in August to 5.89 million tonnes, according to the International Aluminium Institute. Global year-to-date output totalled 45.448 million tonnes. Several smelter cuts have already been announced across Europe since December 2021, including Alcoa’s San Ciprian smelter and Hydro’s plant in Slovakia due to high energy costs which account for about a third of aluminium’s production costs. About 1.48 million tonnes of capacity could be cut in Europe and the US, accounting for 1.9% of the global total. European smelters have already cut 1.18 million tonnes of output – around 11% of total installed capacity in the region.  Further smelter closures and curtailments in production are highly likely with Europe heading into the winter months and the war with Russia raging on. Primary aluminium production (% YTD) Source: International Aluminium Institute (IAI) Global demand outlook worsens The rise in Chinese output comes against weakening demand amid global economic gloom. Tighter global monetary policy, China’s property crisis and the dollar’s strength have all put downward pressure on the aluminium market.   However, the Chinese economy started to show some signs of recovery last week. Industrial production climbed 4.2% on the year, faster than July and above the consensus, according to the National Bureau of Statistics' latest data. Retail sales rose 5.4% from a year earlier, higher than expected and up from July. China is also stepping up its efforts to boost its housing and construction sectors with more Chinese cities announcing credit support and subsidies for home purchases. Last week, China’s Evergrande Group removed most of its construction-project freezes as China enters its peak building season, which traditionally lasts until the end of October. Still, China’s government and central banks' stimulus efforts have been mild so far in relation to Covid-19 restrictions in the country. Data last week showed home prices declining for a twelfth consecutive month in August taking house price inflation down to -2.1% year-on-year. LME prices stuck in a range Despite high energy prices, weak demand has continued to outweigh any potential supply concerns with the market’s focus remaining more on the negative macro sentiment for now. LME aluminium prices are now down more than 40% from their year-to-date highs of $3,849/t reached in March and are hovering around their lowest levels since April 2021 amid fears that Russian supply could soon emerge at London Metal Exchange warehouses in Asia. Russian aluminium producer Rusal is reportedly looking to deliver some of its metal directly to LME warehouses in Asia, as it increasingly struggles to find buyers. It is suggested that Rusal could deliver a small amount of aluminium to LME warehouses initially. Increased flows could cause some issues. Firstly, a strong increase in LME inventories could put further pressure on prices, while there could also be a growing amount of aluminium in LME warehouses, which buyers are not willing to touch. This could potentially lead to a disconnect in prices. LME 3M aluminium Source: LME Read this article on THINK Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

The complex held up relatively well yesterday, despite a number of central banks hiking rates and the stronger USD. However, commodities are likely to face headwinds in the months ahead with expectations of only a further tightening in monetary policy Energy - Russian oil price cap talks Despite a raft of central banks hiking rates yesterday in a bid to rein in inflation, the oil market held up well. ICE Brent managed to settle 0.7% higher on the day. However, with expectations of only further monetary tightening in the months ahead, commodity markets are likely to face some strong headwinds. The dominance of the USD at the moment will only add to these headwinds. According to reports the EU is trying to push ahead with the G-7 price cap on Russian oil, after Putin’s latest escalation in the war. Member states will apparently be meeting over the weekend to discuss the cap, along with a number of other new potential sanctions. There are suggestions that the aim is to come to a preliminary agreement by early October, ahead of an EU leaders’ meeting. Getting all members to agree on a price cap could prove difficult, just like we saw with the EU ban on Russian oil, which was watered down to include only seaborne trade, given objections from Hungary. EU members will want to come to a final decision by 5 December, which is when the ban on Russian seaborne crude into the EU comes into force. Latest data from International Enterprise Singapore shows that oil product stocks in Singapore increased by 3.64MMbbls over the week to 47.15MMbbls. The increase was driven fully by residues, with them increasing by 3.98MMbbls over the week to 23.4MMbbls. Light and middle distillates both saw small declines over the course of the week. As for Europe, refined product stocks in the ARA region increased by 15kt to 5.34mt. Fuel oil and gasoline stocks fell by 40kt and 20kt respectively, whilst gasoil inventories increased by 30kt over the week. However, like most regions, gasoil stocks are still very tight for this stage of the year and are at their lowest levels since at least 2007 for this time of year. US natural gas prices came under pressure yesterday, falling almost 9%. This weakness came after the EIA reported that US natural gas storage increased by more than expected over the week. The latest data shows that storage increased by 103bcf last week, whilst the market was expecting a number closer to around 95bcf. The build was also significantly larger than the 5-year average of 81 bcf. Metals – LME zinc stocks drop Zinc inventories held in London Metal Exchange warehouses fell by 3,650 tonnes to the lowest since February 2020, while prices rebounded from their lowest in almost two months. The decline was driven by port Klang, Malaysia warehouses, aggravating supply tightness in the zinc market. LME on-warrant copper stockpiles rose to the highest level since 11 July. Earlier this week, data from China showed domestic output sliding more than 5% on the year. In precious metals, the latest data from World Gold Council shows gold prices in Shanghai trading at a premium of more than US$43/oz (highest since 2019) over their London equivalent due to strong demand for the metal in the Chinese market. China’s gold imports jumped to a four-year high in August. Jewellery demand is expected to pick up ahead of the Golden Week at the start of next month. Chinese banks will also receive new import quotas post the October holidays, which are currently only allowed to import quantities set by the People’s Bank of China. Agriculture – wheat production estimates revised upwards The latest update from the International Grains Council was moderately constructive for corn, whilst relatively soft for wheat and soybeans. The council revised down its estimates for 2022/23 global corn production by 11mt to 1,168mt. This was mainly driven by a cut in US production forecasts, which were lowered from 364.7mt  to 354.2mt. Corn ending stocks for 2022/23 were cut to 262m, down from a previous estimate of 265mt. For soybeans, production in 2022/23 is expected to rise by 10% YoY to a record of 387mt, led by South American and Black Sea production. For wheat, the council increased its ending stock estimates for 2022/23 from 275mt to 286mt due to expectations of higher production. Global wheat output is seen  increasing to 792mt in 2022/23 compared to an earlier estimate of 778mt. This increase is party driven by Russia, where output is expected to reach 93.4mt , up from an earlier estimate of 87.6mt. The latest weekly data from the USDA shows that US grain sales remained quite weak for the period ending 15 September. Weekly export sales of wheat dropped to 185kt, well below market expectations of 406kt and week ago levels of 217kt. For soybeans, US export sales declined to 446kt, down from 873kt in the previous week and below expectations of more than 890kt. Similarly, US corn export sales fell to 182kt down from 583kt in the previous week. Read this article on THINK TagsZinc Wheat Russian oil price cap Refined product Henry Hub Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

It was a negative end to the week for commodities. USD strength and a week of numerous central banks hiking rates have weighed heavily on the complex. Macro drivers are clearly in the driving seat when it comes to commodities Energy- Macro pressure ICE Brent came under significant pressure on Friday, trading down to US$85.50/bbl - the lowest level since January and settling almost 4.8% lower on the day. The surge higher in the USD has not been helpful to the oil market, while a raft of central banks tightening monetary policy dims the demand outlook.  Despite the weakness in the flat price, the prompt time spread has held up fairly well in the last couple of days and strengthened to a backwardation of US$1.13/bbl. If the flat price weakness persists, we will need to keep a lookout for possible OPEC+ intervention. The group has made it clear in recent months about the possibility of further action given the apparent disconnect between the physical and the paper market. If it is not there already, the market is trading towards levels where OPEC+ will be getting uneasy. The group are scheduled to meet next week. This could be an interesting meeting. The latest positioning data shows that speculators increased their net long in ICE Brent by 5,635 lots to 162,334 lots as of last Tuesday. This move was exclusively driven by short covering, rather than fresh longs coming into the market. Given the weakness in the market since Tuesday, speculators are likely to have trimmed this position. Similarly, the speculative net long in NYMEX WTI increased by 7,941 lots over the last reporting week to 192,740 lots. As for ICE gasoil, speculators trimmed their net long, selling 20,321 lots over the reporting week, to leave them with a net long of 47,176 lots. Given the recent speculation of China releasing a large amount of refined product export quotas, it shouldn’t be too surprising to see speculators taking risk off the table.   In Iraq, the oil ministry has announced that trial operations at the 140Mbbls/d Karbala refinery have started. Given the tightness in the refined products market (particularly the middle distillate market), the ramping up of new capacity will be welcomed by the market. Supply from the Karbala refinery will help to meet domestic demand. Metals – metals slump on economic concerns The LME metals index slumped more than 3% on Friday as concern over an industrial slowdown, recession fears and a very strong USD, all weighed on sentiment. LME nickel was the worst performer with around a 5% loss for the day, whilst copper also fell more than 3%. Soft economic data out of Europe did not help with the manufacturing PMI falling to 48.5 for September, the lowest level since 2020 and the third consecutive month below 50. LME zinc inventories dropped by another 2,375 tonnes on Friday, taking total weekly inventory withdrawals to around 14,225 tonnes or around 20% of the total available inventory at the end of last week. Most of the withdrawals were seen in Malaysia, where stocks dropped to 8,850 tonnes as of 23 September compared to 22,975 tonnes a week ago. Meanwhile, zinc inventory at SHFE warehouses also dropped by another 2,618 tonnes last week, taking total deliverable zinc stocks to nearly a 1-year low of around 55,789 lots as of 23 September. Rising interest rates along with the surging USD are weighing heavily on the safe haven appeal of gold. The latest CFTC data shows that money managers increased their net short position in COMEX gold by 22,834 lots over the week with their net short position increasing to more than a 3-year high of 32,966 lots as of 20 September. Similarly, total known ETF holdings of gold have dropped by around 0.85m ounces over the past week and around 1.71m ounces so far this month. Agriculture – weak start to the planting season in Argentina The latest update from the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange showed that corn planting in Argentina has been progressing at a very slow pace due to drought concerns. Corn planting was reported to be around 3% complete, compared to around 8.5% at the same stage last season with farmers waiting for the weather to improve before committing to corn planting. Meanwhile, the exchange also reported that 42% of the current wheat crop is in poor-to-very poor condition compared to 34% a week ago, reflecting the impact of dry weather on the crop. Earlier, the Rosario Board of Trade downgraded wheat production forecasts from 17.7mt to 16.8mt due to the ongoing drought. Speculative buying returned in CBOT corn and wheat over the last week as some concerns over the continuity of Ukrainian grain shipments combined with poor weather in South America helped sentiment. CFTC data shows that managed money net longs in CBOT corn increased by 7,266 lots over the week to push net longs to 247,909 lots as of 20 September. Read this article on THINK TagsZinc USD strength Oil Monetary Policy Gold Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

CME Group’s flash data for natural gas futures markets noted open interest increased for the second session in a row on Monday, this time by around 1.3K contracts. Volume, instead, shrank for the second consecutive session, now by around 132.7K contracts, the largest single-day drop since August 12. Natural Gas now looks supported around $6.50 Monday’s drop and rebound from the $6.50 region was on the back of rising open interest, which reinforces the continuation of the bullish move in prices of natural gas in the very near term. In the meantime, decent contention seems to have now emerged around $6.50.

The move higher in the USD has been unrelenting and this continues to weigh heavily on the commodities complex. Macro drivers remain firmly in the driving seat, while supply risks continue to be largely ignored across markets Source: Shutterstock Energy- Russian oil price cap hits a stumbling block The oil market came under further pressure yesterday as the USD continued to march higher. ICE Brent settled more than 2.4% lower on the day, leaving it to close below US$85/bbl. OPEC+ members have been oddly quiet in this latest sell-off. However, we are likely to hear a growing amount of noise in the lead-up to the OPEC+ meeting on 5 October. The group will likely be getting uneasy with the degree of weakness that we have seen in the market and so there is the very real possibility that we see OPEC+ announce supply cuts in order to support the market. Clearly though, if we are to see cuts, they will need to be quite a bit larger than the 100Mbbls/d agreed at the last meeting in order to have a meaningful impact on the market. It appears that the EU will delay the planned Russian oil price cap due to disagreements between EU members. According to reports, both Cyprus and Hungary oppose the idea of a price cap, and in order to be adopted, all members need to agree. The European Commission had been wanting the price cap to be enforced at the same time as the EU ban on Russian seaborne crude oil, which comes into effect on 5 December. Clearly, given the latest delay, this may not happen now. In the US, Hurricane Ian has led to the shut-in of some oil production in the US Gulf of Mexico. Both Chevron and BP have evacuated and shut a couple of platforms each. European natural gas has also been unable to avoid the weakness across the commodities complex. TTF fell by more than 6% yesterday and recorded its fourth consecutive day of settling lower. Meanwhile, the European Commission is still looking into the possibility of a price cap for natural gas. If the EU was to go down this route, it would not help solve the tightness in the gas market, as this move will likely only support gas demand. Spain introduced a price cap on gas used for power generation earlier this year, which unsurprisingly led to higher demand for gas.   Metals – gold enters bear market A rallying USD and surging treasury yields continue to put pressure on gold prices. Spot gold came off more than 1.3% yesterday, which saw it trading to its lowest levels in more than 2 years. Yesterday’s weakness also meant that the gold market entered a bear market, as it is now down more than 20% from its recent peak in March. Given the expectation that the Fed will continue to aggressively hike through this year, it is difficult to hold a constructive view on gold in the short term. We would need to see inflation coming off significantly before becoming more constructive towards the market. A meaningful fall in inflation could start to signal that the Fed will take a less aggressive approach in terms of hiking. Anglo American has announced the start of commercial operations at its Quellaveco copper mine in Peru with a copper production target of around 80-100kt this year at a c1 cash cost of around US$3,300/t. Previously the company was targeting output of around 100-150kt at a cash cost of around US$3,000/t. However operational constraints appear to have delayed the mine start and ramp-up. However, the miner continues to target around 320-370kt of copper production by 2023 and 2024 as the mine ramps up gradually. Meanwhile, the company has also reduced its copper production target in Chile to around 560-580kt for the current year compared to earlier estimates of around 560-600kt Read this article on THINK TagsUSD strength Russian oil price cap OPEC+ Natural gas Gold Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Summary:  The risk off tone continued with Fed official Kashkari warning ‘there’s a lot of tightening in the pipeline’. Meanwhile, BOE’s Chief Economist Pill further deterred expectations of an inter-meeting action. Oil prices recovered amid Russia’s push for the OPEC+ to cut production and worries over supply curbs in Gulf of Mexico, while European energy situation worsened with likely sabotaged leaks detected on Nord Stream pipelines and Gazprom issuing sanction warnings on Ukraine’s Naftogaz. What is happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) The bond sell-off extended, pushing up the 10-year Treasury yield to 3.95%, while the US dollar index extended its run-up hitting a new 20-year high after Fed officials continued to warn of higher rates to come. That pressured stocks lower once more with the S&P500 down 0.2%, marking its 6th daily drop, with the latest round of selling taking the index to levels not seen since November 2020. The Nasdaq 100 ended about 0.2% higher. The next technical major level of support for the S&P500 is around 3,500. If that level is taken out, there is a probability of perhaps hitting the 3,100 level (which is 15% lower than the current level). In terms of sectors, consumer staples and utilities, were each down about 1.7%, claiming the worst performing spot among the 11 sectors of the S&P 500, while energy outperformed with a 1.2% gain. Tesla (TSLA:xnas) gained on high volume delivery comment Tesla shares rose as much as 4.4% before settling 2.5% higher on a report saying that Tesla’s management told its staff in an email that a “very high volume of vehicles to eagerly waiting customers during the final days” of the Q3.  U.S. treasury curve (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) steepened with a sell-off in the long end The U.S. treasury yield curve twisted and steepened on Tuesday as 30-year bond yields surged 9bps higher to a new high at 3.83%, following a dramatic 45bps jump across the pond in the U.K. Gilts. Lack of investor interest in the 5-year auction added to the bearishness of the U.S. bond market sentiment. 10-year yields surged to 3.99% during the day before paring slightly to settle at 3.95%, up by 2bps from Monday. 2-year yields took a pause in their march higher to finish the session bps lower at 4.28%. Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) awaits retail trade data; oil & wheat stocks will be a focus Australia’s share market is suggested to fall 0.6% on Wednesday (according to the futures), after US stocks lost 0.2%. The extra weight on the index today could come from iron ore stocks after the Iron Ore (SCOA) price pulled back 0.4% overnight to US$96.80, having lost 4% so far this month, which might keep BHP, Fortescue and Rio contained at these levels. A bright spark might be expected in Oil stocks and wheat stocks today after the Oil price jumped off its 9-month low, hitting $78.39, while the wheat price extended its rebound from August, and lifted 1.6% overnight. From an economic perspective, we will be watching Australian retail trade data, with Australia’s sales expected to rise 0.4% in August (according to a Bloomberg survey), compared to July’s hotter growth of 1.3%. Spending has been at a record pace in Australia, with Australian’s clothing buying growing at a record pace in winter. It’s worth watching retail stocks, like Kathmandu-owner, KMD Brands, and JB HiFi for example. If the data is hotter than expected, you could see the AUD rally, in a knee jerk manner, however the AUDUSD remains much pressured. It’s worth watching the AUDGBP though, which is gaining upside. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index finished the session on Tuesday little changed following a late afternoon rally, bouncing off its lowest level since 2011. Meituan (03690:xhkg), up by 4%, outperformed other China internet names. The China property services industry gained. Jinke Smart Services (09666:xhkg) jumped 32.6% following a general offer at about a 33% price premium from shareholders holding 53% of the company. Shimao Services (0873:xhkg) surged 8.3%. CIFI Ever Sunshine Services (01995:xhkg) and A-Living (03319:xhkg) rose around 6%.  Macao casino shares continued their charge higher for the second day in a row, rising from 3% to 9% across the board. China Healthcare Services names surges, Hygeia Healthcare (06078:xhkg) surged over 8%.  China catering stocks also rose for the second day, gaining from 3% to 6% among the leading names.  In mainland bourses, CSI300 gained 1.5% with catering, tourism, and Chinese liquor stocks leading the charge higher ahead of the National Day long holiday.  Reuters ran a story saying that China’s security regulators were asking some funds not to sell large amounts of stocks. USDJPY testing 145, but yen crosses lower Bank of Japan released the meeting minutes from the July meeting, understandably stale, but continuing to signal that easing intentions remain prevalent. Despite a further run higher in US Treasury yields with the 10-year touching the 4% mark, USDJPY has still remained capped below 145. More importantly, the weakness in the yen has now become more isolated against the USD. The yen is stronger against the EUR, GBP and AUD since the intervention on 22 September. Crude oil (CLU2 & LCOV2) recovers, European natural gas (surges Crude oil shifted focus back on supply worries with curbs in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico ahead of Hurricane Ian and with reports that Russia is pushing for the OPEC+ alliance to cut production. The group of oil producing nations is due to meet early next month to discuss its production plans. They already announced a cut to output for October by 100kb/d and have warned of further reductions amid falling prices. There has been reports that Russia is pushing for a cut to output of at least 1mb/d. Meanwhile, a pause in USD rally also helped to put a floor to the declines in commodity prices. WTI futures rose but still remained below $80/barrel while Brent futures were above $86. European Dutch TTF natural gas futures (TTFMQ2) European natural gas rallied as risks to further supply disruptions rattled an already fragile market. Dutch front month futures jumped more than 22% with reports of supply leaks in Nordstream followed by Gazprom issuing sanction warnings for Ukraine’s Naftogaz (read below).   What to consider? BOE Chief Economist Pill also pushed back on inter-meeting rate hike Huw Pill said the UK’s government’s fiscal announcement and the market reaction that followed it requires a significant monetary policy response, but the best time to assess and react to their impact is at the institution’s next meeting in November. He acknowledged the challenge to the bank’s inflation goal arising from the loose fiscal policy, while also saying that the bank’s program of government bond sales should go ahead as planned next week if the market repricing stays orderly, as has been the case in recent days. However, worth noting that BOE’s November 3 meeting is still before the medium-term fiscal strategy is announced, and if that contains significant spending cuts, the budget may prove contractionary, especially given the rise in yields. Nordstream leaks highlight geopolitical fragility Danish and Swedish authorities have attributed the major gas leaks on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines to large explosions, coming amid claims it was sabotage. With the pipelines not being used currently, there is likely to be minimal impact but it still signals an escalation of geopolitical tensions. In addition, Gazprom warned there’s a risk Moscow will sanction Ukraine’s Naftogaz, which would prevent it from being able to pay transit fees, and therefore put at risk whatever little gas is still flowing to Europe via Ukraine. Fed officials continue with a united hawkish voice While inflation and higher-for-longer interest rates remain a key theme in all Fed commentary these days, there is also another common theme emerging. All three officials on the wires yesterday – Kashkari, Bullard and Evans – suggested that the US may avoid a recession. Kashkari (2023 voter), in an interview with WSJ, said he’s unsure if the policy is tight enough suggesting more rate hikes will be needed to bring down inflation. Bullard (2022 voter) said the US has a serious inflation problem and the credibility of the inflation targeting regime is at risk. Evans (non-voter) is optimistic the terminal rate the Fed has set out (4.6% median in Dot Plot) will be restrictive enough. US consumer confidence beats expectations US consumer confidence for September rose to 108.0, above the expected 104.5 and the prior, revised higher, 103.6. The Present Situation and Expectations indices both rose to 149.6 (prev. 145.3) and 80.3 (prev. 75.8), respectively. Lower pump prices and a tight labor market possibly aided a rebound in sentiment, but high inflation and interest rates will continue to constrain consumer spending in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, 1yr consumer inflation expectations declined to 6.8% (prev. 7.0%), but still remaining significantly higher than the Fed’s 2% goal. Meanwhile, durable goods order fell 0.2% in August, still coming in better than expected while new home sales rose to the strong pace of sales since March to 685k in August, above the expected 500K and prior, revised higher, 532k. The World Bank downgraded its growth forecasts for China while upgrading the growth of Vietnam The World Bank published its latest economic forecasts on Tuesday, cutting the 2022 growth rate of China to 2.8% from its previous forecast of 5%, and the 2023 growth rate to 4.5% from 4.8%.  On the other hand, the supra-national bank raised Vietnam’s growth rate in 2022 to 7.2% from the 5.3% forecast released in April. It also raised the 2022 growth forecasts for the Philippines to 6.5% from 5.7% and Malaysia to 6.4% from 5.5%. Excluding China, the East Asia, Pacific region is forecasted to grow 5.3% in 2022 and 6.0% in 2023, which are higher than the growth rates expected in China. China’s industrial profits declined 9.5% Y/Y in August In the first eight months of 2022, China’s industrial profits contracted 2.1% Y/Y. For the month of August, industrial profits declined 9.5% Y/Y, a slower contraction than July’s -14.5% Y/Y. The National Bureau of Statistics noted that the slower pace of year-over-year contraction in August was helped by stronger auto, electrical equipment, electricity generation, and consumer product industries. For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-28-sept-28092022

Oil rebound brief as gas spikes amid sabotage on Nord Stream pipelines Oil prices rebounded on Tuesday but that proved to be only a brief correction as economic doom and gloom has driven them lower again this morning. With Brent trading only a little above $80 and WTI below, you have to wonder how much more OPEC+ will tolerate and the size of output cut they may be considering next week in light of the new economic outlook and price. Read more: Tim Moe (Goldman Sachs) Comments On USD And Turbulent Times For Markets In General, Ole Hansen (Saxo)Talks Nord Stream | FXMAG.COM Gas prices have also been highly volatile in light of the latest developments on Nord Stream One and Two. While the latter was never likely to come online and the former unlikely as flows have been gradually reduced to zero over the course of the year, the apparent act of sabotage on both kills any hope of additional gas along those routes. The question for many is therefore what the sabotage sought to achieve, occurring around the inauguration of a pipeline that will deliver Norwegian gas to Poland. Gold slipping again on a stronger dollar Gold is falling again as yields rise and the dollar rallies once more on Wednesday. The yellow metal has been hammered by the repricing of interest rate expectations recently and is now threatening to break below $1,620, with support next appearing around $1,600. It’s now fallen more than 20% from its highs this year and could have further to go yet before we see peak inflation and rates priced into the market. For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar: www.marketpulse.com/economic-events/ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Oil pares gains, gold loses ground - MarketPulseMarketPulse

USOIL on the 1H time-frame shows the marking of the final primary wave ⑤, which takes the form of an intermediate ending diagonal. We see the second half An intermediate correction (4) in the form of a minor double zigzag may have been completed recently. Thus, now we see that the price could start to rise in the intermediate wave (5). It is assumed that the intermediate wave (5) will take the form of a standard 3-wave zigzag A-B-C The end of the specified construction is possible near 124.78. At that level, wave (5) will be at the 76.4% Fibonacci extension of impulse (3). Alternatively, the construction of an intermediate correction (4) can be continued. It may have the form of a triple zigzag W-X-Y-X-Z. The minor sub-waves W-X-Y-X can be completed. Thus, in the near future, the downward movement is expected to continue in the final actionary sub-wave Z, which can be completed in the form of a minute triple zigzag ⓦ-ⓧ-ⓨ-ⓧ-â“©. The oil price may fall to 69.35. At that level, minute waves ⓨ and â“© will be equal. After reaching this level, the market is expected to grow above the maximum – 123.72.

Next week all attention will be on OPEC+ as the group decides on output policy amid recent price weakness and the uncertain demand outlook. Meanwhile, the German government has announced a EUR200bn package due to surging energy prices, which includes a price cap for gas Source: Shutterstock Energy - Germany gas price cap There is increasing noise that OPEC+ will be looking to agree on an oil production cut at their meeting next week, given the broader pressure that we have seen on oil prices. However, since reports that Russia had proposed a 1MMbbls/d supply cut, there have been no suggestions from other members on the potential size of any cut. In August, OPEC+ production was estimated at around 3.37MMbbls/d below target production levels. So in reality, any cut in supply will likely be smaller than whatever figure the group announces. The latest refined product inventory data for the ARA region shows that total refined product stocks fell by 139kt over the week to 5.2mt according to Insights Global. All products saw declines with the exception of gasoil. Naphtha saw the largest fall with stocks decreasing by 144kt (or 33%) to 288kt. Although the reported decline seemed to have little impact on the naphtha crack. Meanwhile, for middle distillates, there was some relief with gasoil stocks increasing by 125kt over the week to 1.81mt. The German government yesterday announced a EUR200bn package to address surging energy prices. Part of the package will include a price cap on natural gas with further details expected to be released next month. It is planned that these measures would run through until the spring of 2024. A price cap on gas is a questionable approach, as it will do little to ensure that we see the necessary demand destruction, particularly if Russian gas flows come to a complete halt. Interestingly, Germany’s network regulator yesterday also warned that natural gas consumption was above average last week - coming in 14.5% above the 2018-2021 average. Metals – LME discussing a ban on Russian metals LME nickel and aluminium both spiked higher yesterday after it emerged that the LME is discussing potential plans to ban Russian metals for delivery into exchange warehouses. The LME is looking to launch a discussion paper on the acceptance of Russian metals in exchange warehouses which could potentially lead to tighter restrictions on the delivery of Russian metals. This is purely a discussion for now and no decision has been made yet. Providing further support to LME metals yesterday was the softer USD. However, sentiment across broader financial markets remains negative given concerns over the macro outlook. Glencore is reportedly reviewing the sustainability of operations at its Portovesme lead production plant in Italy as high-power prices affect profitability. The company suspended primary zinc production at the plant last year due to high power prices, although zinc recycling and lead production continued. Glencore produced around 159kt of lead in 2021 from its three facilities in Europe including Portovesme, although exact details of lead production from the plant are not known. Read this article on THINK TagsRussian metals OPEC+ LME Gas price cap Aluminium Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Oil prices have started the week on a strong footing, with expectations that OPEC+ will announce a large supply cut when they meet on Wednesday. In addition, the European gas market is facing fresh supply disruptions due to Russia making further cuts in gas flows Energy- OPEC+ looking to cut output OPEC+ will meet in person on Wednesday to discuss output policy for November. And growing noise around what the group will do is pushing oil prices higher at the moment. There are growing expectations that the group will announce a large cut, with suggestions OPEC+ could agree on a reduction of more than 1MMbbls/d. This would be the biggest output cut seen from the group since the peak of Covid. However, if the group were to announce a reduction of around 1MMbbls/d, it is important to remember that the group is already producing well below their production targets and so the actual cut would likely be much smaller. There are only a handful of producers who are hitting their production targets and so it is likely that only these producers would have to make a cut. According to IEA numbers, OPEC+ output in August was 3.37MMbbls/d below target output. According to reports, Chinese consultant JLC has said that 15mt of refined product export quotas have been released to refiners. 13.25mt of quotas can apparently be used for clean product exports, whilst the remaining 1.75mt is for low sulfur fuel oil. In addition, it seems as though unused quotas will be able to be rolled over into the first quarter of next year. There has been plenty of market talk about Chinese refined export quotas but still no official confirmation from the government. There have been further European gas supply disruptions over the weekend. Gazprom has halted gas flows to Italy which come via Austria. Gazprom has blamed the stoppage on regulatory changes from Austria and stated that the grid operator did not confirm transport nominations. The Austrian government has said that Gazprom has not signed necessary contracts. Involved parties are apparently looking to fix the issue. In addition, Gazprom is also cutting gas flows to Moldova by 30%, blaming the reduction on Ukraine’s force majeure for gas transit through the Sokhranivka entry point. Furthermore, Gazprom has said that it has the right to terminate the current supply contract for Moldova at any time given that an agreement on the settlement of historic debts has not been reached.   Metals – zinc inventory withdrawals continue Both LME and SHFE zinc have continued to see large inventory withdrawals over the past few weeks. SHFE zinc stocks dropped by nearly 18.1kt over the last week to 37.7kt, whilst stocks over the third quarter have declined by nearly 100kt, reflecting some tightness in the physical market. Meanwhile, LME zinc stocks also fell by around 7.9kt over the last week to 53.6kt- the lowest levels in more than two years. These LME inventory declines have proved supportive for time spreads with the cash/3M spread spiking to a backwardation of US$46.25/t on Friday. Speculators increased their net bearish position in COMEX gold by another 8,334 lots over the last week, pushing their net short position to a fresh 3-year high of 41,300 lots as of 27 September. Meanwhile, investors also continued to liquidate their gold holdings with the total known ETF holdings falling by another 1.1m oz over the last week. ETF gold holdings have dropped by around 2.8m oz over September and around 7.3m oz over the third quarter. Investor demand for gold has dropped significantly over the last few months due to rising interest rates; however physical demand from both central banks and retail consumers continues to be healthy. Agriculture – USDA reports tighter corn stocks In its quarterly grains stocks report, the USDA reported US corn inventory stood at around 1.38b bushels as of 1 September; while this is higher than year ago levels of 1.24b bushels, the market was expecting an even higher number of around 1.5b bushels. The agency also reported that soybean inventories stood at around 274m bushels, which was above market expectation of around 243m bushels. As for wheat, the USDA estimated stocks at around 1.78b bushels, marginally lower than the 1.79b bushels that the market was expecting. Speculative net longs in both CBOT soybean and corn dropped over the last week due to the pessimistic economic environment. CFTC data shows that managed money net longs in CBOT soybean declined by 9,860 lots over the last week to 94,831 lots as of 27 September. Similarly, money managers trimmed their net long position in CBOT corn by 10,055 lots over the last week, leaving then to hold a net long of 237,854 lots. Read this article on THINK TagsZinc Russia-Ukraine OPEC+ Natural gas Grains Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

All attention remains focused on Wednesday’s OPEC+ meeting, where expectations are for the group to announce a large cut. Failure to deliver this could put some immediate downward pressure on oil prices. Meanwhile, the EU continues to work towards agreeing a price-cap for Russian oil Source: Shutterstock Energy- expectations grow for large OPEC+ cut Oil prices saw significant strength yesterday. ICE Brent managed to settle almost 4.4% higher on the day to close at US$88.86/bbl. Growing noise and expectations of a large supply cut from OPEC+ has pushed the market higher. However, as we have mentioned on a number of occasions, whilst OPEC+ might announce a large cut (in excess of 1MMbbls/d), in reality, the cut could be much smaller. This is due to most OPEC+ members producing well below their target production levels. And so there are only a handful of members who will actually need to reduce output if the group announces a large cut. Wednesday’s meeting will see oil ministers meeting in Vienna and this includes Russia’s deputy prime minister (who is also the former energy minister), Alexander Novak. Whilst the US has sanctioned Novak, as of yet the EU has not done so. According to preliminary numbers from Bloomberg, OPEC supply increased by 230Mbbls/d over September to average 29.89MMbbls/d. This increase was driven largely by Libya, whose output grew by 120Mbbls/d. However, looking at OPEC-10 (OPEC members who are part of the OPEC+ supply deal), their output averaged 25.53MMbbls/d over the month, well below their target production of 26.75MMbbls/d. The EU is still working towards an agreement on a G-7 price cap. The idea is to have a preliminary agreement in place before EU leaders meet on 7 October. But it appears that there are difficulties in reaching a consensus, with Greece, Cyprus and Malta concerned about the impact such a cap will have on shipping oil, given that they have large shipping industries. Hungary has also proved to be an obstacle when it comes to the price cap. The G-7 wants the cap on Russian oil prices to come into effect prior to the EU’s ban on Russian crude oil, which is due on the 5 December.   Metals – aluminium premiums soften in Japan Major aluminium buyers in Japan will likely pay the lowest premiums on imported metal in nearly two years, reflecting weakening consumption, especially from the auto sector. At least two buyers have agreed to pay $99 a tonne for supplies this quarter, 33% lower than the prior three months as demand for the light metal continues to soften amid macroeconomic concerns. Japan's manufacturing PMI has dropped from its recent peak of around 56 in March 2022 to around 50.7 in September, reflecting a slowdown in the manufacturing sector. The trend is largely similar to Western markets, where the European duty-paid aluminium premium has softened to US$390/t compared to US$490/t at the start of September and nearly US$518/t at the end of 2Q22. Iron ore prices came under pressure as China’s latest stimulus measures failed to lift sentiment in the market. China’s financial regulators told the biggest state-owned banks to extend at least 600 billion yuan ($85 billion) of net financing to the real-estate sector as steel demand has been hit by the property slowdown and Covid-19 lockdowns. Agriculture – uncertainty over Black Sea supplies supports wheat CBOT wheat has been trading firm over the past few days and made a fresh 3-month high of more than US$9.3/bu yesterday as Russia’s illegal annexation of some Ukrainian regions has pushed up supply risks for Ukrainian wheat shipments from the Black Sea under the UN’s Black Sea Grain Initiative. Under the deal, Ukraine has shipped around 5.5mt of agri products (mostly grains) through its three ports since the start of August and plans are to increase shipments to 5mt per month. Earlier, Ukraine’s Agriculture Ministry reported that the local grain harvest has dropped by around 44% YoY to 26.1mt in the season so far. The wheat harvest is nearly complete at 19.2mt (down 40% YoY), whilst the corn harvest has just started with 0.9% of harvesting completed so far compared to around 13% at this stage last year. Read this article on THINK TagsRussian oil price cap OPEC+ Iron ore Grains Aluminium Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

OPEC+ meet in Vienna today and a supply cut seems to be a guaranteed outcome. However, what is less clear is the scale of the cut we could see from the group Source: Shutterstock Energy - OPEC+ cut expectations getting larger OPEC+ meet later today to discuss their output policy for November. It is pretty clear that the group will need to cut at their meeting and expectations about the scale of the supply reduction are growing. Initially, it was suggested that the group could reduce production in the region of 1MMbbls/d, however, there are now suggestions that OPEC+ could cut by as much as 2MMbbls/d. It is important to remember that these are paper cuts and that actual cuts would be much smaller. However, if OPEC+ were to announce a paper cut of as much as 2MMbbls/d, it would work out to an actual output decline in the region of 1MMbbls/d, which would mean that the surplus we expect for the rest of this year would likely disappear. This would provide a solid floor to the market. The group will need to manage expectations, if for some reason they announce a paper cut of less than 1MMbbls/d we could see an immediate downward correction in prices. The US Treasury is expecting that the price cap on Russian oil will be formally announced in the coming weeks. EU members are currently working towards an agreement on the cap, however, concern from certain EU members has meant that talks have dragged on. The European Commission still wants to reach a preliminary agreement before EU leaders meet on 7 October. Metals – dollar weakness supports base metals complex Weakness in the US dollar supported the base metals complex as negative economic data from the US eased concern that the Federal Reserve will tighten monetary policy too rapidly. The Institute for Supply Management’s gauge of US factory activity dropped to its lowest level in more than two years in September. US jobs data, which is due later this week, might provide more clues on the Fed’s rate hike trajectory. Iron ore prices also rose on speculation China might ease Covid-19 curbs and take more steps to revive the country’s ailing property market after reports that regulators told the biggest state-owned banks to provide financing worth at least $85 billion to the sector. Nyrstar will close its Port Pirie lead smelter facility in Australia for 55 days for upgrades aimed at reducing emissions and improving operational performance, the Belgian-based company said. Trafigura, the majority owner of Nyrstar, didn’t comment on how much lead Port Pirie produces. The plant produced 160kt of lead in 2018. Read this article on THINK TagsRussian oil price cap OPEC+ Lead Iron ore Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

There was no doubt that OPEC+ was going to cut supply when the group met in Vienna. However, the agreed 2MMbbls/d supply cut was at the top end of expectations. While the actual cut will be quite a bit smaller, it is still enough to dramatically change the oil balance over 2023 What did OPEC+ agree? Given the amount of noise leading up to the OPEC+ meeting and the fact that the group met in person in Vienna for the first time in over two years, it was clear that the group was going to take some meaningful action. Members of the agreement have for the last couple of months voiced their concerns about the disconnect between the physical and paper market, and that the group would possibly need to take action. We recently saw OPEC+ make a symbolic paper cut of 100Mbbls/d at their September meeting, which translated to an even smaller actual cut. Growing demand concerns have left OPEC+ uneasy and in the lead-up to this week’s meeting, expectations of a supply cut grew from around 1MMbbls/d initially to eventually 2MMbbls/d. Had the group announced a cut towards the lower end of this range, the market would have likely been disappointed. Therefore, OPEC+ announced that they would be cutting supply by 2MMbbls/d from November through until the end of 2023, although output policy could be reviewed before then, if needed. This is the biggest supply reduction seen from the group since the peak of Covid However, given that the bulk of OPEC+ members are producing well below their target production levels, the actual cut seen from the group will be smaller than the announced paper cut. Our numbers suggest that the announced cut will lead to an actual cut of around 1.1MMbbls/d from August production levels. It is likely that only Saudi, UAE, Kuwait, Iraq, Gabon, Algeria and Oman will need to cut output. All other members are already producing below their new target production. This action from OPEC+ will raise some eyebrows, given the uncertain macro outlook, an ongoing energy crisis and uncertainty over how Russian oil supply will evolve once the EU ban on Russian oil and refined products comes into force, along with G7 price cap. The move will also do little to help improve relations between the US and Saudi Arabia. A big winner from these supply cuts will be Russia. They do not need to cut output, given they are already producing below their targeted levels, yet they will benefit from the higher prices we are likely to see as a result of the cuts. OPEC+ agreed paper cuts vs. actual cuts by country (Mbbls/d) Note: Actual cuts use August 2022 production levels Source: OPEC, IEA, ING Research What does this mean for oil prices? The announced cut from OPEC+ dramatically changes the oil balance for the remainder of 2022 and the whole of 2023, assuming we see full compliance. We had previously expected that the global market would see a sizeable surplus for the remainder of this year and then a more marginal surplus over the first half of 2023, before returning to deficit over the second half. However, removing around 1.1MMbbls/d of supply means the market is more balanced over the fourth quarter 2022, and in large deficit over the whole of 2023. We had been expecting ICE Brent to trade in the US$90 area for the remainder of this year and through the first half of next year, before trading back above US$100/bbl in the fourth quarter of 2023. However, this latest action from OPEC+ suggests that there is upside to our current full year 2023 forecast of US$97/bbl. What can counter these cuts? The US administration will not be thrilled with the action taken by OPEC+, particularly given that US mid-term elections are just around the corner. Therefore, in the near term, we could see the US tap its Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR). However, with the US having already aggressively drawn down the SPR this year, which has left it at its lowest levels since 1984, there will be limits on much more will be released. Ultimately, OPEC+ can cut output for longer than the US can tap into its SPR. The US administration could also put more pressure on domestic producers to increase output more aggressively. However, we have already seen the US call on domestic producers to do so, yet the rig count has been largely flat since early July. The uncertain demand outlook along with rising costs may be holding some producers back. The OPEC+ supply cut could also put more pressure on the US to work towards an agreement for the Iranian nuclear deal. A positive outcome would mean that Iranian supply could increase by as much as 1.3MMbbls/d, which would more than offset the OPEC+ reduction, although admittedly, it would take some time for Iran to ramp up output if a deal were struck. In addition, there is always the risk that OPEC+ reduces production even further in the event of a nuclear deal. These are all supply-side solutions for the market. Clearly, demand destruction could also help to partly offset these supply cuts, although how much demand destruction we see will really depend on the severity of any upcoming recession. Read this article on THINK TagsSPR Russian oil price cap Russian oil ban OPEC+ Iran nuclear deal Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Supply cuts announced by OPEC+ earlier this week continue to push oil prices higher Source: Shutterstock Energy - supply cuts continue to offer support to oil Oil prices continue to strengthen following the 2MMbbls/d paper cut announced by OPEC+ on Wednesday. ICE Brent settled a little more than 1.1% higher yesterday, leading the market to trade above US$94/bbl. The crude oil market is now on course for its best week since mid-April. Read next: Terra's Worker Arrested! White House Comment On The OPEC Decision And Success of Deutsche Bank | FXMAG.COM  Following the OPEC+ meeting, the Saudis released their official selling prices (OSPs) for November loadings yesterday. Aramco left the OSP for its Arab Light into Asia unchanged at US$5.85/bbl over the benchmark. Meanwhile, Europe saw cuts of US$1.80/bbl for both extra light and light grades. There were smaller cuts of US$1.50/bbl for both medium and heavy grades. All grades to the US saw a marginal increase of US$0.20/bbl. The latest data from Insights Global shows that refined product inventories in the ARA region increased by 131kt over the last week to reach 5.33mt. Fuel oil stocks saw the largest increase, growing 83kt over the week to 1.13mt. Gasoil and jet fuel inventories increased by 27kt and 43kt respectively. Naphtha and gasoline inventories saw some moderate declines over the period. As for the European gas market, noise around a possible price cap continues to grow. According to Bloomberg, Belgium, Italy, Greece and Poland have proposed implementing a price cap on natural gas, which would include a corridor/range that would allow prices to trade within a certain range of the cap. The EU will need to be careful with how they go about trying to cap gas prices. This type of intervention will make it more difficult for the market to balance through needed demand destruction. In the US, natural gas prices continued to edge higher yesterday, despite the EIA reporting the largest weekly increase in inventories since 2015. US natural gas inventories increased by 129bcf, which was above market expectations of around 123bcf and also well above the 5-year average of 87bcf. Despite this large increase, total US natural gas inventories are still 7.8% below their 5-year average. Metals – LME restricts new Russian metal The London Metal Exchange said it will restrict new deliveries of metals from Russia’s Ural Mining & Metallurgical Co. and one of its subsidiaries after the UK placed sanctions on co-founder, Iskandar Makhmudov. Starting immediately, metal from UMMC or the Chelyabinsk Zinc unit can only be delivered to LME warehouses if the owner can prove to the exchange that it won’t constitute a breach of sanctions, including that it was sold before Makhmudov was sanctioned by the UK on 26 September, and that neither company has any economic interest in the metal. The LME said that UMMC copper, which is currently listed in the LME warehouse system, is not subject to the sanctions. There is no zinc produced by Chelyabinsk in LME warehouses. Last week the LME said it planned to launch a discussion paper considering a potential ban on new supplies of Russian material, including aluminium, copper, and nickel. Russia’s Rusal said that any move by the LME to restrict deliveries of its metal would damage the exchange’s standing in the global markets. The aluminium producer made the statement in a letter to customers, as it steps up a lobbying campaign against any possible move to block Russian metal. Rusal said that restricting deliveries of its metal would “create uncertainty around the role of the LME in the market” and make the exchange “less attractive to all participants.” Rusal is the world’s largest aluminium producer outside of China and accounts for about 6% of the world’s production. Although Russian metals, including aluminium, copper and nickel are not officially sanctioned, self-sanctioning could already be disrupting trade dynamics in the global metals markets. Agriculture- Brazilian crop prospects In its first estimates for 2022/23, Brazil’s National Supply Company, CONAB, forecasts domestic soybean production to increase by 21.3% YoY to 152.4mt largely on account of better yields. As Brazil recovers from drought in 2021/22, CONAB estimates soybean yields to increase 17.4% YoY to 3.6t/ha. Meanwhile, soybean acreage could also increase by around 3.4% YoY to 42.9m hectares. Comparatively, in the previous WASDE report, the USDA estimated that Brazil’s soybean production would increase by 18% YoY to 149mt. Considering the higher estimates from CONAB, the USDA could also increase Brazil’s soybean supply estimates in next week’s WASDE report. CONAB expects higher domestic production to support exports as well, with external shipments rising around 22.5% YoY to 95.9mt in 2022/23. Meanwhile, CONAB forecasts corn production to increase 12.5% YoY to 126.9mt, again largely due to better yields as the weather improves. Domestic corn yields are expected to increase 8.4% YoY to 5.7t/ha, whilst corn acreage could also increase 3.8% YoY to 22.4m ha. The Thai Sugar Millers Corp estimates domestic sugar cane production will increase to around 110mt in 2022/23 compared to around 92.1mt in 2021/22 due to better weather and supportive government policies. This would be the largest Thai sugar cane crop over the past three years and would help boost export supply from a key global exporter. Read this article on THINK TagsRussia-Ukraine OPEC+ Natural gas LME metals Grains Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Copper has been weighed down by China’s property sector woes and Covid-19 lockdowns while investors have turned away from commodities amid tightening central bank policies China's zero-Covid exit plan in focus Copper has lost all the gains it made this year as inflation has climbed higher, interest rates have risen, and energy costs keep surging. Covid-19 lockdowns in an already slowing Chinese economy have continued to dampen the demand outlook for the red metal, while the strong US dollar has weighed heavily on the markets this year. LME prices are now down around 30% from their peak in February following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine when the three-month LME copper price reached $10,580/t. Read next: Terra's Worker Arrested! White House Comment On The OPEC Decision And Success of Deutsche Bank | FXMAG.COM The short-term demand outlook remains weak amid recession fears and weakening global manufacturing activity. The focus is now shifting to China’s 20th National Congress in Beijing, which will start on 16 October, with markets looking for a possible change in the country’s zero-Covid policy. There is speculation that the government may start to relax its strict approach to containing the virus. China recently unveiled new measures aimed at reviving the country’s real estate industry, which could potentially boost the usage of industrial metals, including copper. A slowdown in China’s property market has weighed on the world’s biggest metal consumer for more than a year. Around 23% of China's copper end-use comes from civil and building construction. China copper end-use by sector Source: Source: ING China's property market Source: Source: ING China's property support fails to buoy sentiment China has been stepping up its efforts to boost its ailing housing and construction sectors with more Chinese cities announcing credit support and subsidies for home purchases. Last month, China’s Evergrande Group removed most of its construction project freezes as China enters its peak building season, which traditionally lasts until the end of October. Earlier this week, China’s financial regulators told the nation’s biggest state-owned banks to extend at least 600bn yuan ($85bn) of net financing to the real estate sector to boost the country’s ailing property sector. The news, however, failed to buoy sentiment in the copper market this week with China’s stimulus efforts not enough as Covid-19 restrictions in the country continue to take their toll on demand for the red metal. Concerns over China’s economy will continue to put downward pressure on the red metal until the government eases the country’s Covid-19 restrictions. Copper shrugs off supply disruptions Supply disruptions in South America continue to be in the spotlight for copper. In Chile, workers at BHP’s Escondida mine, the world’s largest copper mine, planned a stoppage at the beginning of September over safety concerns. Later in the month, the supervisors’ union at Antofagasta’s Los Pelambres copper mine rejected the company’s latest offer and threatened to strike. Workers at Ventanas port in Chile’s Valparaiso region also went on strike last month, delaying shipments. Meanwhile, Chile's copper production from state-owned giant Codelco fell 6.5% in July to reach 128,000 tonnes, government body Cochilco said last week. Production at Collahuasi, a joint venture of Anglo American and Glencore, dropped 12.4% on a year-on-year basis to 47,300 tonnes. Copper output from Escondida, which is majority-owned by Australian miner BHP Group, fell 1.8% to 81,400 tonnes, Cochilco said. In Peru, a group of indigenous communities blocked the “mining corridor” highway in mid-September. The blockade affected mines including Glencore’s Antapaccay, MMG’s Las Bambas and Hudbay Minerals’ Constancia. Protestors asked for the state to engage in a formal consultation process over Glencore’s plans to develop a new copper project, Coroccohuayco. Also last month in Peru, a group of residents blocked access to Sierra Metals’ Yauricocha zinc-copper-lead-silver mine, with production suspended for more than a week in late September. Despite the ongoing supply disruptions, concerns over macro headwinds and recession fears are dominating copper’s sentiment and prices for now. Global exchange stocks at record lows Copper stockpiles held by the LME have continued to increase this week, with metal immediately available to withdraw rising for 20 straight days to the highest in a year this week. While inventories have increased from the lows earlier in the year (below 70kt over February/March versus 139kt at the moment), they remain at record lows, representing just two days’ worth of global supply. The tight physical market is also reflected in the cash/3M spread having been in backwardation in excess of US$100/t recently. Global exchange stocks declined by 136,500 tonnes in September to just under 250,000 tonnes. Chinese bonded warehouse stocks have plummeted by two-thirds over the past month to just 37,000 tonnes at the end of September despite Chinese imports remaining robust at 332,000 tonnes in August and up 8% year-to-date. Meanwhile, LME consultation on Russian metal has cast new uncertainty over supply. Last week the LME said it plans to launch a discussion paper considering a potential ban on new supplies of Russian material, including aluminium, copper, and nickel. The LME also announced this week that it will restrict new deliveries of copper and zinc from Russia’s Ural Mining & Metallurgical Co. and one of its subsidiaries after the UK sanctioned co-founder Iskandar Makhmudov. Starting immediately, metal from UMMC or Chelyabinsk Zinc unit can only be delivered to LME warehouses if the owner can prove to the exchange that it won’t constitute a breach of sanctions, including that it was sold before Makhmudov was sanctioned by the UK on 26 September, and that neither company has any economic interest in the metal. The LME said that UMMC copper which is currently listed in the LME warehouse system is not subject to the sanctions, and there is no zinc produced by Chelyabinsk in LME warehouses. Russia produced 920,000 tonnes of refined copper last year, about 3.5% of the world's total, according to USGS, out of which Nornickel produced 406,841 tonnes. Asia and Europe are the main export markets for Russian copper. Although Russian copper is not officially sanctioned, self-sanctioning could already be disrupting trade dynamics in the European market. LME and SHFE inventory change YTD in kt Source: Source: LME, SHFE, ING Read this article on THINK TagsCopper Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Oil had its best week since March following OPEC+ supply cuts, whilst gasoil time spreads have surged due to ongoing strike action at French refineries Energy- middle distillate market surges The oil market finished last week on a strong footing. ICE Brent managed to settle a little more than 11% higher over the course of the week - the biggest weekly increase since late March. And this leaves Brent trading near the US$98/bbl level. The market continues to digest the announced cuts from OPEC+ and what exactly this means for the oil market for the remainder of this year and more crucially for 2023. The cut is clearly bullish. However, there is obviously still plenty of other uncertainty in the market, including how Russian oil supply evolves due to the EU oil ban and G-7 price cap, as well as the demand outlook given the deteriorating macro picture. Read next: Great Britain Expects Positive Results For Its Economy | FXMAG.COM The latest positioning data shows that speculators increased their net long in ICE Brent ahead of last week’s OPEC+ meeting. The managed money net long position increased by 27,459 lots over the last reporting week, leaving speculators with a net long of 185,332 lots as of last Tuesday. This is the largest position held since June and given the move in the market since then, it’s likely that the current position is even larger. The bulk of the increase was driven by fresh longs with the gross long growing by 24,434 lots. The latest data from Baker Hughes shows that the US oil rig count declined by 2 over the last week to 602. The number of active rigs in the US has been largely stable since early July. This is not a great signal for the market in terms of US supply growth, particularly with the tighter supply outlook following OPEC+ supply cuts. The European gasoil market continues to strengthen. The prompt ICE gasoil timespread has surged above US$100/t, up from a little over US$50/t the week before. In addition, the gasoil crack has also seen significant strength. The middle distillates market has been tight for much of the year. However, the latest move in the market is due to ongoing strike action at refineries across France. Strike action along with some other outages means that over 60% of French refining capacity is offline at the moment. Labour negotiations to bring an end to the strike are ongoing, but in the meantime, the government has released fuel from strategic reserves and there is the potential for further releases. Metals- LME launches discussion paper on Russian metal The LME began a formal discussion on a potential ban on supplies from Russia. Any move by the LME will have a significant impact on aluminium, nickel and copper. Russian aluminium has accounted for as much as three-quarters of LME stockpiles over the past decade, while copper from Russia has made up as much as 95%, the exchange said. This year, Russian exports to key markets remained unaffected with most customers likely to have entered into long-term contract agreements – Q4 should give a better sense of the direction of Russian material flows as contracts for next year are negotiated. The launch of the discussion paper comes a day after the LME said it would ban new deliveries of metals from Russia’s Ural Mining & Metallurgical Co. and one of its subsidiaries after the UK placed sanctions on co-founder, Iskandar Makhmudov. The move is the biggest restriction on Russian metal flows by the LME since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Agriculture – pessimistic sentiment prevails in soybeans CBOT soybeans continued to witness a liquidation of speculative longs over the last week as better supply prospects from South America and logistical issues in the US weighed on sentiment. CFTC data shows that money managers reduced their net long in CBOT soybeans by another 17,343 lots over the last week, leaving them with a net long of 77,488 lots as of 4 October - the lowest net long position so far this year. The move lower was predominantly driven by longs liquidating with gross longs falling by 15,520 lots to 94,762 lots. The major catalyst for this move remains a buoyant outlook for the soybean crop in South America, where improved weather could help supply prospects significantly in 2022/23. Meanwhile, dry weather in the US Midwest has reduced water levels along the Mississippi river, creating logistical bottlenecks in transporting soybean cargoes to export terminals. The slowdown in exports could increase the availability of soybeans in the US domestic market. Read this article on THINK

Yesterday's WASDE report was largely constructive. For the US market, corn and wheat saw lower 2022/23 ending stocks. However, the market was expecting even more aggressive reductions. As for soybeans, unchanged US ending stocks proved supportive for prices US corn yields revised lower The USDA revised lower its estimate for US corn stocks at the end of 2022/23 to 1.17b bushels compared to an earlier estimate of 1.22b bushels. However, this still left stocks above the roughly 1.13b bushels the market was expecting. The move was largely due to lower beginning stocks which were lowered by around 0.15b bushels. The agency also lowered domestic corn production estimates for this season from 13.94b bushels to 13.89b bushels on account of lower yields. Export estimates were also revised down by 126m bushels to 2.15b bushels. For the global market, the USDA reduced its estimate for global ending stocks from 304.5mt to 301.2mt; again, largely on account of smaller stocks at the start of the season. Global beginning stocks were revised down by around 5.1mt due to lower stocks in the US and Ukraine. The revised numbers are largely in line with market expectations of around 301.9mt. Global corn output was lowered by 3.8mt to 1,168.7mt due to lower supply from the US (-1.2mt) and the EU (-2.6mt). Meanwhile, global demand estimates fell from 1,180.2mt to 1,174.6mt.  While the numbers, particularly for the US were not as bullish as the market was expecting, both the US and the global market continue to tighten, which should provide support to prices. Corn supply/demand balance Source: USDA US soybean output cut The USDA revised lower production estimates for US soybeans by 69m bushels to 4.3b bushels. This was due to a reduction in yield expectations, which were revised down from 50.5 bu/acre to 49.8 bu/acre. Both yields and production came in below market expectations and this has provided a boost to soybean prices. Meanwhile, the agency estimates that lower output and increased competition from South America could impact exports, which were cut from 2.09b bushels to 2.05b bushels. US ending stocks for 2022/23 were left unchanged at 200m bushels; however, this was below the roughly 245m bushels the market was expecting. For the global market, 2022/23 ending stocks were increased from 98.9mt to 100.5mt, largely on account of higher supplies from Brazil. This number was also slightly higher than the 99.7mt the market was expecting. Global soybean production estimates increased by around 1.2mt to 391mt, which was driven by a 3mt increase in Brazilian supply. Global demand numbers were also increased by around 2.5mt to 380.2mt for 2022/23. Soybeans supply/demand balance Source: USDA Wheat balance sheet tightens The USDA lowered US wheat ending stock estimates for 2022/23 from 610m bushels to 576m bushels (lowest since 2007/08); although it was still higher than the roughly 563m bushels expected. The agency lowered production estimates from 1.78b bushels to 1.65b bushels due to falling acreage and yields. The global wheat balance saw few changes in aggregate with 2022/23 ending stock estimates revised down slightly from 268.6mt to 267.5mt, which was in line with market expectations. 2022/23 output was cut from 783.9mt to 781.7mt with key reductions coming from the US (-3.6mt) and Argentina (-1.5mt). Wheat supply/demand balance Source: USDA Read this article on THINK TagsWheat WASDE USDA Soybeans Corn Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

A stronger CPI print should have meant that markets came under pressure yesterday. However, oil prices rallied, while supply concerns continue to dominate the aluminium market Source: Shutterstock Energy - oil rallies despite bearish developments ICE Brent managed to settle almost 2.3% higher yesterday even after the higher-than-expected inflation reading from the US. Stickier inflation only reinforces the view of a more aggressive hiking cycle from the US Fed. And this latest data supports a 75bp hike at the Fed’s November meeting. The latest weekly numbers from the EIA were also not very constructive. US commercial crude oil inventories increased by 9.9MMbbls over the last week. Although when taking into consideration SPR releases, total US crude oil inventories increased by just 2.2MMbbls The large commercial build was predominantly driven by a large decline in crude oil exports. These fell by 1.68MMbbls/d WoW. We also saw slightly stronger crude imports and lower refinery activity over the course of the week. For refined products, whilst gasoline saw a build of a little over 2MMbbls, distillate fuel oil stocks declined by 4.85MMbbls. Read next: The Ad-Powered Netflix's Plan | Jim Cramer Comments On The Shares| FXMAG.COM The IEA released its latest monthly market report yesterday in which the agency questioned the recent decision from OPEC+ to cut output. The agency believes the decision will lead to increased volatility and energy security concerns. As a result of a deteriorating economy and higher prices, the IEA revised lower its demand growth forecasts for both 2022 and 2023 by 60Mbbls/d and 470Mbbls/d respectively. This leaves oil demand growth in 2022 and 2023 at 1.9MMbbls/d and 1.7MMbbls/d respectively. As for Russian supply, the IEA reports that exports fell by 230Mbbls/d in September to average 7.5MMbbls/d, which is down around 560Mbbls/d from pre-war levels. Obviously, with the EU ban on Russian oil coming into force in December, these flows are expected to decline further. Looking at broader OPEC+ supply, IEA numbers show that the group produced 3.44MMbbls/d below its target level for September. President Biden has suggested that some action will be taken by his administration next week to address high gasoline prices. The US is clearly not happy with the recent decision of OPEC+ to cut supply and the move has done very little to help the Saudi/US relationship. Potential action could include further releases from the SPR and potentially imposing export limits on fuel. Export limits on fuel would not be very effective, as they would likely push global fuel prices higher, and would then have a positive impact on fuel prices in US regions which import large volumes of refined products from overseas.   Metals – LME aluminium continues to surge on supply woes LME aluminium price continued to surge for a second straight session amid worries over a potential ban on Russian supplies, largely ignoring the jump reported in on-warrant stocks. The latest LME data showed that on-warrant inventories for aluminium rose by 20kt, their seventh consecutive rise, to reach 303.6kt (highest since May 9th) as of yesterday, with the majority of the increase from Malaysia’s Port Klang warehouses. Meanwhile, cancelled warrants also declined for a tenth straight session to 48.3kt as of yesterday, signalling potential further inflows. In China, the latest SMM survey showed China’s copper cathode production rising 13.2% YoY and 6% MoM to 909kt in September, as some smelters resumed normal operations. Meanwhile, a newly expanded smelter in the Zhejiang region reached its full production capacity, while a smelter in the Guangdong region resumed operations in mid-September.  Among other metals, SMM reported that Chinese primary aluminium production rose 7.3% YoY to 3.34mt in September. For the first nine months of the year, output rose 2.8% YoY to 29.9mt. Similarly, refined nickel output rose 7.7% YoY to 15.4kt in September. However, refined zinc output fell 3.1% YoY to 503.9kt last month, while YTD production also declined 3% YoY to 4.4mt. For lead, output rose 12.8% YoY and 10% MoM to 295kt in September. For copper premiums, the latest SMM data shows Yangshan copper premiums in China surged to US$137.5/t (highest since October 2021) due to the lower availability of domestic supplies resulting in higher import demand for the metal. The nearby Shanghai Futures Exchange (ShFE) copper spread moved to a backwardation of over CNY1,600/t as of yesterday, indicating tight domestic supply conditions. Agriculture - Black Sea grain deal uncertainty Wheat prices saw further strength yesterday on concern that the Black Sea grains deal may not be renewed when it expires in mid-November. According to reports, Russia has sent a letter to the United Nations regarding its concerns over the deal and potentially will not renew it if these concerns are not addressed. Read this article on THINK TagsOil IEA Grains EIA Aluminium Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Dutch TTF GAs is breaking below key support at €125 in a total collapse. Henry Hub Gas eyeing Shoulder-Head-Shoulder target at $5.32.  Sideways trading Carbon Emission could break deadlock and drop further Dutch Gas is collapsing. After closing below €145 the big test was 125. Gas has now broken below that minor support right at the open this morning supporting the view that Dutch Gas prices are collapsing.  There is no strong support in Dutch Gas before around 83.75 -77.30.RSI is below 40 adding to the bearish picture.Dutch could bounce and perform a minor correction from the falling lower trendline in what looks like a steep falling wedge pattern.To reverse this bearish picture Dutch Gas needs to close above 175. Source: All Charts and data in this article Saxo Group Henry Hub Gas closed yesterday below key support at $6.30 and could be in free fall to July lows around 5.32. Henry Hub would then have reached its Shoulder-Head-Shoulder target illustrated by the two vertical arrows. To reverse this continued bearish picture Henry Hub Gas must close above 7.20.   Carbon Emission has been stepping sideways for several weeks by now. However, that might soon change. Emission prices are likely to resume down trend if it breaks below 65 followed by RSI closing back below 40. RSI is showing bearish sentiment and currently testing its lower corrective rising trendline.For Carbon Emission to reverse the downtrend a close above 71.36 is needed. Source: Technical Update - Natural Gas prices collapsing breaking key supports. Carbon Emission warming up for another sell-off | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

The US administration is set to announce further releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve today, although this volume is part of the larger 180MMbbls announced earlier in the year. More interesting are suggestions that the US will look to start refilling the SPR at or below US$67-72/bbl Source: Shutterstock Energy: US SPR release and refill Oil prices came under pressure yesterday after reports that the US would announce a further release from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The latest release is expected to be announced today by President Biden and would be for 15MMbbls. However, it is important to point out that this release would be part of the initial 180MMbbls announced earlier this year and would be the final tranche of that volume. Therefore, given that this release is already factored in, the price impact should be minimal. However, there are reports that the US administration is not ruling out further releases through the winter months. The US administration will find it difficult to compensate for the OPEC+ supply cuts with just SPR releases. In the medium- to longer-term, SPR releases are supportive for the market, given the need for the US to refill. Bloomberg is reporting that the US administration is also planning to start refilling the SPR when WTI trades at or below US$67-72/bbl. This should provide another floor to the market, although the key question is whether OPEC+ would allow prices to trade down to these levels or intervene (if needed) to keep prices near current levels. The latest data from the API shows that US crude oil inventories fell by 1.27MMbbls over the last week, while the market was expecting crude stocks to increase by around 2.5MMbbls. In addition to the crude draw, the API also reported that gasoline and distillate inventories decreased by 2.17MMbbls and 1.09MMbbls, respectively. Overall, these numbers were moderately constructive and appear to be offering some support to the market in early morning trading today. The more widely followed EIA numbers will be released later today. European natural gas prices continue to come under pressure. The TTF Nov-22 contract fell by a further 11.5% yesterday, leaving the market to trade at a little over EUR113/MWh. The market has fallen by around 40% now since the start of the month. Warmer than usual weather for this time of year and the fact that EU storage continues to fill up (currently 92% full) is easing concerns over prompt tightness in the market. However, prices from Dec-22 through to Apr-23 are trading in excess of EUR140/MWh. The forward curve continues to reflect concerns over expected tightness through 2023. The European Commission has laid out its latest proposals for the EU energy markets, which for now does not include a gas price cap. Instead, the commission is proposing a dynamic price limit for TTF, which will be temporary and only used as a last resort. In addition, the proposal includes upper and lower daily price limits on energy derivatives to try to address volatility in markets. Furthermore, the commission wants to push the idea of joint gas purchases between member states, in the hope this would give Europe more leverage and prevent EU countries from competing against each other for supply. Finally, given the changing supply dynamics in the European gas market (the EU turning increasingly to LNG), the commission proposes a new LNG benchmark, rather than using TTF which reflects regional infrastructure bottlenecks. These proposals will be discussed by EU leaders who meet later this week. Metals: copper inventories in China surge Copper prices came under pressure yesterday after inventories in Shanghai jumped by a record amount, easing concerns about supply tightness. The Shanghai Futures Exchange’s on-warrant stocks of the red metal ready for delivery climbed by 47,024 tonnes on Monday – the biggest daily change in data going back to 2010. As a result, the prompt SHFE timespread eased from its multi-year highs. Japan’s largest smelter, Sumitomo Metals, estimates the global nickel market to be in a deficit of 108kt in 2022 and forecasts a deficit of 63kt for a third consecutive year in 2023 due to rising demand from the batteries sector. The smelter expects global nickel demand to surge by 7.1% YoY to 3.14mt, while supply is expected to rise by 9% year-on-year to 3.08mt next year. The company forecasts demand for nickel used in batteries to surpass 500kt in 2023, compared with 410kt in 2022 and 320kt in 2021. Agriculture: wheat declines on constructive grain-export deal talks CBOT wheat futures dropped to the lowest level in four weeks on the back of hopes of an extension to the Black Sea grain deal, which is currently set to expire next month. The latest comments from the United Nations suggest that ongoing negotiations to renew the existing grain deal were constructive. However, there still appears to be a rush to export as much as possible through the corridor before the existing deal expires. Meanwhile, a backlog of Ukrainian grain vessels awaiting inspection has eased slightly over the weekend. As per the latest data, the backlog of inbound and outbound vessels awaiting checks stood at 131 as of yesterday, compared to 156 on Friday. The latest data shows that, around 7.7mt of grain and other food products have been exported as of 16 October under the deal. Read this article on THINK TagsUS SPR Grains European natural gas Energy crisis Copper Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Rates markets have taken reports of an accelerated European Central Bank tightening process in their stride. If such reports are confirmed next week, we expect another leg wider in sovereign spreads, and core rates. The money markets' reaction depends on how the ECB pushes banks to repay TLTRO loans; we may get more information in the coming days ECB sequencing on steroids Francois Villeroy has often been one of the ECB officials laying out his policy expectations most explicitly. Even if he’s only one member of the 25-strong governing council, his opinion can also reflect the tone of policy discussions that are happening behind closed doors. He has also been more often at the slightly more hawkish end of the council, which in the currently hawk-dominated debate makes him a relatively interesting barometer of where the discussion is. This makes his expectation that quantitative tightening could start from the end of this year a particularly notable one. Press reports so far have suggested a start in the course of 2023, most likely in the second quarter. This was to give the ECB time to reach neutral deposit rates (likely around 2%) and to mop up some of the excess liquidity created by targeted longer-term refinancing operation (TLTRO) loans to banks. That suggested timing would not only imply an earlier reduction of the ECB’s bond portfolio, but also a decision as early as next week on how to nudge banks into repaying their TLTRO loans. Money market spreads are prime candidates for widening when the ECB tightens policy Market reaction to QT or TLTRO-related headlines has been very muted. It is difficult to discern euro-specific drivers among the gilt-induced volatility but there has been no appreciable uptrend in sovereign spreads in recent weeks, and the spread of German 10Y yields relative to Treasuries remains well within its recent range. The same goes with money market spreads, which are prime candidates for widening when the ECB tightens policy (see below), and long-dated bases have tightened, if anything. The prospect of ECB QT hasn't pushed euro yields up relative to dollar Source: Refinitiv, ING Liquidity reduction and quantitative tightening around the corner Both are momentous decisions that should be considered carefully by market participants. In the case of pushing banks to repay TLTRO loans, the range of options on the table is so wide that it is difficult to have great certainty about the market impact. Ranging from the most to the least likely, we could see: A reduction of excess liquidity to the tune of €0.5tn in December and €0.5tn in March A greater sensitivity of Euribor fixings to widening in credit and sovereign spreads A rise in Estr fixings relative to the ECB deposit rate A rise in repo rates relative to Estr fixings An easing of collateral scarcity A differentiated tightening of liquidity conditions in various member states Except for the first two, these impacts will depend on the type of mechanism implemented by the ECB. We’ve done our best to keep up with various trial balloons released in the press in dedicated publications on TLTRO repayments, comparison with other central banks' options, and the broader choice of reserve tiering. Quantitative tightening is more straightforward in that there seems to be a broad agreement on the form it will take Quantitative tightening is more straightforward in that there seems to be a broad agreement on the form it will take: a progressive phasing out of reinvestment of its asset purchase programme (APP) portfolio starting sometime in 2023 (or very late in 2022), and then the same for pandemic emergency purchase programme (PEPP) reinvestments in 2025. Here too, we’ve covered the implications in more detail in a dedicated publication but we would expect another leg wider in sovereign spreads, an acceleration of money market spread widening when combined with TLTRO repayments (see above), and eventually higher core rates although we think the effect should be manageable next year. Money markets don't appear concerned about a widening of Euribor fixes Source: Refinitiv, ING Today's events and market view Eurozone inflation and construction output are the main data releases in Europe today. The US will see the release of housing starts and building permits, as well as MBA mortgage applications. There is a decent raft of central bank speakers on the schedule. From the European Central Bank: Fabio Centeno, from the Federal Reserve: Neel Kashkari, Charles Evans, and James Bullard, and from the Bank of England: Jon Cunliffe and Catherine Mann. Read next: The USA May Release 15MMbbls Of Crude Oil And Is Expected To Refill The Reserves When The WTI Reaches Ca. $67-72/bbl| FXMAG.COM Realised volatility has slowed down this week and markets could be left to their own devices on a day which is light on event risk. In that environment, we expect the uptrend in rates to reassert itself. Read this article on THINK TagsRates Daily Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Global aluminium prices briefly rallied after news that the United States is considering an effective ban on Russian imports of the metal in response to the conflict in Ukraine. This comes at a time when the LME is also discussing the possibility of banning Russian metal from its warehouses US mulls Russian aluminium ban Metals have been mostly spared in the rounds of sanctions imposed on Russia that followed its invasion of Ukraine on 24 February. The news of a potential US ban has revived memories of the chaos in the aluminium market that ensued when the US administration placed sanctions on Russian aluminium producers in April 2018. Back then, LME prices jumped to their highest level in seven years at $2,718/t, before gradually falling in the following weeks and months. Sanctions were then lifted in January 2019. This time around, while we have seen strength on the back of reports of a possible ban, the gains have been more modest given the lack of confirmation from US officials along with the fact there are several forms of action that could be taken. Three potential scenarios for the US The Biden administration is reportedly weighing up three potential measures: a complete ban on Russian aluminium, increasing tariffs to levels that would effectively act as a ban, and sanctioning the company that produces Russian aluminium: Rusal. The scale of the impact will depend on which of the three options the US opts for. The war in Ukraine has had little effect so far on Russian aluminium exports to the US with most customers likely to have entered into long-term contract agreements. US ban or higher import tariffs – limited impact In the scenario that the US imposes a ban or raises tariffs on Russian aluminium, there will likely be a limited impact on the global market. The US is not a significant buyer of Russian aluminium. The US imported about 192,000 mt of primary aluminium from Russia in 2021, accounting for just over 5% of the total 3.64 million mt of primary aluminium imported that year. Russia was the third-largest exporter of primary aluminium to the US in 2021, but imports from the country were far behind the 2.54 million mt and 354,000 mt shipped from Canada and the United Arab Emirates, respectively. In the first half of this year, the US imported about 120,000 mt of primary aluminium from Russia out of 2.12 million mt in total imports. If the US shuns Russian metals, Russia may increase its exports to sanction-neutral countries like China, the world’s biggest aluminium consumer. China would then buy discounted Russian material to use domestically and export its aluminium products to Europe and the US to fill the gap left by the Russian import ban. China imported 230,511 tonnes of primary aluminium from Russia this year through August, accounting for 77% of its total aluminium imports. Unless a US ban is accompanied by an EU or LME ban, any spike in prices that would follow such a move would most likely be short-lived. Sanctions option more of a concern However, if the US decides to sanction Rusal, the impact could be more severe, bearing in mind the market’s reaction to the sanctions in 2018. The move could freeze the Russian producer out of Western markets, depending on the severity of sanctions, which would boost global prices for the metal and distort global aluminium trade flows. Rusal is the largest aluminium producer outside of China and the only primary aluminium producer in Russia. The company produced 3.76 million tonnes of the metal in 2021, accounting for 6% of worldwide production. Rusal is not only a major producer of primary aluminium. It is also deeply embedded in global supply chains needed to make the metal – bauxite and alumina. Rusal’s 2018 sanctions affected operations in Guinea and Jamaica, while smelters in Europe struggled to secure raw material supplies. The Irish government also considered intervention to safeguard jobs at Rusal Aughinish Alumina, Rusal’s largest producer of alumina. If the US sanctions the Russian aluminium producer, it could make other buyers cautious of taking in Russian material, fearing exposure to possible secondary sanctions. Supply tightness and shortages that would likely follow would be most felt in Europe, where the industry is already grappling with low stock supplies and is more reliant on Russian supply. Europe is Rusal’s biggest customer, accounting for 40% of sales revenues. Buyers have been increasingly pushing back as contracts for next year are being negotiated. Some companies, including Novelis and Norsk Hydro, have already rejected Russian material for next year’s supplies.   US sanctions could also encourage the LME to act – the bourse launched a discussion paper earlier this month on a potential ban of Russian metals. Back in 2018, after sanctions were imposed, the LME barred users from delivering any metal made by Rusal into its global warehouses. This would, as a result, make traders and consumers cautious of buying new metal from Rusal, since they wouldn’t be able to deliver it to the LME – the buyer of last resort. LME discussion on Russian metals The LME is considering three options: it could continue to accept Russian metal, set a cap on Russian metal in LME warehouses, or issue an outright ban. Given that Russia accounts for about 5% of global aluminium output, the metal would be one of the most affected if we were to see a ban or limits on Russian deliveries into LME warehouses. Russian aluminium has accounted for as much as three-quarters of LME stockpiles over the past decade, according to the exchange. Clearly, the LME is worried about the risk of Russian metal being dumped into LME warehouses as buyers become less willing to accept Russian metals for next year’s supplies. Russian metals flow into the exchange’s warehouses, in the scenario that the LME doesn’t issue a ban or only limits Russian deliveries, which would cause some issues. Firstly, a strong increase in LME inventories could put further pressure on prices, while there could also be a growing amount of aluminium in LME warehouses, which buyers are not willing to touch. This could potentially lead to a disconnect in prices. There is already speculation that recent LME inventory increases in copper and aluminium are being driven by Russian material. LME on-warrant aluminium stockpiled jumped 63% so far this week and now stands at 527,675 tonnes, according to data from the bourse, with the increase driven by deliveries into Malaysia’s Port Klang warehouses. On-warrant stockpiles have now doubled since the start of October. A full ban on Russian metals would be the most bullish outcome of the LME discussion paper, effectively cutting Russian metals off from the exchange. With LME disappearing as the market of last resort for Russian metals, Russian suppliers would have to look elsewhere for willing buyers. Disruption to trade flows would likely offer an upside to affected metals, including aluminium. Read this article on THINK TagsRussian metals Aluminium Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Summary:  Our weekly Commitment of Traders update highlights future positions and changes made by hedge funds and other speculators across commodities and forex during the week to Tuesday, October 18. A week that saw stocks rebound after a solid start to the corporate-earnings season helped offset continued growth worries. The dollar traded softer and bond yields higher while commodities adopted a defensive stance with the biggest amount of net selling hitting crude oil, gold, corn and coffee. Saxo Bank publishes weekly Commitment of Traders reports (COT) covering leveraged fund positions in commodities, bonds and stock index futures. For IMM currency futures and the VIX, we use the broader measure called non-commercial. Link to latest report Financial Markets Quick Take - October 24, 2022Saxo Market Call Podcast: HangSeng delivers a vote of no confidence in Xi's 3rd term This summary highlights futures positions and changes made by hedge funds across commodities and forex during the week to Tuesday, October 18. A week that saw stocks rebound from oversold levels after a solid start to the corporate-earnings season helped offset continued worries about how far central banks are prepared to hike rates in order to combat inflation through forcing a reduction in economic activity.    With exception of the JPY, the dollar traded softer against most major currencies while bond yields rose ahead of a mid-week spike that saw 2-year yield jump to the highest since 2007 as traders pushed expectations for the peak policy rate closer to 5% by early 2023. Commodities traded defensively throughout the week with losses seen across most sectors led by energy, especially natural gas which slumped by close to 13%.  Commodities The Bloomberg Commodity index lost 3.2% during the reporting week with losses being led by the energy sector where the market reversed some of the gains seen in the previous week when OPEC and Russia announced their surprise production cut. Natural gas slumped 13% on the week while renewed yield strength and economic worries sent most metals sharply lower with funds reversing back to net short position in gold, silver and copper.    Responding to these developments, speculators cut their total exposure across 23 major commodity futures by 7% to 1.037,869 contracts with the biggest amount of net selling hitting crude oil, gold, corn and coffee with buying concentrated in soybean oil, sugar and hogs.  Energy Responding to renewed weakness, speculators cut bullish WTI and Brent crude oil bets by a combined 57k lots to 353k lots, thereby reversing the bulk of the buying seen in the aftermath of OPEC+ decision to cut production. The change was led by a combination of longs (-42k lots) bailing out of recently established positions and fresh shorts (+15k) being added. The product market was mixed with buying of the two distillate contracts while gasoline length was reduced. Funds increased their natural gas short by 6% to 82.5k lots in response to a near 13% drop on continued mild weather and rising production.  Metals Sellers returned to the metal sector with the recently established small longs in gold, silver and copper being flipped to decent size short positions while platinum’s small gain on the week managed to attract additional fresh longs. Agriculture  The combined long in across the six major grain and oilseed contracts held steady around 471k lots with buyin of soybean oil being offset by selling of corn and wheat. In softs the main action was seen in coffee where months of relative robust price action supported by tight market conditions gave way to a 10% slump driving a 64% reduction in the net long to just 12k lots, an 18 month low. Sugar meanwhile saw net buying with the net long jumping 36% to 107k while recession worries reduced the cotton long to 22k lots and lowest since July 2020.     Forex In forex, flows remained mixed during a week that saw the dollar index trade softer by 1% after recently hitting a 20-year high. Overall the gross dollar long against nine IMM currency futures and the Dollar index rose by 5% to $15 billion, primarily driven by heavy JPY selling as the under siege currency dropped 2.3% towards the important 150 level. Elsewhere, a recovering Sterling saw net selling with speculators reducing the gross long more than offsetting fresh short selling.Speculators continued to buy euros and since August 30 when EURUSD traded around €1 they have bought €12 billion, driving their net futures exposure from a 48k lots short to a 48k lots long, a four-month high.   What is the Commitments of Traders report? The COT reports are issued by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the ICE Exchange Europe for Brent crude oil and gas oil. They are released every Friday after the U.S. close with data from the week ending the previous Tuesday. They break down the open interest in futures markets into different groups of users depending on the asset class. Commodities: Producer/Merchant/Processor/User, Swap dealers, Managed Money and otherFinancials: Dealer/Intermediary; Asset Manager/Institutional; Leveraged Funds and otherForex: A broad breakdown between commercial and non-commercial (speculators) The reasons why we focus primarily on the behavior of the highlighted groups are: They are likely to have tight stops and no underlying exposure that is being hedged This makes them most reactive to changes in fundamental or technical price developments It provides views about major trends but also helps to decipher when a reversal is looming   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/commodities/cot-crude-oil-sold-on-fading-opec-impact-metal-positions-flip-back-to-net-short-24102022

Summary:  WATCH our three-minute video. Wheat prices are rising in anticipation of some traders and investors expecting higher food prices, with Russia exiting the Ukraine gain deal and threatening to cut off Ukraine’s wheat supply from the world. We explore the three elements to watch, from commodities, stocks to ETFs. Including the US' biggest wheat producer, General Mills, Australia's biggest grain seller, GrainCorp, as well as why fertilizer stocks and poultry companies including Tyson Foods perhaps could be of interest. Wheat prices (ZWZ2) rose 5.7% in anticipation of traders expecting food prices to pick up, after Russia exited the Ukraine gain deal and threatened to cut off Ukraine’s wheat supply from the world.What do you need to know? Typically, the globe relies on the Black Sea region for a quarter of annual wheat and barley exports, a fifth of global corn and the bulk of its sunflower oil. So, Russia’s termination of the Black Sea deal means farmers could face a possible lack of storage space with wheat and corn nowhere to go, plus fertilizers, which farmers rely on to grow crops could be cut off, meaning the fertilizer market will also likely once again focus on supply concerns. Here are the three agricultural elements to perhaps watching; Firstly - We will be watching Wheat and corn prices, as well as watching agricultural companies including General Mill (GIS), GrainCorp (GNC), Elders (ELD), as well as Fertilizers companies including CF industries (CF), Archer Daniels (AMD), who on sell such commodities and may be expected to sell goods at premium given supply could perhaps be cut short. Secondly - We will also be watching ETFs like – Invesco DB Agricultural Fund (DBA), iShares MSCI Global Producers ETF (VEGI) and Betashares Global Agricultural Companies ETF (FOOD). Thirdly - we will also be watching the flow on effects of the rising cost of wheat. It not only makes bread more expensive, but also the cost of chicken will likely rise, given Wheat is the biggest cost growing a chicken (75% of its costs). So if wheat prices continue to rise, farmers and sellers will likely be forced to hike their prices. So, it could be worth watching companies like Tyson Foods (TSN) who is one of the largest processors and sellers of chicken, mutton and beef in the US. In Australia there is Inghams (ING), who focused on producing and selling of poultry. Both Tyson Foods and Inghams shares are 8% up off their October low Note, this is a developing story. We will cover the latest developments here. Or please follow our head of commodity strategy, Ole Hansen.  For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.       Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/traders-expect-higher-agricultural-prices-after-russia-exits-gain-deal-31102022

It’s not surprising that wheat and corn opened higher this morning after Russia suspended the Black Sea grain deal over the weekend. Meanwhile, markets will be focused on the outcome of the FOMC meeting later this week and looking for any hints or signals that the Fed may slow the pace of rate hikes in upcoming meetings Energy - oil set to end the month higher The oil market has seen quite a bit of strength over October and is set to finish the month higher, after four consecutive months of declines. Announced OPEC+ supply cuts have provided support to the market at a time when there is plenty of demand uncertainty. OPEC+ supply cuts are set to start tomorrow which should see 1.1MMbbls/d of supply taken off the market. In addition to this, there is still plenty of uncertainty over the full impact of the EU ban on Russian seaborne crude oil, which comes into force on 5 December. Clearly, it is constructive for the market, but how constructive will depend on how much more Russian oil the likes of China and India can absorb. Speculators have been more positive on the market over the last month. The latest positioning data shows that speculators increased their net long in ICE Brent by 28,574 lots over the last reporting week - to leave them with a net long of 205,451 lots as of last Tuesday, which is the largest position speculators have held since June. Looking further at ICE Brent positioning data and focusing on commercial positioning shows that producers have been fairly active in hedging over the last couple of months. The gross producer short in ICE Brent stood at 1.21m lots as of last Tuesday, up from 978k lots in early September. This increased producer hedging could be driven by growing uncertainty over the demand outlook. Although, it is worth pointing out that the gross producer short is still well below levels seen pre-2022. Read next: Elon Musk Closes Twitter Deal, Apple Reported Record Revenue, ECB May Turn Dovish| FXMAG.COM As for the calendar this week, ADIPEC kicks off in Abu Dhabi today, which will continue through until Thursday. Speakers at the event will include a number of OPEC oil ministers and so expect plenty of noise around the market outlook and also more comments and views on the recent OPEC+ supply cuts. However, the event this week which could have the biggest impact on the oil market is the FOMC meeting. Expectations are that the Fed will hike interest rates by 75bps. However, the market will also be eager for any signals on what the Fed could do at its December meeting. There is a growing expectation that the Fed could slow the pace of hikes In December. Any hints from the Fed of a slowing in the pace of hikes would likely provide some support to risk assets, including oil. Metals – Glencore's production falls, cuts guidance Glencore reported lower production in Q3 for half the commodities it mines and lowered full-year guidance on zinc, nickel and coal. The company cited extreme weather in Australia, industrial action at nickel assets in Canada and Norway, and supply chain issues in Kazakhstan caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine. Glencore’s copper production fell 14% YoY to 770.5kt, while zinc output fell 18% YoY to 699.6kt in the first nine months of the year. The company reduced zinc production guidance to 945kt for the year, compared to its previous guidance of 1.01mt due to the emerging supply-chain issues due to Russia-Ukraine war. In ferrous metals, the most active contract for iron ore trading on SGX is on course for five consecutive sessions of declines with prices trading down to an  intra-day low of US$75/t this morning- the lowest levels since September 2020. The raw material prices are already down more than 50% from the recent highs of US$171/t seen in March this year. The extended weakness in China’s property sector along with the nation’s Covid restrictions is weighing on steel consumption at a time when ex-Chinese demand is also bleak due to tighter monetary policy and a worsening energy crisis in Europe. Over the coming weeks, potential winter output curbs in China would result in rising stockpiles of iron ore, further weighing on the prices. Meanwhile, Baoshan Iron & Steel Co., the world’s largest steelmaker, highlighted a weak outlook for the steel industry in China last week and forecasts that steel demand in the country could fall 5% this year. Chinese manufacturing PMI data for October, which was released this morning will certainty not help with the PMI falling from 50.1 to 49.2 - leaving it in contraction territory. Agriculture - Russia suspends Black Sea grains export deal It’s no surprise that CBOT wheat and corn opened significantly higher this morning after Russia suspended the Black Sea grains export deal, following attacks on Russian navy vessels in the Black Sea. The latest data from the UN shows that a little over 9.3mt of grains and foodstuff have been exported from Ukraine under the deal since August. However, around 2.65mt of this is still awaiting inspection and its unclear what will happen to these cargoes now. The deal was originally set to expire on 19 November, but there was hope that it would be extended. We will need to see if involved parties can  somehow put the deal back on track, but clearly there is the very real risk that Ukrainian grain exports see a significant slowdown due to these latest developments. Previously, Ukraine’s Grain Association had said that Ukraine could export 50mt of grains if the deal was prolonged, without it the maximum volume would likely be around 35mt. Read this article on THINK TagsRussia-Ukraine Oil Metals Grains China PMI Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Summary:  Today, we scratch our heads a bit at Friday's wildly strong equity session, as the narrative supporting recent equity market strength - the anticipation of a dovish downshift in Fed policy guidance - was rapidly unwinding on the same day. An article at the weekend from "Fed whisperer" Nick Timiraos of the Wall Street Journal suggests that the Fed is concerned the market is expecting too much of a policy climb-down this Wednesday. We also discuss wheat jumping on Russia moving against the Ukrainian grain deal, industrial metals struggling on weak China data and a weak Chinese currency, the busy earnings and macro calendar for the week ahead and more. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting an on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-oct-31-2022-31102022

Summary:  Our weekly Commitment of Traders update highlights future positions and changes made by hedge funds and other speculators across commodities and forex during the week to Tuesday, October 25. A week where financial markets received a boost from speculation the Fed was considering a pause. The dollar traded softer with commodities predominantly trading in the black with exceptions being soft commodities and not least wheat where short selling accelerated just ahead of today's price spike on renewed Ukraine supply worries Saxo Bank publishes weekly Commitment of Traders reports (COT) covering leveraged fund positions in commodities, bonds and stock index futures. For IMM currency futures and the VIX, we use the broader measure called non-commercial. Link to latest report What is the Commitments of Traders report? The COT reports are issued by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the ICE Exchange Europe for Brent crude oil and gas oil. They are released every Friday after the U.S. close with data from the week ending the previous Tuesday. They break down the open interest in futures markets into different groups of users depending on the asset class. Commodities: Producer/Merchant/Processor/User, Swap dealers, Managed Money and otherFinancials: Dealer/Intermediary; Asset Manager/Institutional; Leveraged Funds and otherForex: A broad breakdown between commercial and non-commercial (speculators) The reasons why we focus primarily on the behavior of the highlighted groups are: They are likely to have tight stops and no underlying exposure that is being hedged This makes them most reactive to changes in fundamental or technical price developments It provides views about major trends but also helps to decipher when a reversal is looming   Financial Markets Daily Quick TakeSaxo Market Call Daily Podcast This summary highlights futures positions and changes made by hedge funds across commodities and forex during the week to Tuesday, October 25. A week where financial markets received a boost from speculation the Fed was considering a pause to assess to the economic impact of already implemented rate hikes and quantitative tightening measures. Both the S&P and especially the Nasdaq traded higher ahead of earnings from the big technology companies while bond yields climbed and the dollar traded softer. Commodities traded predominantly in the black led by energy and industrial metals with heavy and continued selling of softs and wheat being the main outliers. Commodities The Bloomberg Commodity index traded up 1% on the week with strength in crude oil and industrial related metals attracting fresh buying from speculators. Overall, however, the combined net long held by money managers across the 24 major commodity futures tracked in this report remains relatively low at 1 million contracts compared with 2.2 million around the time of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A slump that has been driven by the current lack of trends and strong momentum across many commodities, as well as concerns about the short-term outlook as the markets continue to focus on a slowing global economy. Biggest changes made by funds this past were buying of crude oil, soybean meal and corn, as well as cattle and hogs while sellers concentrated their efforts in gold, wheat, sugar and cocoa. Energy Speculators maintained a relative low conviction rate regarding the short term direction of crude oil with the 4% rally during the reporting week only attracting 34k lots of net buying, thereby only part reversing the 57k lots that was net sold in the previous week. Selling of natural gas continued during the reporting week with the front month contract briefly dipping below $5/MMBtu. The result being another small increase in the net short held across four Henry Hub related futures and swap contracts to -86k lots, a 31-month high.  Metals Gold, trading unchanged on the week, nevertheless saw increased short selling in response to another and failed attempt to break below $1615 suppor. As a result the net short jumped by 61% to 33k lots, just 8k lots below the near four-year high reached a few weeks ago. Silver, together with platinum and copper all saw net buying, not least platinum which during the past month has seen its discount to gold narrow by 100 dollars to around 700, the narrowest spread since July 2021.  Agriculture  In grains, four weeks of net selling was almost reversed as buyers added soymeal and soy oil length amid price gains of 3.4% and 5.1% respectively. Together with additional buying of corn these more than offset continued selling of CBOT wheat driving the net short up by 63% to 36k lots, a 28-month high. The latest selling occurring during a week where global demand worries attracted more attention than a rapidly expanding drought situation across the US grain belt, and also before Russia over the weekend announced that they were pulling out of a deal that has allowed Ukrainian grain exports from Black Sea ports.As a result wheat futures (ZWZ2) in Chicago surged as much as 7.7% to $8.93 on the Monday opening. Since the UN and Turkey supported grain corridor opened three months ago Ukraine has shipped more than 9 million tons of foodstuff and it has helped ease tight world supplies and control global food costs. Food exports from Ukraine also includes corn and sunflower oil and reduced supply of those has lifted corn futures (ZCZ2) in Chicago by 2.5% to trade near resistance at $7/bu and soybean oil futures by 1.8%.   Soft commodities witnessed another awful week with net selling hitting all four contracts, not least coffee and cotton, now down 33% and 45% respectively from their early 2022 peaks. The coffee net long was reduced by 75% to 3k lots, the lowest bullish conviction in almost two year primarily driven by an increase in the gross short position. A similar development was seen in cotton where global demand worries and another week of selling helped attract fresh short selling, resulting in the overall net long being cut by 40% to 13k lots, a 28-month low.  Forex In forex, flows remained mixed during a week that saw the dollar index trade softer by 1% after recently hitting a 20-year high. Overall the gross dollar long against nine IMM currency futures and the Dollar index rose by 5% to $15 billion, primarily driven by heavy JPY selling as the under siege currency dropped 2.3% towards the important 150 level. Elsewhere, a recovering Sterling saw net selling driven by a combination of gross longs being reduced and fresh short selling. The euro net long reached a four month high at 48k lots on a combination of fresh longs and reduced short participation. Since late August speculators have net bought €12 billion after flipping their euro exposure from a 48k lots short to a 48k lots long.     Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/commodities/cot-wheat-short-jumps-ahead-of-latest-ukraine-supply-worry-31102022

Summary:  Today we look at another jump in sentiment overnight as the RBA maintains its slow pace of tightening, increasing the drumbeat of expectations that central banks are set to ease off the policy tightening gas. But with risk sentiment having roared off the lows and financial conditions rapidly easing in the US, will the Fed have any choice but to stay on message and push back against this market rally? Elsewhere, we look at oil and natural gas, uninspired gold, stocks to watch as earnings this quarter are underperforming expectations, the increasingly busy macro calendar ahead and more. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting an on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-nov-1-2022-01112022

Summary:  Today we discuss the shockingly strong September US JOLTS job openings survey out yesterday that took down risk sentiment as US yields and the US dollar jumped. It's the latest data point to suggest that the Fed needs to hawkishly keep all options on the table to buy at least a bit of time and two monthly data cycles until the December 14 FOMC meeting, where it can better make a decision on whether to downshift the size of further hikes and provide its next set of projections and policy forecasts. A focus on incoming data is likely, but how will the market react? Elsewhere, we look at key stocks to watch as earnings season rolls on, industrial and precious metals and crude oil, key FX stories and more. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting an on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-nov-2-2022-02112022

The commodities complex was provided with a boost following unverified reports that China could look to ease its zero-Covid policy. Meanwhile, markets today will be fully focused on the outcome of the FOMC meeting Energy- OPEC output edges higher The oil market had a strong day yesterday with ICE Brent settling almost 2% higher after unverified reports that China could look to ease its zero-Covid policy. However, for now, this is nothing more than a rumour. China’s covid policy has weighed heavily on oil demand this year with crude oil imports over the first nine months of 2022 averaging 9.95MMbbls/d, down 4.4% YoY. Numbers from the API overnight have provided some further support to the market in early morning trading in Asia. US crude oil inventories are reported to have fallen by 6.53MMbbls over the last week. This is significantly more than the roughly 200Mbbls draw the market was expecting. For refined products, distillate fuel oil stocks increased by 865Mbbls, while gasoline stocks fell by 2.64MMbbls, which would have boosted sentiment further. Overall, it was a bullish set of numbers. However, we will need to see what the more widely followed EIA numbers show later today. Preliminary numbers from Bloomberg show that OPEC oil production in October increased by 30Mbbls/d to average 29.98MMbbls/d. The largest increases came from the UAE, Nigeria and Iraq, whose output increased 70Mbbls/d, 50Mbbls/d and 50Mbbls/d respectively. While Angola, Congo and Libya saw the largest declines with output falling by 60Mbbls/d, 40Mbbls/d and 30Mbbls/d respectively. Production target levels for the broader OPEC+ group were lowered by 100Mbbls/d for October. However, given that most producers are still producing well below their target production levels, the group is still well ahead in terms of compliance levels. Metals – Aluminium smelters in Henan to reduce capacity on losses Base metals rallied yesterday on speculation that Beijing will prepare to wind down China’s Covid-19 rules. Chinese stocks and the yuan also rallied. An unverified social media post circulating online suggested that a committee is being formed to assess scenarios on how to exit its current Covid zero policy. Three aluminium smelters in China’s Henan province plan to halt 110kt of combined annual capacity on losses and to curb pollution during the winter heating season, according to a report from the Shanghai Metals Market. The plants plan to halt 10-15% of their total capacity by the middle of this month with the restart time unknown for now. In precious metals, gold prices rose as the dollar fell ahead of a Federal Reserve meeting. Gold has been struggling to find direction in recent weeks, trading around $1,650/oz, as investors wait for the Fed’s decision, with market expectations firmly behind a fourth consecutive 75bp interest rate hike. The latest data from the World Gold Council shows that central banks increased their buying of gold significantly over the third quarter. Central banks bought 399 tonnes in 3Q22, which is up 341% YoY and also a record quarterly amount. The data shows that Turkey, Uzbekistan, India and Qatar were the largest buyers of gold over the quarter. Those who report their numbers were net buyers of almost 90 tonnes, which leaves a significant amount of purchases from unknown buyers. Read this article on THINK TagsOPEC Oil Gold Covid-19 China Aluminium Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

The US Fed hiked rates by 75bp as expected, but the press conference suggested that rates will go higher than previously expected. This is likely to provide headwinds to commodity markets in the near term despite constructive fundamentals Jerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve Energy - Bullish US inventory report The oil market managed to settle higher yesterday despite a 75bp hike from the US Fed and comments suggesting that rates will peak at a higher level than previously expected. That said, they also indicated that the pace of hiking could slow as soon as the next meeting in December. Weaker price action in early morning trading in Asia looks as if the market could be digesting the outcome of the FOMC meeting, with WTI down more than 1% at the time of writing. The EIA’s weekly report was fairly bullish and showed that US commercial crude oil inventories declined by 3.12MMbbls over the last week. Although if we look at total US crude oil inventories, which take into account stocks from the SPR, inventories fell by 5.04MMbbls. The drawdown in the SPR last week was the smallest since February. It would appear that we are starting to see larger draws in commercial crude oil inventories as the amount of crude released from the SPR is reduced. The refined product numbers were also bullish. US gasoline inventories declined by 1.26MMbbls, leaving total US gasoline inventories at 206.63MMbbls - the lowest level seen since 2014. Meanwhile, distillate fuel oil stocks grew by just 427Mbbls, and while we saw a more meaningful build on the US East Coast, inventories in the region are still at their lowest levels on record for this time of year. European day-ahead gas prices continue to trade in a volatile manner. TTF day ahead rallied more than 96% yesterday to EUR45/MWh. Although current prices are still well below the more than EUR200/MWh seen at the end of September. There have been few fresh fundamental developments in the European market. Storage continues to fill up given the milder weather. The latest data from Gas Infrastructure Europe shows that storage is 95% full now, compared to a 5-year average of 89%. Meanwhile, German storage is more than 99% full. The rally in prices yesterday could have been driven by the fact that it is looking increasingly likely that the Freeport LNG export facility in the US will see a further delay in its restart after a fire earlier in the summer. The plant was set to partially restart this month but is yet to submit its restart plan to regulators. Further delays in the restart mean a tighter-than-expected global LNG market through the northern hemisphere winter. Metals – China steel demand to remain suppressed The China Iron Ore and Steel Association (CISA) expects steel demand in China to remain suppressed due to extended stringent Covid-19 control measures and worries over a global economic slowdown. China’s steel consumption fell 4.2% YoY to 741mt in the first nine months of the year as overall downstream demand remained weak. The recent data from Mysteel shows that roughly 150kt of daily production capacity was impacted in October as 44 blast furnaces were shut down at mills in China's north and north-west. At the end of the month, 28 of those had not resumed production affecting 100kt of production capacity. Agriculture – Russia resumes Ukraine grain export deal CBOT wheat futures fell more than 6% yesterday after Russia agreed to resume the Black Sea grain export deal. This is after Russia said it had received “written guarantees” from Ukraine that the safe-passage corridor wouldn’t be used for military purposes. Ukraine is optimistic that the deal will be extended beyond its mid-November deadline due to strong global demand. The deal will automatically be extended for 120 days if the involved parties have no objections. Read this article on THINK TagsTTF Russia-Ukraine Oil LNG EIA Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Summary:  Today we look at the hawkish Fed Chair Powell press conference delivering a hammer-blow to sentiment as he managed to both pull off the idea that the Fed may indeed soon pivot to a slower pace of rate hikes as soon as December, but that any talk of a pause is "very premature". The result? Sentiment thrashed and the USD going vertical as the market takes Fed rate expectations and the terminal rate next year higher still. Incoming US data could further aggravate this move if the data remains even resilient, much less hotter than expected. We also talk through the reaction to the FOMC in gold, risks to sterling today if BoE fails to take the hawkish hint from Powell, stocks to watch, perspective on where we are with equity valuations and more. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting an on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app:           If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.

Commodity markets received a boost on Friday after unverified rumours that China could ease its zero-Covid policy, whilst a weaker USD would have only provided further support. However, China made it clear over the weekend that its zero-Covid policy will continue to be followed, setting the scene for weaker markets this morning   Energy - China crude oil imports increase ICE Brent rallied to its highest levels since late August on Friday, leaving the market in striking distance of US$100/bbl. A weaker USD also provided a boost to oil and the broader commodities complex. It was further unverified reports of China looking to ease its zero-Covid policy which really provided the boost to markets.It appears these reports were nothing more than a rumour, after the National Health Commission said that China will stick to its zero-Covid policy. Unsurprisingly, oil markets opened lower this morning, following these comments. The latest trade data from China shows that crude oil imports in October averaged 10.2MMbbls/d, up from 9.83MMbbls/d in September and 8.9MMbbls/d in October last year.  It is the strongest monthly imports since May, when 10.83MMbbls/d of inflows were seen. Crude oil imports over the first ten months of the year are still down 2.7% YoY to average 9.97MMbbls/d. Demand this year has been largely under pressure due to China’s zero-Covid policy. The Saudis released their latest official selling prices (OSPs) for December loadings at the end of last week, which saw reductions for almost all grades into Asia. This includes cutting Arab Light into Asia by US$0.40/bbl to US$5.45/bbl over the benchmark. Meanwhile, all grades to the US were left unchanged for the month, whilst all grades into Europe were increased with the exception of Arab Medium which was unchanged. Speculators appear to have a growing appetite for the oil market. The managed money net long in ICE Brent increased by 22,214 lots over the last reporting week to leave them with a net long of 227,665 lots as of last Tuesday- the largest net long since June. Speculators appear to be getting increasingly constructive on the oil market likely due to the expectation that the market will tighten due to a combination of the EU ban on Russian oil soon coming into effect as well as OPEC+ supply cuts.   Commercial operations have begun at the first stage of the 615Mbbls/d Al-Zour refinery in Kuwait and the refinery could reach full capacity in early 2023. This would leave total Kuwaiti refining capacity at a little over 1.4MMbbls/d. Additional refining capacity would come as a relief to product markets, particularly middle distillates, which have been extremely tight this year. Metals – USD weakness & Covid speculation boost metals Industrial metals rallied amid China reopening speculation, whilst USD weakness would have provided further upside. LME copper managed to settle more than 7% higher on Friday as a result. However, clarification from China’s National Health Commission that the zero-covid policy will remain in place has unsurprisingly seen base metals trade lower this morning. Zinc prices rose more than 5.6% on Friday- its largest gain since August. The latest data from the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) showed that exchange inventories declined 44% WoW (the biggest weekly drop since 2007) to 24.9kt (lowest since December 2018) as of Friday. SHFE contracts for nearby delivery traded at huge premiums to later-dated futures, resulting in a widening backwardation. Agriculture – India announces sugar export quota The Indian government finally announced sugar export quotas for the current 2022/23 marketing year. Domestic mills can export up to 6m tonnes of sugar through until the 31 May 2023. Given that this only covers a portion of the season, we could very well see the government issue further export quotas for the remainder of the season (June-September) at a later stage. There have been reports that a second tranche could be in the region of 3m tonnes, depending on how the current crop evolves. In the 2021/22 season, the sugar export quota totaled 11.2m tonnes.          CBOT wheat remained volatile with mounting production concerns in Australia and Argentina. There are suggestions that excessive rains and flooding in the major wheat-growing areas in Australia have lowered expectations of a record high-quality crop. Meanwhile, the Buenos Aires grains exchange revised its forecasts for Argentina’s 2022/23 wheat harvest further to 14mt last week, down from a previous forecast of 15.2mt and initial expectations of 20.5mt. The downward revision was primarily due to a prolonged drought, worsened by extended frosts over the main wheat-producing region. The latest CFTC data shows that money managers continued to build net longs in CBOT soybean for a third consecutive week, adding 25,918 lots and leaving them with a net long position of 101,329 lots as of 1 November. Meanwhile, speculative net longs in CBOT corn increased for a second consecutive week by 7,586 lots, taking the net long to 271,960 lots. Read this article on THINK TagsSugar Oil Metals Covid-19 China China trade Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Oil pares gains as China Covid cases jump Oil prices are easing a little on Tuesday, a day after Brent crude came within a whisker of $100 again. It’s traded below this major psychological level since July but recent developments have propelled the price higher again, up more than 20% from the September lows. OPEC+ had a big hand to play in that but speculation around China’s zero-Covid commitment may also be a factor in recent gains. That said, those rumours still haven’t been confirmed and in fact, outbreaks in Guangzhou and other major cities have led to increased restrictions. It may be a little early to get carried away with speculation, especially when any significant change in policy would represent an enormous shift from the status quo. Still, the performance of Chinese stocks suggests there’s a belief that there’s no smoke without fire, which may also be enabling the continued rise in crude. Gold edges lower amid a stronger dollar The dollar is staging a small recovery around its recent lows which is weighing a little on gold this week. The yellow metal surged late last week following the jobs report before stumbling around $1,680 which has previously been a notable level of resistance. Still, it’s holding onto the bulk of those gains quite well which suggests traders are anticipating some good news from the inflation data on Thursday, at least good enough to convince the Fed of the need to slow the pace of tightening next month. Anything that suggests they won’t need to rise as high as the Fed indicated could give gold another boost. Although given what the central bank said last week, you have to wonder if they are in fact anticipating another stubborn reading. For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar: www.marketpulse.com/economic-events/ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.  

Demand concerns have weighed on oil prices so far this week. The medium to long term outlook for the market is still constructive, with expectations of a tighter balance. Latest US oil supply estimates for next year only reinforce the view of a tighter oil market in 2023 Source: Shutterstock Energy - lower US oil supply growth Oil prices came under further pressure yesterday, with ICE Brent settling  more than 2.6% lower as Covid cases in China rise, while the government recently made it clear that it will stick to its zero-Covid policy. Meanwhile, API numbers released overnight show that US crude oil inventories increased by 5.61MMbbls over the last week, whilst gasoline stocks grew by 2.55MMbbls. Distillate inventories fell by 1.77MMbbls, which will do little to help ease concerns over supply tightness in middle distillates as we head into the heating season. In the short term, sentiment remains negative as a result of the demand outlook. However, the supply picture for 2023 is looking increasingly tighter. The EIA yesterday released its latest Short Term Energy Outlook, in which further cuts were made to US supply growth expectations for next year. The EIA now forecasts that US crude oil output will grow by 490Mbbls/d YoY to 12.31MMbbls/d in 2023. While this is slightly lower than last month’s numbers, output forecasts have been consistently lowered through the year. If we go back to March, the EIA was expecting that 2023 output would grow by close to 1MMbbls/d to around 13MMbbls/d. The US industry appears focused on capital discipline rather than pumping as much as they can. Not helping matters is that oil producers have reported labour and equipment shortages, along with rising costs. Lower than expected supply growth from the US leaves the market more vulnerable over 2023. In addition to ongoing OPEC+ supply cuts, Russian oil supply should fall as the EU ban on Russian crude and refined products comes into effect. Lower US supply growth gives us even more confidence in our view that Brent will average US$110/bbl in 4Q23.   Metals – Codelco proposes price hike for Chinese copper buyers for 2023 Codelco, the world’s biggest copper miner, has proposed a premium of $140/t for 2023 supplies to at least two Chinese customers, a 33.3% increase from this year, and its highest since 2008, according to a report from Reuters. The premium, paid on top of LME copper prices for physical delivery of copper cathodes into China is a widely watched industry benchmark. The move continues a trend of higher premiums - last month Codelco and Aurubis increased 2023 refined copper premiums for European buyers on the back of expectations of firm copper demand and low inventories. Meanwhile, China’s copper cathode production rose 14.2% YoY, according to data from SMM, although fell 0.9% MoM to 901kt in October amid power cuts, Covid-related restrictions and tight supply for blister copper and copper scrap. Cumulative copper output increased 2.8% YoY to 8.51mt over the first ten months of the year. Chinese refined zinc production rose 3% YoY and 2% MoM to 514mt in October. Cumulative output still fell 2.5% YoY to 4.93mt in the first ten months of the year. Agriculture – France revises corn output lower The Agriculture Ministry of France revised lower its estimate for domestic corn output from a previous forecast of 11.4mt  to 11mt following drought conditions. French corn output is now expected to come in 29% lower than last year and 21% below the 5-year average. The latest data from Ukraine’s Agriculture Ministry shows that winter grain plantings are now 90% complete with 4.3m hectares planted. The bulk of this is winter wheat- 3.6m hectares, whilst 568k hectares and 79k hectares of barley and rye have been planted respectively. Weekly data from the European Commission shows that soft wheat shipments from the EU reached 12.5mt as of 6 November, up from 11.9mt for the same period last year. Meanwhile, given lower domestic output, EU corn imports stand at 10.2mt, compared to 4.64mt last year. Read this article on THINK TagsUS oil production Corn Copper China Covid Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Investor interest in precious metals is shining with renewed vigour as some investors see them as a safe haven amid the storm of the crypto market. Having broken above $1700, gold is showing the first signs of breaking the downtrend that has been in place since March this year.   On Tuesday gold rose significantly Intraday on Tuesday, gold was up 3%, spurred by rising volatility in cryptocurrencies and overall positive dynamics in traditional financial markets. But to be precise, gold showed an impressive jump as early as Friday, as the bulls managed to push the price out once again of the area of the lows of the last six weeks, and further, a whirlwind of events picked up and lifted it higher. The powerful rally in gold on Friday and Tuesday stands out, for there was no rally in the stock indices on that day, and the collapse in the dollar only happened on Friday. This could be the first signal that we are seeing the beginning of a rebound in gold, and investors, who have been cautious in putting large amounts of capital into gold since late September, are now taking an active bullish stance. Among the fundamental factors supporting the rise in the gold price is the increased buying of gold by central banks, which last quarter bought the maximum amount of gold since the 1980s. It is tactically difficult to persuade central bankers to buy bonds when prices are falling, and central banks of developed countries one by one say they are not finished with a rate hike, suggesting further pressure on bond prices. Meanwhile, overall risk appetite has risen in anticipation of a minor step up of hikes later, drawing attention to the cheaper gold. This week, the price broke through its 50-day moving average at the end of the previous week, and on Monday and Tuesday, this line was already in active support. In addition, gold immediately managed to move above the former support line of July and September. To be sure of breaking the trend, one should wait until the price crosses above the area of the previous highs near $1725. If that happens, the price might end the correction rather quickly and go to $1790-1800, which includes the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement levels of the declines since March, the local highs of August, and the 200-day MA.

Energy markets came under further pressure yesterday as part of a broader risk-off move across markets. Meanwhile, the price action in a number of commodity markets could also be a reaction to Russian orders for a withdrawal of its troops from Kherson in Ukraine Source: Flickr Energy - US East Coast product inventories fall Sentiment in the oil market remains negative, with ICE Brent settling more than 2.8% lower yesterday which saw the market trading down to levels last seen at the start of the month. Demand remains a key concern, particularly related to China’s zero-Covid policy. Although a large part of yesterday’s price action appears to be part of a broader risk-off move across markets with the S&P 500 down a little more than 2%. The EIA released weekly US inventory numbers yesterday which showed that US commercial crude oil inventories increased by 3.93MMbbls over the last week. Although, when factoring in the drawdown of the SPR, total US crude oil inventories increased by just 352Mbbls. As SPR releases near an end, we are likely to see more meaningful draws in commercial crude oil inventories in the coming months.  On the refined products side, gasoline and distillate fuel oil saw inventory draws of 900Mbbls and 521Mbbls respectively. These draws come despite refiners increasing run rates by 1.5pp over the week to 92.1% as they return from seasonal maintenance. Product inventories on the US East Coast remain extremely tight with gasoline inventories standing at 49.14MMbbls- the lowest levels since 2012, while distillate stocks remain at their lowest levels on record for this stage of the year. The IEA has criticised the decision OPEC+ made in early October to reduce production targets by 2MMbbls/d from November through until the end of 2023. The IEA has said that the move will hurt importers in Asia and Africa the most and also suggested that the group may have to rethink these cuts. In the short term it is clear that the OPEC+ decision has provided some stability to the market. However, in the medium to longer term we are of the view it will push the market into deficit through 2023, which suggests higher oil prices over the course of next year. Metals – Chinese copper smelters call for capacity controls China’s major copper smelters, including Jiangxi Copper Corp., China Copper, Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group Holdings Co., and Zijin Mining Group Co., have called on Beijing to issue policies to “reasonably control” domestic smelting capacity in order to ensure supply-chain security and improve quality. The request comes after a surge in smelter construction in recent years has led to a fight for market share and raw material supplies. The smelters also pledged to boost the proportion of copper scrap used to make refined output to about 25% of total production by 2025. Daye Nonferrous Metals Group and Holdings Co. is expected to start its new copper smelter in China this month, with 400kt/year operating capacity. Zijin Mining Group in China is planning to build a 500kt/year copper smelter in Sichuan province in the southwest region. It is expected that Julong copper mine in Tibet would produce 160kt of copper annually once the first phase reaches full capacity. The mine has a long-term production target of 600kt. Zijin is aiming to boost the smelter capacity to 1.8mt by 2027-28 due to rising production in the Julong mine. LME on-warrant copper stocks fell by 6.4kt, taking the total to 39.13kt (lowest since November 2021) as of yesterday. Cancelled warrants for copper rose by 4.3kt (after declining for eight consecutive sessions) to 41.9kt as of yesterday, signaling potential further outflows. Meanwhile, exchange inventories declined for the thirteenth straight session, by 2.1kt to 81kt. Agriculture – USDA raises domestic supply estimates for corn and soybeans The latest WASDE report from the USDA was really a non-event, with small changes made in Domestic US and global balances for wheat, corn and soybeans. For corn, the USDA increased its 2022/23 ending stocks estimates for the US from 1.17b bushels to 1.18b bushels. This was largely due to a revision higher in domestic production on the back of expectations for better yields. As for the global corn balance, 2022/23 ending stock estimates were revised down from 301.2mt to 300.8mt- broadly in line with market expectations for a number of around 300.7mt. For soybeans, the USDA increased its yield estimate for 2022/23 from 49.8bu/acre to 50.2bu/acre, leading to expectations of higher output. As a result ending stocks for the current marketing year were increased by 20m bushels to 220 bushels. The global soybean balance saw 2022/23 ending stocks increased from 100.5mt to 102.2mt, largely on account of revisions higher to beginning stocks. for wheat, US ending stocks for 2022/23 were lowered from 576m bushels to 571m bushels- the lowest since 2007/08. This decrease was driven by expectations of marginally higher domestic demand. As for the global balance, the USDA increased production estimates for 2022/23 from 781.7mt to 782.7mt, whilst global demand estimates were also revised higher. As a result, 2022/23 ending stock estimates were increased marginally from 267.5mt to 267.8mt. Read this article on THINK TagsWASDE USDA Oil EIA Copper Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

OANDA Senior Market Analyst Craig Erlam reviews the latest market news with Jonny Hart. They discuss the US midterm results, crypto sell-off and the upcoming inflation report. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.

Summary:  Today we look at the sudden shift of the plot over the last 24 hours as the crypto contagion effects from the meltdown in that space have reached sufficient magnitude to impact sentiment across markets. We emphasize caution on the network effects among many clusters of assets held by the same hands holding crypto. Also, a look at where we are with the equity risk premium as investors better not hope for "normal" equity valuations. A glance at FX and the USD rising on liquidity concerns and brushing off the drop in US treasury yields, which brings into question the reaction function around today's October US CPI release, which may not have the impact previously anticipated, even on a surprise. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities and John J. Hardy hosting an on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-nov-10-2022-10112022

Oil has lost 7.5% since Tuesday, bouncing back to $84 for WTI. Pressure intensified on Wednesday after the weekly inventory report. Having failed to break above $93 for the second time in just over a month, oil appears to have completed its correction from its June-September decline, heading towards $75. Weekly data showed a 3.9M barrel increase in commercial inventories, reversing the decline a week earlier. At the start of November, inventories were 2.5% below the five-year average for the same week. From this point of view, the situation is quite normal-ish. The strategic reserve continues to melt away, masking the lag between production levels and demand. Notably, weekly production levels remain close to 12M BPD, at 12.1M last week versus 11.9M the week before. However, these numbers may well be considered sufficient given the slowdown in China, which is increasingly evident from the data released this week. Also on the side of the market bears was Oman, whose oil minister warned of a possible drop in the price to "$70 after this winter". Adjusting to the shift of the OPEC cartel member, market participants began to consider an even deeper decline. On the chart, oil has formed a ‘double top’, failing to raise above $93 at the start of the week. And now, the $83 level, where the previous support area is located, is worth paying more attention to. A fall below that would confirm the pattern, suggesting a possible target in the $73 area. A resistance area in oil has formed in the last month at 61.8% of the decline, a classic Fibonacci retracement. This pattern will finally get confirmation if the price falls under $75. It is considered that in this case, the bears' target will be the area of 161.8% of the initial movement, i.e., the mark near $50. A drop here looks excessively pessimistic now, but volatile oil has repeatedly lost more than 70% of its peak value during economic downturns. And given the increasing risks of a recession early next year in the USA, the Eurozone, and the UK, plus a sharp slowdown in China at the same time, a fall to $50 looks like a pessimistic working scenario.  

Oil Crude prices were heavy early as concerns grew over China’s COVID situation. ​ Energy traders were quick to jump back on the oil trade after a cool inflation report brought hopes back to life that the US economy could still have a soft landing. ​ The inflation report showed fuel oil prices surged 19.8% before the cold weather arrives. ​ The oil market is going to remain very tight this winter and that should keep oil prices heading higher. ​ Gold surges as US inflation dips Gold prices are surging after a cool inflation report has made markets confident that the Fed can downshift to a  half-point-rate-hiking pace and possibly be done with tightening after the March FOMC meeting. ​ It looks like the dollar died today and chaos in crypto has made good ol’ gold very attractive again. ​ Gold is breaking out here and it could have a steady path towards the $1800 level if dollar weakness remains. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Oil higher, gold skyrockets - MarketPulseMarketPulse

The commodities complex pushed higher on Friday after China eased some of its quarantine restrictions related to Covid. This more positive sentiment should continue today with reports that the Chinese government is also rolling out a number of measures to help out the weak property sector Source: Shutterstock Energy - oil rallies on China Covid policy change The oil market continued its move higher on Friday. ICE Brent settled almost 2.5% higher on the day. This followed China's relaxation of its covid-related quarantine measures. These measures reduce the quarantine period for inbound travellers and close contacts of those who have tested positive. In addition, secondary contacts will no longer need to be traced. However, while we are seeing these changes in policy, China is also experiencing its highest numbers of daily Covid cases since April and Guangzhou has tightened restrictions. The latest easing in quarantine requirements is certainly a step in the right direction, but the market will likely need to see further easing if this recent enthusiasm is to be sustained. European natural gas prices continued to come under pressure on Friday. TTF December futures fell by almost 14%, leaving the market below EUR100/MWh. EU storage is now close to being 96% full compared to a 5-year average of 89%. Mild weather means that storage is still filling up at a time when we usually see drawdowns. Forecasts show that temperatures in Western Europe are likely to be warmer than usual over the next week. Meanwhile, the European Union’s Copernicus Institute, said that Europe could see a milder than usual winter, which if the case, will continue to provide some relief to the market. As for the calendar this week. OPEC will release its latest monthly market report later today, which will include the group’s latest views on the market outlook for the remainder of this year and 2023. This will be followed by the IEA monthly oil market report on Tuesday.   Metals – LME decides against Russian metals ban Metals prices surged on Friday after China eased some Covid restrictions, fuelling speculation of a broader relaxation in measures. The easing, including a shortening of the quarantine period, comes at a time when Covid cases nationwide have surged, with outbreaks in Guangzhou and Beijing. A weakening US dollar, following a lower-than-expected US CPI reading for October, has also been supportive. This optimism is likely to continue this morning after reports that China will implement 16 property measures to help out the weak property sector. Some of these measures include debt extensions to the industry and relaxing deposit requirements for homebuyers. The metal markets also have a bit more clarity now, following the LME’s decision to take no action on the delivery of Russian metals into LME warehouses, after receiving a number of responses to its discussion paper. The LME was looking at potentially banning the delivery of Russian metal into its warehouses, limiting Russian flows or taking no action. In the lead-up to the decision, there were a number of producers who were quite vocal in calling for Russian metal to be banned, whilst consumers were keener for there to be no changes. If we continue to see an increasing amount of self-sanctioning of Russian metals, the risk is that we see more Russian metal being delivered into LME warehouses, which could potentially mean that LME prices trade at discounted levels to actual traded prices.   Nyrstar’s Budel plant in the Netherlands will partially restart production in November. The operations at the plant will depend on market conditions, the company said, which remain extremely challenging. The Budel smelter was shut on 1 September, however, the plant had been operating at lower capacity since 4Q21 due to high energy prices. Budel is one of Europe’s largest zinc smelters, with a nameplate capacity of 315ktpa. Agriculture – Indian wheat area increase The latest data from the Indian Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare shows that farmers have planted wheat on 4.5m hectares during the current sowing season that began on 1st October, up 9.7% when compared to last year. Meanwhile, there is speculation that the Indian government might take price-cooling measures to try to rein in soaring domestic prices, which could include the release of state reserves in the open market and possibly reducing the 40% import duty. Wheat stocks in state warehouses totalled 22.7mt at the start of October, quite a bit lower than the 46.9mt from a year earlier. The market is expecting wheat production to total around 95mt this year, much lower than the government forecast of 106.8mt. Read this article on THINK TagsRussian metals Property Oil LME China Covid Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Summary:  Today we continue to find reason to question the quality of this melt-up in equity markets after last Thursday's soft US CPI print, with the first prominent Fed official already out overnight with pushback against this drop in US yields. Still, that's not to say that the move can't extend in the short term, as the market is also hoping that a shift in China's Covid policy is coming. Xi and Biden will meet today ahead of the G20 meeting. We also look at stocks to watch this week, an important week for earnings, the big moves in metals both precious and industrial, the US dollar and much more. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities and John J. Hardy hosting an on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-nov-14-2022-14112022

Oil Crude prices softened but didn’t break as energy traders await how supplies will be disrupted when the Russian crude price cap begins early next month. ​ Today’s oil price weakness was mainly attributed to a weakening short-term demand outlook by OPEC and nervousness that the Fed could still remain aggressive with raising rates. Warmer weather across Europe has been good news for natural gas prices and that has removed some of the extra demand that was expected to come crude oil’s way. ​ The warm weather however is about to go away and that could keep energy prices rising going forward. ​ ​ ​ Gold Gold’s rally appears to be running out of steam. ​ The Fed remains the key driver for gold prices and this week could see a strong round of hawkish pushback from the policymakers. The Fed’s Waller kicked off the week with some hawkish talk that reminded traders we need to see a couple of more strong drops with inflation to say policymakers can pause. ​ Gold appears to have strong resistance at the $1800 level, with decent support at the $1750 region. ​ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Oil weakens, gold rally losing steam - MarketPulseMarketPulse

Recent data on the decline in U.S. inflation from 8.2 percent to 7.7 percent may have reversed investor expectations. It seems that the Fed's announcement to fight by all means against inflation did not scare investors. In that case, have we already seen the peak of price increases, and if so, can we profit from it and how? Bonds as an investment in rising inflation A bond is a type of debt issued by companies and countries that could be traded on the market. By its structure it is largely linked to the level of interest rates. Currently, interest rates (lending rates) are raised to beat inflation, which leads to a drop in bond prices and increases in their yields. In addition, the longer the term to maturity, the greater the risk of interest rate changes. Bond ETFs a hedge against the crisis? After the last FOMC meeting, rates were raised by 0.75 percentage points, the largest increase in the entire cycle, which started at 0.25%, now reaching 4.00%. Assuming that we would see a change in the Fed's monetary policy and cut interest rates to, say, 1.5%, in order to bail out the economy, what kind of returns would we get for the sample funds? The iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG) is a fund that gives broad exposure to U.S. bonds rated BBB or higher (considered very safe). It holds as much as 74.43 percent of bonds with the highest AAA rating, and has an average Effective Duration of 6.41. This ratio takes into account interest paid (coupons) and is an approximation of price changes. For example, if the level of interest rates were to fall to the level described (a change of 2.5 percentage points), the price of the bond would rise by about 16 percent. Because of the current rate hikes, this fund has not fared well, crediting a decline in value of more than 14 percent since the beginning of the year (the S&P 500 index has fallen 16.42 percent over the same period). Source: MT5, AGG, Weekly The second fund is the Vanguard Intermediate-Term Bond Index Fund (BIV), which holds 58 percent of U.S. government bonds with maturities between 5 and 10 years. The average effective maturity for this fund is 6.01, which would give an increase in value for the described example of about 15 percent. The performance of this fund since the beginning of the year has been similar to the one previously discussed (down 14.74 percent), but in comparison this ETF seems to have a slightly lower risk. Source: MT5, BIV, Weekly The last fund is the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT), which consists of U.S. government bonds with maturities of more than 20 years. The average effective maturity is 17.66. For the described example of a 2.5 percentage point drop in interest rates, the fund could rise in value by about 44 percent. Since the beginning of the year, the fund's value has fallen by more than 30 percent. Source: MT5, TLT, Weekly What's next for inflation? In order to answer the question "what can affect the decline of inflation?", we should define what is currently causing it. There are many factors that could affect the level of inflation in a country, including demand, or commodity prices. Currently, it seems that it is the latter factor that has the greatest impact on the level of inflation, but over the past months we have noticed significant declines in commodity prices, including oil prices have fallen by more than 30% since their peaks.   Author: Grzegorz Dróżdż, a Market Analyst of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75,21% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Read the article on Conotoxia.com

Silver is testing the $22 per ounce mark today and crossed it briefly yesterday. Although Gold marks the fifth consecutive session of back-to-back gains, Silver may have been one step ahead in this market cycle. In early November, the price of Silver pushed up from the 50-day moving average, which had worked as a support for a week and a half before, as the metal was bought off intraday on dips under this line. Further, while the S&P500 and stock markets, in general, were recovering from the not-so-dovish Fed comments, Silver rallied more than 7% on solid NFP data, leaving the other precious metals behind. This was a clear game-changer event for this market. By rising in the following days, the price has reached its 200-day moving average, which Gold, S&P500 and EURUSD have yet to do. Since late last week, Silver has been gaining support on declines towards this line, confirming a change in the long-term trend. Silver has already lingered near $22 in May and June, digesting the April collapse. There have also been repeated reversals in this area late last year and early this year. There might likely be some shake-out of market participants and partial profit-taking again. The strong price momentum at the start of November and an even more impressive 9% rise in early October point to a demand, which might turn the market around. This bullish reversal is probably happening in Gold, but it is a more liquid and thus "noisy" instrument. If we are correct, and after the local shake-out, silver goes further up, it could immediately target levels above $25, near the local peaks of March and April. If the strengthening does not fail again, the price may rise to $30 by August 2023. It will be premature to talk about the possibility of reaching the highs of 2012 ($35) or 2011 ($50), but targets near $25 by the end of the year and $30 eight months later look achievable.

The commodities complex came under further pressure yesterday from a stronger USD and hawkish comments from Fed officials Energy - weakness persists The oil market sold off aggressively yesterday with ICE Brent falling by more than 3.3% to settle below US$90/bbl - its lowest close since early October. Macro developments continue to weigh on oil with a stronger USD and comments from some US Fed officials pointing towards hawkish policy. However, the sell-off in the oil market is not all macro-driven. There are signs of weakness in the physical oil market despite the looming EU ban on Russian crude oil. Prompt time spreads have also weakened significantly, suggesting that the spot physical market is loosening. The prompt WTI spread is trading at a backwardation of less than US$0.30/bbl, compared to  US$1.18/bbl at the start of the month. Similarly, for Brent, the prompt spread has fallen from US$1.86/bbl at the start of November to just below US$1/bbl currently. The loosening in the market is a surprise, particularly given that we are seeing OPEC+ reducing supply at the moment. However, we still hold a constructive outlook for the market through 2023 on the back of falling Russian supply and OPEC+ cuts. In the US, Henry Hub natural gas settled more than 2.7% higher on the day with colder-than-usual weather expected across large parts of the US in the coming days. In addition, US natural gas inventories increased by 64bcf over the week, which was below market expectations for an increase of around 66bcf. Despite coming in below expectations, this was still a record build for this time of year and compares to a 5-year average draw of 5bcf. Metals – China's alumina market to move to a surplus next year China’s alumina market is expected to move to a surplus of 520kt in 2023 following capacity expansions, compared to a deficit of 490kt this year, according to Antaike. Total alumina capacity is already around 98mt, and China needs only about 100mt over the long term to feed aluminium capacity. Strong Chinese alumina exports (mainly to Russia) are expected to ease as other nations such as India and Indonesia increase shipments. Meanwhile, around 70% of Chinese alumina producers are currently making losses due to surging raw materials costs (primarily coal). Refined copper output in China rose 11% YoY to 953kt in October, according to the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Zinc output rose 9.4% YoY to 595kt while lead production increased 7.2% YoY to 687kt last month. The global zinc market remained in a deficit of 43kt in the first nine months of 2022, compared to a deficit of 101kt during the same period a year earlier, according to data from the International Lead and Zinc Study Group (ILZSG). Total refined production fell 2.4% YoY to 10.1mt, due to lower output in Europe, while total consumption declined 3% YoY to 10.2mt in Jan’22-Sep’22. As for lead, total production fell 1.6% YoY to 9.1mt, while consumption remained almost flat at 9.2mt in the first nine months of the year. The lead market reported a deficit of 52kt in Jan’22-Sep’22, compared to a surplus of 75kt during the same time last year. Sinter plants in the Tangshan region in China (a major steel-making hub) are cutting production by 30% for 10 days starting from 15th November, according to reports from Mysteel, as low profits continue to discourage domestic steel mills from resuming their full capacity. The group’s latest survey showed that Jiangsu province-based steel plants are also expected to curb crude steel output over the coming days. Meanwhile, the latest data from China Iron & Steel Association (CISA) showed that steel inventories at major Chinese steel mills were up 1.5% in early November from late October. Agriculture – Black Sea Grain deal renewed Grains came under pressure yesterday after Russia agreed to renew the Black Sea grain deal, which will allow the export of Ukrainian agricultural products through Black Sea ports for another 120 days. There were no major changes made to the terms and conditions of the previous deal. While this will come as a relief, it probably is still worth pricing in some form of supply risk when it comes to Black Sea grains, given the risk that Russia could still pull out of the deal. The latest data from the UN shows that Ukraine has shipped over 11mt of wheat, corn, sunflower oil and other goods from three ports located in the Odesa region since exports resumed in August. According to the International Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), India has entered contracts for the export of around 3.5mt of sugar so far for the 2022-23 season. Exports in October totalled around 0.2mt, below the 0.4mt shipped over the same period last year. ISMA also reported that mills have produced 2mt of sugar through until 15 November for the season that started 1 October, slightly lower than the 2.1mt produced over the same period last year. Lower production appears to be due to a number of mills in the West starting operations later this season. Read this article on THINK TagsUSD strength Oil Natural gas Federal Reseve Aluminium Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

A stronger USD weighed on most of the commodities complex yesterday. The oil market also saw significant volatility after reports that OPEC+ is looking to increase supply at its next meeting. These reports were later denied by Saudi Arabia Source: Shutterstock Energy - OPEC+ noise starts already Oil prices were whipsawed yesterday with ICE Brent trading in almost a US$6/bbl range. The catalyst for the increased volatility was a report from the WSJ suggesting that OPEC+ is looking to possibly increase output by as much as 500Mbbls/d when the group next meets on 4 December. However, this report was quickly denied by the Saudis, and this led the market to recoup most of its losses. It would be an odd move from OPEC+ to increase supply when there is still so much demand uncertainty, and while there is still so little clarity on what the full impact of the EU ban on Russian oil will be. We believe it is unlikely that the group makes any further changes to its deal after reducing production targets by 2MMbbls/d at their meeting in October. If we are to see changes, this would likely only be next year when there is more clarity on Russian supply. Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Alexander Novak, has once again made it clear that Russia will not supply crude oil or refined products to countries which follow the G-7 price cap. Instead, oil will either be redirected to those nations who choose to ignore the price cap or Russian output will be reduced. It is expected that the market will receive more clarity on the G-7 price cap this week, including the level at which the group plans to set the cap.   Metals – China Covid concerns push metals lower LME metal prices fell on Monday as concern over China’s potential reopening amid a rise in Covid-19 cases weighed on sentiment. Beijing reported three Covid deaths over the weekend as cases rose, fuelling concerns that tougher restrictions in the capital might return once again. A stronger dollar added to the downbeat mood. LME copper prices dropped by around 2.4%, while LME aluminium prices were also down by around 2.1%. A monthly survey from Mysteel showed that Chinese stainless steel production could drop by around 5% MoM in November as higher nickel prices weigh on the profitability of mills. While LME nickel prices have increased by around 15% in the current month, China’s stainless steel prices have been largely flat due to soft demand for end-products. Rising Covid-19 cases and threats of lockdowns are likely to further weigh on operating rates over the coming weeks and keep nickel demand under pressure.      Read this article on THINK TagsSaudi Arabia Russian oil price cap Russian oil ban OPEC+ Covid-19 China Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Summary:  Today we look at the latest downbeat action in the equity market as we still await a more determined directional move after the multi-sigma upside explosion in the wake of the November 10 US CPI release. But it is interesting to note that the speculative nexus around crypto and Tesla are under intense pressure here and could prove a broader catalyst. We also look at the latest impact of rising Covid cases on commodities, the zany dump and pump yesterday in crude oil, the earnings and macro calendar ahead and more. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-nov-22-2022-22112022

OPEC+ speculation drives oil market volatility Oil prices are bouncing back as OPEC+ members continue to reject reports of an output hike at the next meeting. An announcement from the G7 around the Russian oil price cap is due any day now and could complicate the group’s mission to balance supply and demand in the market, especially if the Kremlin responds by slashing exports to participating countries, as they’ve threatened. Read next: Canada: Retail sales declined, what can make a 50bp rate hike a less probable variant| FXMAG.COM That Russia is a key member of the alliance seriously complicates matters. I do wonder whether members could consider reconfiguring output targets, rather than boosting them, in order to account for lost Russian crude. Of course, that would likely require the backing of Russia which may not be forthcoming. Oil prices will likely remain highly volatile over the next couple of weeks against this backdrop, with the EU embargo and potential price cap scheduled to start the day after the OPEC+ meeting on 4 December. If the cap agreement goes to the wire, OPEC+ may opt to delay the meeting given the uncertainty it would generate. Gold rebounds off the prior resistance level The slight recovery in risk appetite today is coinciding with a pullback in the US dollar and a rebound in gold. The yellow metal has held onto the bulk of November’s gains over the last week, seeing support around $1,730 on Monday where it met firm resistance on multiple occasions in September and October. The key level to the upside remains $1,780 where it peaked around last week and saw substantial support around in the first half of the year. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Oil rebounds, gold gains ground - MarketPulseMarketPulse

As was to be expected, it’s been a choppy week so far in financial markets with Europe a very mixed bag on Tuesday while US futures are marginally higher after making marginal losses on Monday. On the one hand, we could be seeing investors warily waiting for the FOMC minutes and taking in all of the speeches from various Fed officials in the meantime. On the other, this week may just be a void in an otherwise turbulent year thanks to a lack of major catalysts and the US Thanksgiving bank holiday at the end of the week. Read next: OPEC+ reject reports of increased output. Crude oil up| FXMAG.COM Saudi Arabia has gone some way to filling that void, with so much attention now likely to be on the Gulf over the coming weeks. It goes without saying that it came as quite a shock as everything unfolded as it wasn’t what anyone was expecting, quite the opposite in fact. And it could have a major impact on the outcome next month. But the 2-1 win over one of the tournament favourites, Argentina, was a monumental victory and undoubtedly one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history. It’s blown Group C wide open and cast serious doubt over whether Lionel Messi will ever get his hands on the trophy. In other news, Saudi Arabia also rejected reports that OPEC+ is considering increasing output on 4 December. Another dead cat bounce? Bitcoin is trading higher on Tuesday, but for how long? The knock-on effects of the FTX collapse are still being uncovered, with more names being added to the exposure list every day. Confidence in the markets has been shattered and it may take time to rebuild. There remains considerable uncertainty around the full consequences of the FTX collapse and as long as that remains the case, any rallies we see in cryptos may simply become dead cat bounces, as opposed to market bottoms. The latest occurred around $15,500, where it rebounded off a couple of weeks ago, and a break of this could trigger another sharp decline. For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar: www.marketpulse.com/economic-events/ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Filling the void - MarketPulseMarketPulse

Oil Crude prices are still rebounding from yesterday’s Saudi denial that OPEC+ was considering an output increase. Oil is having a tug-of-war with China’s Covid demand concerns getting countered with what appears to be a motivated Saudi Arabia to keep the oil market tight. White House official Hochstein said that the US can still manage any energy emergency with the SPR. ​ He also noted that it will be opportunistic about refilling the SPR and that they could look to immediately repurchase oil when prices are in the $70 per barrel range. The recent oil price slide was overdone and given global economic activity excluding China won’t completely fall off a cliff, prices should continue to stabilize here. Read next: Craig Erlam calls effects of the FTX crash "uncovered". Saudi Arabia confirms OPEC+ won't increase output in December| FXMAG.COM Gold Gold got a little boost from the weaker dollar but that appears to be fading quickly. Gold should have a hard time rallying here as the dollar seems poised to find some support here. ​ The Fed is likely to stick to the hawkish script for a while and unless we see a major improvement in China’s COVID situation, gold should struggle to muster up a meaningful rally. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Oil prices rebound, gold - MarketPulseMarketPulse

Introduction Natural gas is the third most important energy resource in the world. For years, the gas market has been dependent on long-term supply contracts, which is why gas prices have been relatively stable. Everything has changed by increasing the supply of liquefied LNG gas. Russia is one of the largest players in the global gas market, using its resources as an economic and political weapon against European countries. The pandemic, the desire to further cut emissions and the war in Ukraine have made gas one of the key instruments on global financial markets. In this report, we will show what is responsible for the massive increase in gas prices in Europe and the US, and what the future of the natural gas market may look like. Why is the topic of gas popular? Gas is considered the least emitting fossil fuel in the world. What's more, unlike coal or nuclear power plants, gas-fired power plants can be turned on and off very quickly, which allows for great flexibility in building the energy mix in individual countries. That is why gas power plants became very popular in Europe and in the United States when coal power plants began to be abandoned. At the same time, gas is the most popular raw material for heating houses. The topic of gas is currently very popular - mainly due to Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the ongoing war. Due to the fact that European countries were heavily dependent on Russian gas supplies, gas prices immediately "shot up" because supporting Ukraine in this conflict could end up "turning off the tap", which eventually happened anyway. Read next: Wealthy clients are withdrawing assets from Credit Suisse accounts| FXMAG.COM However, the beginning of this situation took place much earlier. Germany's decision to build the Nord gas pipeline Stream has led to a significant drop in gas production across the European Union. Production has been reduced by up to half compared to the peak levels before the financial crisis of 2008-2009. This has led to an increase in the dependence of European Union countries on Russian gas supplies by almost 40%. Interestingly, when the EU countries reduced their production and increased gas imports from Russia, the shale revolution began in the United States, which clearly changed the energy mix in this country. Meanwhile, Germany, wanting to become even more dependent on Russian gas and be able to resell the raw material to other European countries, decided to build the second branch of the Nord system streaming . Even despite the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014, this project has not been suspended. The hard winter during the pandemic led to low stock levels The next stage of this story is the pandemic and the reduction of gas imports due to the decline in economic activity in Europe. What's more, the hard winter during the pandemic led to low stock levels. At the same time, Russia stopped selling gas on the spot market in Europe and limited the filling of its own warehouses in Germany, which was most likely a preparation for the possibility of blackmailing Europe at the time of aggression against Ukraine. Russia finally invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and although it initially honored its long-term supply contracts, at one point demanded payment for gas in rubles. Moscow suspended deliveries to countries that did not agree to these conditions (including Poland, the Netherlands, Denmark and Bulgaria), and then, citing technical problems, reduced and finally suspended deliveries also to Germany. In the fourth quarter of 2022, Russia maintains only limited supplies via the Ukrainian gas pipeline and the Turkish gas pipeline. At the end of September 2022, three gas pipelines were probably intentionally damaged The last act of the story is sabotage related to the Nord system streaming . At the end of September 2022, three gas pipelines were probably intentionally damaged, which was supposed to further destabilize the situation in the region. As a result of sabotage, 3 lines of the Nord Stream can be turned off even for several years. Heavy dependence on Russian gas and other raw materials such as oil and coal led to the fact that Europe faced the biggest energy crisis in history, associated with high prices and unavailability of raw materials. The level of gas in storage facilities in the European Union at the beginning of this year was below the average for the last five years. The specter of the crisis encouraged EU leaders to fully fill their warehouses before the winter. In the chart above, we can see the forecast of warehouse filling, assuming a complete suspension of supplies from Russia and the absence of new sources of supply and consumption in line with the five-year average. As you can see, in such a scenario, there will be no shortage of gas in Europe throughout the heating period. Source: Bloomberg, XTB

// GoldViewFX - Market UPDATE by Goldviewfx on TradingView.com Trend Analysis Chart Patterns Technical Indicators XAUUSD Gold goldsignals goldideas forexsignals forexanalysis tradingideas tradingsignals goldanalysis     Hey Everyone,Busy day on the calendar with lots of mid to high volatility events. As stated yesterday we expected a touch at 1730 due to weekly chart detachment. We got our last bearish target at 1730 and just below but EMA5 failed to cross below 1730 confirming the rejection and sending the price back up. We waited patiently, as no signal was activated but we had a manual setup to 1745 which we took from support with a clean TP and finished off with a trail TP at 1748.Price is still bouncing between both the identified structures. A cross and lock break below 1730 will open the swing range and an ema5 cross and lock above 1750 will open the upper targets. Until we see this break out of either structure, we will see side by side ranging movement. Both Bullish targets are still open, we just need to be strategic with our entries with signal confirmation.As always, we will track the movement level to level, using our EMA5 cross and lock and our VIP signals to take those safe entries and exits from support and resistance levels. This allows us to safely take profit with the trend or against it!!!BULLISH TARGETS17581767EMA5 CROSS AND LOCK BELOW 1750 WILL OPEN THE FULL RETRACEMENT RANGE - DONEBEARISH TARGETS1738 - DONE1730 - doneEMA5 CROSS AND LOCK BELOW 1730 WILL OPEN THE FULL SWING RANGESWING RANGE1709As always, we will keep you all updated with regular updates throughout the week and how we manage the setups. Please don't forget to like, comment and follow to support us, we really appreciate it!GoldViewFXXAUUSD TOP AUTHOR 🪙 JOIN OUR FREE TELEGRAM GROUP 🪙 https://www.t.me/GoldView_FXMESSAGE US FOR VIP SIGNALS🏆 http://www.t.me/GoldviewFX🪙 PARTNER BROKER LINK 🪙Vantage Account: https://www.vantagemarkets.com/forex-trading/forex-trading-account/?affid=5258 Twitter Instagram Website Source: Trader Goldviewfx — Trading Ideas & Charts — TradingView

Global gas market What is natural gas? Natural gas is considered one of the most effective energy sources in the world. Gas is used primarily for the production of electricity, heating and in industry. It is characterized by a low degree of impact on the natural environment, as emissions from its combustion are two times lower than in the case of coal. As a result, gas has become the preferred source of energy in European Union countries that are striving to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the coming years. What's more, with current consumption, global gas reserves - similarly to oil - are expected to last for more than 50 years, which is half as much as in the case of coal. However, this relatively long period is to be devoted to further energy transformation, during which fossil fuels are to be replaced by renewable energy sources. According to the annual BP energy report, the largest gas reserves in the world are held by Russia (24.3%), Iran (17.3%), Qatar (12.5%), the USA (5.3%) and Saudi Arabia (4.2%). What else is worth knowing about natural gas? Natural gas is lighter than air! This is due to the fact that it is largely composed of methane Natural gas has no smell! In order to prevent the gas from escaping, special chemicals are added to it, which are responsible for the characteristic smell Natural gas is found in the same regions as oil. Often both of these resources are mined at the same time Natural gas used in industry is not only used as fuel for power plants, but it is also used to produce chemical products, including fertilizers Natural gas is considered the cleanest fossil fuel, but if extracted from shale, there is a risk of earthquakes and excessive water consumption in the hydraulic fracturing process The biggest producers, consumers Russia, as the owner of the largest reserves of natural gas in the world, was also the largest producer of this raw material for years. However, discoveries of large deposits in Australia, Arab countries or shale gas in the USA have led to a reshuffling of the table of the largest gas producers. Even at the beginning of this millennium, the United States was a net importer of this resource, and most of the electricity produced came from burning coal. The shale revolution that has taken place in the last dozen or so years has led to the fact that the USA has become the largest producer, consumer and one of the largest exporters of natural gas. The gradual abandonment of coal in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere has made gas the preferred raw material on the green agenda of the European Union. Europe became increasingly dependent on gas - especially Russian. Russian gas was cheap, which led to the gradual abandonment of its own production. In recent years, dependence on Russian gas has reached nearly 50% for EU countries and over 50% for the entire continent. The development of LNG technology allowed for cost reduction, which led to imports of more and more gas from Qatar, Australia and the United States. Norway is also a significant producer and exporter to European countries. This country is responsible for supplying gas primarily to Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands and soon also to Poland. How to analyze the natural gas market? Natural gas is analyzed in a very similar way to other commodities, although there are some differences. More attention is paid to transport due to its many forms. Due to the seasonal use of natural gas, attention is also paid to weather forecasts and stock levels. What should you pay attention to when analyzing the natural gas market? Relationship between demand and supply Specificity of the local market (the gas market is not as homogeneous as the oil market) Long and short-term supply contracts Mode of transport - gas pipeline or LNG? Connection network and development of export and import terminals Relations between exporters and importers Seasonality of the market related to the weather The level of stocks in relation to seasonality Changes in stock levels relative to averages and relation to price Natural gas and LNG gas Due to its state of aggregation, natural gas cannot be transported by ships or road transport (to a large extent). Gas is transported through gas pipelines, the construction of which obviously takes years and, among other reasons, long-term contracts for supplies are signed. This is why flexibility in supply is very low, even with such an extensive gas pipeline network as in Europe. The situation is different in the case of LNG, because liquefied gas can be delivered to almost any place in the world that has access to the sea and has an import terminal or uses the so-called floating terminal. LNG is produced by strongly cooling natural gas so that it reaches a liquid state, thanks to which its size is reduced by about 600 times compared to its gaseous state. One gas, many markets Due to the fact that the gas market is not homogeneous, we distinguish a few of the most important benchmarks in the world. They are: Henry Hub in USA EU TTF (Netherlands) NBP in Great Britain JKM in Japan and South Korea European gas is mainly traded between commercial market participants with some involvement of hedge funds . This market is not available to a retail investor, as is the case with NBP or JKM gas. There is also no TTF, NBP or JKM gas ETF available. For this reason, by far the largest trading in the futures market takes place in the United States, which is also available to the individual investor. Although there are certain dependencies between all benchmarks, American natural gas is governed by its own laws, which is why global financial institutions mainly analyze the American gas markGas prices in the US, EU, UK and Asia. As you can see, gas prices in the European Union are still at the highest level, which is why it is a very competitive market for American natural gas, which is up to six times cheaper than the aforementioned European gas (excluding the costs of LNG transport). Source: Bloomberg, XTB Please note that information and research based on historical data or results do not guarantee future profits.

OANDA Senior Market Analyst Craig Erlam talks about how gold responded to the release of the FOMC minutes.     This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Gold - Jumps after dovish Fed minutes - MarketPulseMarketPulse

Summary:  Commodity markets maintain a commanding lead over asset classes, such as bonds and stocks, as we head towards the final few weeks of trading in 2022. China lockdowns remain a temporary concerns for crude oil and other China-centric commodities while others like copper, silver and gold have enjoyed the softer dollar and the FOMC showing willingness to slow its pace of rate hike. We take a look at some of the key battlefields that may end up determine the direction commodities will travel into 2023. Commodity markets maintain a commanding lead over asset classes, such as bonds and stocks, as we head towards the final few weeks of trading in 2022. A year that, despite several headwinds, has yielded strong returns – with the Bloomberg Commodity Total Return index trading up close to 20% on the year. Following on from a strong finish to 2021 – driven by a post-Covid surge in demand for goods fuelled by a wall of fiscal stimulus and coordinated monetary support – the year started on tear. With demand rising strongly at a time of under-investments, the attention abruptly turned to supply worries following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Sanctions against Russia and risk to supply of key food commodities from Ukraine led to price spikes across all commodity markets, not least energy, grains and metals. As a result of this, the Bloomberg Commodity Total Return index spiked by more than 25% during the first quarter before spending the following months slowly deflating. However, despite numerous headwinds, such as the strongest dollar rally in years, rolling Covid related lockdowns in China and central banks hiking rates in order to kill inflation at the expense of growth, the commodity sector has performed very well, as demonstrated by the near 20% year-to-date return. Heading into 2023, four major themes will help determine the direction of the market: The depth of an incoming recession currently being priced in by the market through the most inverted US yield curve since the early 1980s A recession forcing the US Federal Reserve to change its focus from rate hikes to economic support, potentially before inflation has reached a satisfactory low level, thereby supporting a reversal of the dollar and Treasury yields. A reopening in China leading to a stimulus fuelled recovery in demand for industrial metals and energy. The duration of the war in Ukraine and its potential impact on supply of key commodities from crude oil and gas to wheat and key industrial metals. Recession versus tight supply The risk of an economic downturn at a time of tight supply of several major commodities will be one of the key battlegrounds that, together with the strength of a post-Covid recovery in China, will help determine the direction of commodities in 2023. Following months of aggressive rate hikes, the US Federal Reserve is now signalling a slowing pace of future rate hikes – with the eventual peak rate being determined by incoming data. The US bond market is already telling the Fed that it may have overdone the monetary tightening, with the yield spread between the 3-month treasury bill versus the 10-year treasury note tumbling to a twenty-year low at minus 64 basis point. An inverted level of this magnitude has only been seen prior to three previous recessions. Short-term interest rates have been driven higher by the Fed’s actions to raise the overnight Fed Fund rates, while longer-dated bond yields are lower on the prospect of slower growth (or even a recession) together with anchored long-term inflation. You can read more in this fixed income update from my colleague Redmond Wong in Hong Kong. Source: Bloomberg & Saxo Commodities have seen a strong November so far as the Bloomberg Commodity index trading up 3.4%, with gains being led by industrial and precious metals. This is despite the daily news of a worsening situation in China, where local officials battling with a record number of Covid cases are once again under pressure to implement President Xi’s strict and increasingly unpopular Covid zero policy. In order to support the economy, the People’s Bank of China, stepped in Friday and cut banks reserve requirement ratio by 0.25%. While the energy sector has struggled amid a seasonal slowdown in demand that was increased by the developments in China, other markets, especially precious metals, have found support from the drop in long-end yields and a dollar which has softened by almost five percent this month. Driven by a lower-than-expected US CPI print earlier this month, emerging weakness in US economic data and the publishing of the minutes from the recent Federal Reserve meeting which discussed moderating the pace of future rate hikes. Cycle low in gold, silver and copper? Following developments that have supported a strong rebound in gold, silver and copper, as well as the 170 dollar rally from what increasingly looks like a cycle low around $1615, gold spent the past week consolidating before finding support in the $1735 area. Overall, Saxo maintains its long-held bullish view on gold, and with that more so for silver. This is primarily driven by a combination of an incoming economic slowdown and major repricing as the market realises long-term inflation will settle at a higher level than the sub 3% currently being priced in. However, with a continued lack of buying interest from ETF investor and increased competition from bonds as yields drop, a further gold extension above the important $1800 area will likely require further declines in the yields and the dollar or some other catalyst that sees a run to safety. A technical update from Kim Cramer, our Technical Analyst, can be found here. Grains sector weakness led by wheat At the bottom of the performance table, we find the grains sector. Grains are heading for a monthly loss, primarily driven by weakness in wheat prices in the US and Europe. The weakness is driven by a continuation of the Ukraine grains corridor and a bumper Russian crop looking for a home around the world. Speculators have responded to the general weakness by cutting the total net long across the six major grains futures contract to a three-month low at 430k contracts. According to the latest Commitments of Traders Report covering the week to November 15, speculators had the biggest one-week clear-out of corn longs since August 2019. Meanwhile, the wheat net short extended to a 27-month high at 47k contracts with soybeans and soymeal also suffering setbacks.   Crude oil troubled by China lockdowns and recession worries Crude oil trades lower for a third consecutive week as demand fears, especially from an increasingly locked down China, weigh on sentiment. A G7-sponsored price-cap plan on Russian oil looks dead in the water as EU countries struggle to agree on a level – the result being either no cap or a level so high that it will not have any meaningful impact on supply, led alone Russia’s response. The 12-month futures spread in WTI and Brent have both weakened to the lowest backwardation since last December, reflecting a market concerned about recession and a seasonal slowdown in demand hurting the front month contracts. In addition, the fact that the market is not pricing in a premium for oil ahead of the December 5 EU embargo on Russian seaborne crude exports highlights the impact of a sharp slowdown in China – the world’s biggest importer of crude oil. Middle East producers have seen spot premiums for key Persian Gulf graded oil, decline sharply after commanding elevated premiums since the invasion of Ukraine when many buyers started to look elsewhere than Russia, thereby lifting demand for Mideast crude. The slowdown in demand from China will be temporary but having unsuccessfully fought Covid outbreaks with lockdowns for months, the prospect for an improvement looks month away. This is unless Chinese officials start following the 20-point plan to ease Covid Zero policies that were issued earlier this month by the health authorities. Brent trades near the lower end of its established range, but with multiple uncertainties related to demand and supply, the prospect of a downside extension seems limited in our opinion. Source: Saxo   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/commodities/commodities-torn-between-recession-and-tight-supply-focus-25112022

Sentiment in markets remains negative given the latest Covid developments in China. Meanwhile, energy markets will be keeping an eye on whether EU members manage to agree on price caps for Russian oil and TTF natural gas futures In this article Energy - price cap decisions Metals – Aluminum stocks decline in China Agriculture – Downside to Argentine wheat output   Shutterstock Energy - price cap decisions Sentiment in the oil market remains negative, and developments over the weekend in China will certainly not help. China continues to see record daily cases of Covid, which has resulted in some cities tightening mobility restrictions. Reports of Covid protests in China will also likely prove harmful for sentiment. Unsurprisingly, investor appetite has taken a hit in recent weeks - one only needs to look at the price action to see this. Positioning data adds confirmation to this thesis. The latest exchange data shows that speculators reduced their net longs in ICE Brent by 70,502 lots over the last reporting week, leaving them with a net long of 138,048 lots as of last Tuesday. This is the smallest position held since August. The market appears not to be concerned about the ongoing uncertainty over Russian supply. Instead, attention seems fully focused on the demand story.    Over the weekend the US government relaxed oil sanctions against Venezuela by allowing Chevron to restart oil production at some of its joint ventures in the country. The easing in sanctions will have a limited impact on the market, given that volumes will be relatively small. The easing also appears to allow the export of this crude to the US. This will be helpful for US refiners on the hunt for heavier grades of feedstock. As for the week ahead, we should start to get some preliminary production numbers for OPEC members for November. This will obviously give a good insight into which members have reduced their output in accordance with the latest OPEC+ supply cuts. OPEC+ agreed back in October to reduce their production targets by 2MMbbls/d from November. However, the market will likely be closely watching price cap developments this week. EU members failed last week to agree on a level for the price cap for Russian oil. The EU and G-7 will want to come to an agreement this week, before the EU ban on Russian seaborne crude oil kicks in on 5 December. EU members will also have to agree on the proposed price cap on TTF gas futures with the Commission last week suggesting setting the cap at EUR275/MWh, which some members believe is too high. Metals – Aluminum stocks decline in China The latest data from the Shanghai Metals Market (SMM) shows that inventories of aluminium ingots have dropped 10% in the last two weeks and currently stand at 51.8kt (the lowest in almost six years) as of Friday. SMM also said that smelters in northern China are reducing output during the winter months to reduce emissions, while a resumption of plants in the southwest (that were forced to halt production due to power shortages) has been slower than expected. Meanwhile, the latest data from the Shanghai Futures Exchange (ShFE) shows that aluminium inventories on exchange dropped by 15kt (-12% WoW) to 110kt - the lowest since 2017. US miner Freeport-McMoRan agreed with the Chinese copper smelters (Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group Co. and Jiangxi Copper Co.) to set treatment charges at US$88/t (+35% YoY) for copper concentrate supply agreements for 2023. The higher treatment charges indicate expectations of rising mine supply relative to smelting capacity.  There are suggestions that two big mines - Quellaveco in Peru and the Quebrada Blanca 2 project in Chile, will roughly add 616kt of copper to the market once ramped up. The latest monthly update from the International Copper and Study Group shows that the supply deficit for copper stood at 10kt in September, compared to a deficit of 13kt in the previous month. Over the first nine months of the year, the copper market encountered a deficit of 295kt, compared to a deficit of 233kt during the same period last year. Global mine and refined copper production increased by 3.5% YoY and 2.3% YoY respectively, whilst overall apparent refined demand grew 2.6% YoY for January-September 2022. Agriculture – Downside to Argentine wheat output The latest data from a crop tour organized by the Bahia Blanca Grain Exchange shows that wheat production in the southern Buenos Aires and La Pampa provinces in Argentina is set to decline by 31% YoY following drought and frost conditions. The survey estimates for the wheat harvest (which starts next month in the region) is around 3.7mt, compared to 5.3mt last season. Meanwhile, barley production in the region is expected to drop by 20% YoY to 2.3mt. TagsSanctions Russian oil price cap OPEC+ Natural gas Aluminium   Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Precious metals, which could be part of an investment portfolio, can count as November’s successful ones among others. We are mainly talking about gold and silver priced in US dollars, whose prices in the eleventh month of this year have definitely increased. Although the month isn't over yet, we're already having a look at what the December statistics may indicate. Gold may be in the spotlight in November, as prices appear to be heading for their biggest monthly increase since mid-2021, currently at around 7.5%. Gold seems to have been gaining recently, thanks to a weakening dollar and to declines in U.S. bond yields. The market may be assuming that the Fed would not be able to keep interest rates at around 5% for quite some time, and there may be cuts in the federal funds rate in 2023. With this narrative, gold appears to be entering December, a month in which the metal has had a positive return for five years in a row. As Bloomberg calculates, December has averaged a 4.2 percent gain since 2017. Gold saw its biggest December price jump in 2020, appreciating by almost 7% then, while the smallest increase took place in December 2017, at 2.23%. In contrast, December 2016 ended with a decline of 1.91%. Source: Conotoxia MT5, XAUUSD, Monthly Silver with more volatility than gold? Silver, like gold, also ended every December up since 2017, with an average return of 7.1%, Bloomberg reported. The best December statistically in this period was December 2020, when silver rose 16.61%. In contrast, silver rose 3.15% in December 2017, while the price fell 3.39% in 2016. In November, silver seems to have led the rise among popular futures contracts. To date, since the beginning of the month, the price has risen more than 13% above $21 per ounce. In contrast, year-to-date, silver denominated in USD is losing about 7.5%. Source: Conotoxia MT5, XAGUSD, Monthly In the silver market, one curiosity may be that a one-ounce Silver American Eagle coin is valued at more than $35. Meanwhile, silver in the form of a one-ounce contract costs about $21. This gives a price difference between a physical ounce and a paper ounce of silver of more than 65 percent, according to data from the Monex service, such a discrepancy has not been seen for at least a decade. This could be one of the favorable factors for silver in the coming month, improving December's precious metals statistics. Daniel Kostecki, Director of the Polish branch of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75.21% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Read the article on Conotoxia.com

So much uncertainty in the oil markets It’s already been a very volatile week in oil markets and that’s unlikely to change over the coming days given the immense uncertainty over the Russian price cap, China’s Covid stance, and the OPEC+ meeting. The market is being led by speculation and leaks, of which there have been plenty and will likely be much more, which makes for very lively conditions given the wide array of possible outcomes. And as you’d expect, all of the above are linked to varying degrees. A record surge in Covid cases is leading to tightening restrictions weighing on activity, spurring protests, and forcing a rethink of the country’s zero-Covid policy. They’ve also weighed heavily on prices with China being the world’s second-largest economy which will impact the demand forecasts from OPEC+ unless the group opts to hold on and await more clear signals and data. Also influencing the group’s analysis will be Russian sanctions, most notably the price cap which is yet to be fully agreed upon. The latest rumours suggest the cap could be agreed to as low as $62 which is much lower than the $65-70 previously leaked and could therefore have a bigger impact on Russian output. And of course, Russia itself is a key member of the OPEC+ alliance, just to complicate matters further and could throw its weight around in those discussions and make an agreement harder and more uncertain. Oh and the EU does have a tendency to make full use of deadlines, with the next sanctions due to come into force the day after OPEC+ meets, which is of course on a Sunday for some reason. Not that the alliance always comes to quick agreements and on this occasion, you could easily forgive them for not. Needless to say, this is certainly a recipe for volatile trading conditions. Volatile and awaiting key US data Gold is rallying again on Tuesday on the back of a softer dollar but has only largely wiped out Monday’s losses leaving it basically net even on the week. I expect to see plenty more volatility in the coming days given the amount of US economic data that are being released including inflation, GDP, and the jobs report. That sets us up nicely as we move into the final month of the year with only a couple of weeks to go until the hotly anticipated CPI inflation report and Fed meeting. For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar: www.marketpulse.com/economic-events/ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Oil showing volatility, gold rallies - MarketPulseMarketPulse

Oil Oil prices are rallying on China’s opening optimism and after another round of US economic data showed the economy is weakening but still far from a recession. ​ Energy traders are looking at the next week and see two potential bullish catalysts for oil prices; an OPEC+ decision that could easily justify lower output targets given China’s demand outlook and a Russian crude price cap that needs to be put in place; otherwise, a ban on Russian imports takes effect on December 5th. Read next: EU works on a price cap on Russian oil. According to Craig Erlam (Oanda) OPEC+ think of a production cut| FXMAG.COM US energy security advisor Hochstein reiterated that the US is considering increasing purchases once oil prices are consistently at the $70 range. He emphasized that the next week will be big for oil prices and that the US will closely be watching the OPEC+ meeting and what happens with the Russian crude price cap. ​ Oil is starting to get its groove back and it looks like both supply and demand drivers could turn bullish for crude here. ​ If China’s Covid rules are slowly eased and OPEC stays the course, crude prices could rally another 5-10% here. Gold Gold traders only care about one thing today and that is Fed Chair Powell’s speech. ​ This is a pivotal moment for gold as it is poised to have its best month since May 2021. ​ If China lifts more lockdowns, a risk rally should help keep gold prices supported, but first we need to see Fed Chair Powell allow markets to continue to expect a downshift in rate hikes next month and that they could pause their tightening soon after. ​ Gold should find strong resistance at the $1800 level but if Fed Chair Powell eases up on the hawkish rhetoric, it could make a run for the $1825 level. ​ If Powell sticks to the script and risk appetite stalls, gold could soften towards the $1750 level. This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Oil rallies on China's opening, gold's great month - MarketPulseMarketPulse

OANDA Senior Market Analyst Ed Moya reviews the latest market news with Jonny Hart. They discuss the upward revision for US Q3 GDP, crude’s rally that stemmed from China opening optimism, and crypto regulation expectations.   This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds. Market Insights Podcast (Episode 405) - MarketPulseMarketPulse

OPEC+ is set to meet on Sunday to decide on output policy for 2023. While the EU still needs to come to an agreement on the G-7 price cap ahead of the EU's ban on Russian seaborne crude oil, which comes into force on 5 December Energy - OPEC output falls Preliminary OPEC production numbers for November are starting to come through and it is no surprise that the group significantly reduced output over the month due to the recently agreed production cuts. According to a Bloomberg survey, OPEC output declined by 1.05MMbbls/d MoM to 28.79MMbbls/d. Saudi Arabia led the way with their production falling by 470Mbbls/d, whilst the UAE saw their output decline by 240Mbbls/d. The reduction from the group is broadly in line with the cuts expected under the deal. This weekend we will need to see if OPEC+ stick to the current deal or announce even deeper cuts. The group meets on Sunday and given the recent price weakness, there is the potential for further cuts. EU members are still trying to agree on a level for the Russian oil price cap. They will want to come to an agreement before 5 December, which is when the EU ban on Russian seaborne crude oil kicks in. The latest reports suggest that the EU is looking at a price cap level of around US$60/bbl, which is lower than the original US$65-70/bbl suggested, however, it is still above the current levels that Russia is receiving for its crude oil. Therefore, if agreed at this level, it will have little impact on Russian oil revenues at the moment. Metals – Chinese aluminium surplus The latest forecast from Mysteel shows that the Chinese aluminium market will finish 2022 with a deficit of 340kt, while the market is expected to shift to a surplus of 580kt in 2023. Supply is expected to grow as a result of new capacity as well as production restarts. Demand is estimated to have grown by 1.6% YoY this year, despite weak demand from the property sector. For 2023, Chinese demand is forecast to rise by 2.24% YoY.  The latest reports suggest that a major copper smelter, Daye Nonferrous Metals Group Holding Co. located in Huangshi city in Hubei province started producing copper from its new smelter with an operational capacity of 400ktpa. It is estimated that the plant produced its first batch of refined copper at the end of November. Agriculture – US weekly grain shipments remain soft The latest weekly data from the USDA shows that US grain exports remained weak and came in below market expectations for the week ending on 24th November. Weekly export sales of wheat dropped to 163kt, lower than the 450kt expected. Soybean export sales fell to 694kt, also below the roughly 813kt expected, whilst corn export sales declined to 633kt, compared to expectations of around 763kt. CBOT soybean oil fell sharply yesterday with prices reaching their lowest levels in three months due to the latest proposal from the Biden administration for changes to the US biofuel mandate falling short of expectations for biodiesel quotas. As per the latest Environmental Protection Agency proposal, the agency will ask oil refineries and importers to blend 20.82 billion gallons of renewable fuel into diesel and gasoline in 2023. The agency will also keep raising the quota for biofuels until 2025. The proposal would also moderately boost quotas for biodiesel (made from soybean oil and other fats) to 2.82 billion gallons in 2023 from 2.76 billion gallons currently. The market was expecting and hoping for a higher number. Read this article on THINK TagsRussian oil price cap OPEC+ Oil Grains Aluminium Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Nickel has had a tumultuous year amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February and March’s short squeeze, and the subsequent temporary suspension of LME nickel trade. The short-term outlook for nickel remains bearish amid a deteriorating macro picture and sustained market surplus In this article Nickel price slips on recession fears Weak stainless steel output pushes nickel to surplus Global stainless growth to fall Indonesia supply growth in focus Supply risk around Russian metal remains Prices to remain under pressure as surplus builds   Shutterstock   Nickel price slips on recession fears The metals complex has had a volatile year. Most metals performed strongly in the first quarter given the growing supply uncertainty due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, a stronger US dollar, rising rates and weaker downstream demand weighed heavily on metals markets for the remainder of the year. Nickel is the standout across the complex, managing to hold onto year-to-date gains. Still, the LME price is down significantly from its year-to-date highs in March following a short squeeze, as recession fears have undermined market sentiment. Volatility in the nickel market has become more common in recent months with reduced liquidity ever since the short squeeze seen back in March, when fears of sanctions on Norilsk Nickel coincided with a huge short bet by the world’s largest stainless steel producer, Tsingshan. This caused prices to more than double in a matter of days. The LME was forced to suspend trading for a week and cancel billions of dollars’ worth of nickel trades. The LME has subsequently imposed price limits for the first time and introduced requirements for disclosure of business done over the counter via derivatives to the exchange. LME volumes have declined since then as many traders have reduced activity or cut their exposure due to a loss of confidence in the LME and its nickel contract after its handling of the March short squeeze. Volumes on the LME three-month nickel contract since March have been 30% of levels in the six months before the market chaos following the short squeeze. These low levels of liquidity have left nickel exposed to sharp price swings – even amid small shifts in supply and demand balances. Most recently, nickel prices on the LME spiked briefly to hit the LME’s daily trading limit of 15%, reaching almost $31,000/t, on a report of an explosion at an Indonesian plant. Gains were pared after the facility’s owner denied any incident. That was followed by a 5% rise the following day after a nickel mine in New Caledonia, which supplies Tesla, cut its 4Q production forecast. In an effort to stabilise the recent volatility, the LME said it undertook “enhanced monitoring” of market participants’ trading activities and lifted initial margins for nickel trades by 28% to $6,100/t. The LME recently defended its decision in a legal filing following lawsuits from Elliott Investment Management and Jane Street, saying that the spike in nickel prices on 8 March would have led to margin calls of about $19.75 billion if the trades hadn’t been cancelled. The exchange said that subsequent analysis has shown that at least seven clearing members would have gone into default. On the morning of 8 March, six members had not paid their overnight margin payments, totalling $2 billion. The bourse said that it saw the risk of a ‘death spiral’ without nickel trade cancellations. We expect more near-term volatility to continue until the LME rebuilds trust in the benchmark nickel contract, volumes pick up again and the market’s confidence in it recovers.  Weak stainless steel output pushes nickel to surplus Continued weakness in demand from the stainless steel sector has meant that the global nickel market is expected to be in surplus this year. However, the surplus is mostly in the class 2 - ferronickel and NPI - market. The LME deliverable class 1 market has been relatively tight with LME stocks falling by around 50kt since the start of the year and recently hitting a 14-year low. The reported LME stocks are now below three weeks of consumption – another factor driving the price swings in the LME nickel contract. The International Nickel Study Group (INSG) expects nickel to record a surplus of 144kt this year and another 171kt in the next year. Historically, market surpluses have been linked to the LME deliverable class 1 nickel but in 2023 the surplus will be mainly due to class 2 and nickel chemicals – predominantly nickel sulphate, which is used in batteries, according to the INSG. The INSG has also cut its global demand forecast for this year from 8.6% in May to 4.2%, reflecting a slide in stainless steel production. Nickel supply/demand market balance (kt) INSG, ING Research Global stainless growth to fall Stainless steel is still key for nickel demand, accounting for 70% of total nickel consumption. Although demand from the battery sector is growing rapidly, making up around 5% of total demand at the moment, it isn’t enough to offset a slowdown in traditional sectors like construction. China’s strict zero-Covid policy has hurt the country’s construction sector and has weighed on demand for nickel. However, more recently, hopes have grown that fresh stimulus measures by China could boost demand for industrial metals after moves to shore up the country’s property sector and ease its Covid restrictions. China's recent relaxation of its Covid-related quarantine measures includes a reduced quarantine period for inbound travellers and close contacts of those who have tested positive while secondary contacts will no longer need to be traced. China is also pushing for greater vaccination of the elderly following protests over strict Covid curbs across the country - which are likely to weigh on sentiment further. At the same time, China’s total case count remains elevated, while Beijing has reported its first Covid deaths in six months. China’s relaxation of its Covid policy would have a significant effect on the steel market, and by extension on the nickel market. However, we believe the government is likely to stick to its zero-Covid policy through the winter and may only look to ease some of the curbs further after the National People’s Congress due to be held in March or April next year. Indonesia supply growth in focus Meanwhile, Indonesia’s production of nickel is surging to meet growing demand from the electric vehicle (EV) battery sector. The country’s output was up 41% year-on-year in the first seven months of 2022, according to INSG. Year-to-date production of 814,000 tonnes accounted for 47% of the global total, compared with 38% over the same period of 2021. Indonesia is the world’s largest nickel producer, accounting for 38% of global refined supply. The country holds a quarter of the world’s reserves of the metal with much of Indonesia’s output being of lower purity and used in stainless steel. Indonesia is expected to produce between 1.25 and 1.5 million tonnes of nickel this year, more than 40% of world mined production estimated at between 3 million to 3.2 million tonnes, according to data from USGS. We believe rising output in Indonesia will pressure nickel prices next year. Supply risk around Russian metal remains There are still plenty of supply risks around Russian metal. The LME has decided not to suspend Russian nickel but the threat of government sanctions will remain as long as the war in Ukraine rages on.   The LME was looking at potentially banning the delivery of Russian metal into its warehouses, limiting Russian flows or taking no action. The exchange said that it is likely that additional tonnages of Russian metal will, in time, if not immediately, be warranted in the LME's physical network. Russia is the third largest primary nickel producer after Indonesia and China and the largest exporter of refined nickel metal – the type deliverable on the LME. Europe is one of the key destinations for Russian metal. Everything depends on how many players choose not to take Russian metal in their 2023 supply contracts unless there are government sanctions. If we see more Russian metal being delivered into LME warehouses, it could potentially mean that LME prices trade at discounted levels to the actual market. However, the LME said that the proportion of Russian metal in LME warehouses has not changed significantly over the discussion paper period. In 2013, 65% of LME nickel inventories were of Russian origin. In more recent years, this has ranged between 0-20%. According to the latest data from the LME, only 0.5% of live nickel tonnage in its warehouses was of Russian origin. The LME said it will publish a monthly report, starting in January 2023, which will provide the percentage of live tonnage of Russian metal on-warrant in order to provide more transparency. Prices to remain under pressure as surplus builds We forecast nickel prices to remain under pressure in the short term as a surplus in the market builds, however, the tightness in the class 1 market is likely to offer some support. We see prices hovering between $20,000/t and $20,500/t over the first two quarters of 2023 before gradually increasing to $21,000/t in 3Q and $22,000/t in 4Q as the global growth outlook starts to improve. ING forecast ING research TagsNickel Commodities Outlook 2023 Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Iron ore has been one of the worst-performing commodities this year. Concerns over Chinese macroeconomic performance and continued Covid-19-related disruptions have been key to driving prices lower. Hopes of a China recovery in the second half of 2023 should provide support in the medium term. The short-term outlook is more bearish In this article Gloomy demand outlook Demand outside of China also struggling China steel output lags China iron ore imports slow down Australian supply to edge higher, Brazilian shipments suffer Iron ore prices to ease in the short term   Shutterstock   Gloomy demand outlook Iron ore prices have roughly halved from their year-to-date high of US$171/t seen back in March to as low as $81/t recently – almost its lowest since early 2020. Futures in Singapore have fallen for seven consecutive months, the worst run since the contract debuted in 2013. China’s attempts to crush outbreaks of Covid-19 have seen tough restrictions, which have not been supportive of the country’s property market, the main driver of iron ore demand. China alone accounts for about two-thirds of seaborne iron ore demand. The sentiment has deteriorated since China’s 20th Communist Party Congress with the property sector policy tone remaining downbeat and the government continuing to maintain the principle that “housing is for living in, not for speculation”. China’s property sector accounts for almost 40% of its steel consumption. That sector has been in a steep decline for more than a year amid continued tightening of housing measures across China since March when cities began to introduce a sales ban. China’s home sales declined again in October, reflecting the difficulties facing the property market, as the slowing economy and ongoing Covid-19 outbreaks dampened homebuying demand. In the 10 months from January through October, national home sales dropped 25.6% in terms of square meters and 28.2% in terms of value, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. Property investment dropped 8.8% over the period, worsening from an 8% decline in the first nine months. New construction starts by property developers in the country fell 37.8% between January and October, compared with the 38% decline between January and September, with developers reluctant to start new construction. The World Steel Association expects Chinese steel demand to fall 4% for the whole year, driving a projected 2.3% drop in global demand amid surging inflation and rising interest rates. In 2023, new infrastructure projects and a mild recovery in the real estate market could prevent further contraction of steel demand. Looking forward, the outlook for iron ore is going to largely depend on how China approaches any further Covid outbreaks as well as the scale of stimulus the Chinese government unveils. Most recently, China’s regulators announced a 16-point plan to rescue the country’s property sector. The measures include encouraging banks to lend to developers and loosening down payment requirements for homebuyers. China’s GDP is expected to fall to 3.3% this year, according to forecasts by our China economist, well below the government’s 5.5% target. At the same time, global demand for steel is weakening as central banks tighten monetary policy. In 2023, the International Monetary Fund predicts China’s GDP to grow by 4.4%. Meanwhile, Chinese government advisers said they will recommend modest economic growth targets for next year ranging from 4.5% to 5.5% Demand outside of China also struggling Steel demand across the rest of the world has been weakening as well, reflecting the impact of high energy prices as well as central bank's increasing interest rates. In the EU, steel demand is expected to contract by 3.5% in 2022, according to the World Steel Association. With immediate improvement in the gas supply situation not in sight, steel demand in the EU will continue to contract in 2023 with significant downside risk in case of harsh winter weather or further disruptions to energy supplies. On the supply side, in the January-September period of this year, crude steel production within the European Union fell by 8.2% compared with the same period a year ago, to 105.8 million tonnes, based on WSA data. Japan’s production was down by 6% at 67.8mt, while South Korea’s volume decreased by 4.4% to 50.5mt. India is the only bright spot in the global steel market with the country’s output reaching 93.3mt in the January to September period, a rise of 6.4% year-on-year. Total production is forecast to grow 6.1% in 2022 and 6.7% in 2023 in line with the Indian Government’s target to double national production capacity to 300 million tonnes by 2030-2031 on the back of strong urban consumption and infrastructure spending, which will also drive demand for capital goods and automobiles. India’s growth figure is the highest among top global steel consumers. Most recently, India has unexpectedly removed export duties on a number of steel products and iron ore, which were imposed back in May. This includes iron ore lumps and fines with less than 58% iron content and iron ore pellets. Meanwhile, iron ore lumps and fines with an iron content of more than 58% will still attract a 30% duty. This will mean iron ore producers will return to the export market but the extent of imports will depend on demand from its main importer, China. Iron ore prices traded under pressure following the announcement. China steel output lags Chinese steel output has also been under pressure for much of the year. The start of 2022 saw output cuts in some regions during the winter Olympics weigh on national output, whilst in more recent months Covid lockdowns have weighed further on both steel demand and supply. Negative steel margins have prompted mills to intensify output cuts ahead of the winter steel curbs, with around 20 shutting down blast furnaces and speeding up annual year-end maintenance, shutting off at least 100,000 tonnes of daily output. Steelmakers in China are usually ordered to decrease production during the winter months to cut back on pollution. China’s steel production is falling – in large part because of China’s property crisis. China’s total steel production from January to October came to 860.57 million tonnes, down 2.2% on the same period last year, and compared with a 3.4% year-on-year contraction in January-September, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. Meanwhile, China’s cap on annual steel output to limit carbon emissions paints a bleak picture for iron ore demand going forward. China monthly crude steel output (million tonnes) WSA, ING Research China iron ore imports slow down Amid lower steel output from China, iron ore imports have also been under pressure this year. The world’s top consumer brought in 94.98mt of iron ore in October, down from September’s 99.71mt, the General Administration of Customs said, while they fell 1.7% year-on-year to 917mt in the first 10 months of the year. At the same time, iron ore inventories at Chinese ports have been growing since mid-October, reaching 136mt in mid-November. China’s iron ore port inventory is a key indicator that reflects the supply and demand balance, as well as the safety net and imbalance between the iron ore supply and the steel mill demand. With the peak construction season coming to an end and with the expected demand recovery not meeting expectations, there is little upside for steel output and iron ore demand in the short to medium term. China monthly iron ore imports (million tonnes) NBS, ING Research Australian supply to edge higher, Brazilian shipments suffer The supply side has been mixed with Australian exports increasing this year due to a strong performance by majors, while supply from Brazil, the world’s second-largest exporter behind Australia, is slightly below last year’s levels with the country struggling to see iron ore shipments return to levels seen prior to the Brumadinho dam disaster in January 2019. In 2021, total Brazilian iron exports totalled 358mt, still down from the 371mt exported in 2018. Exports in 2022 have struggled as well with total shipments of iron ore from Brazil at around 154mt in the first half of 2022.   Vale’s year-to-date production fell to 227mt, which marks a 1.9% decline year on year. This is primarily due to the 6% drop in production reported in the first quarter of 2022 due to the heavy rainfall in Minas Gerais in January that halted the Southern and Southeastern Systems operations. Vale has recently cut its production guidance for 2022 to 310-320mt from 320-335mt, compared to the production of almost 316mt last year. Looking further ahead, Vale still aims to reach 400mtpa of annual capacity. Total Brazilian exports are forecast to reach 347mt in 2022, a fall of around 2.8% compared with 2021. Meanwhile, Australia is in the process of ramping up supply from a number of new projects, of which the largest is BHP’s 80mtpa South Flank mine which started operations in 2021. This follows the startup of Fortescue’s 30mtpa Eliwana mine which commenced operations in late 2020 and has ramped up output since. For this year, Rio’s 43mtpa Gudai Darri mine started operations in June, while Fortescue was meant to start operations at its 22mtpa Iron Bridge mine this year, but the start date of this has been pushed into 1Q23. These new projects, along with some expansion projects, could add to the downside pressure on prices. The majors have recently released third-quarter reports, with FMG reporting a 2mt YoY increase to 47.5mt, Rio Tinto adding 1mt YoY to 84mt, and BHP also contributing an additional 1.5mt YoY to 72mt. Australian iron ore export volumes were 0.9% higher year-on-year in the first half of 2022, with new greenfield supply starting to come online from major producers. Exports are forecast to increase by 3.1% in 2022-23 to reach 903mt and rise by 3.8% to 937mt in 2023-24, according to Australian trade data (Department of Industry, Science and Resources). Looking ahead, we should continue to see the ramping up of supply from new projects in Australia, along with Vale continuing to target an annual production capacity of 400mtpa. Iron ore prices to ease in the short term There is more downside ahead for iron ore as there are fears that China’s strict zero-Covid policy is here to stay in the near term, despite the recent easing of Covid restrictions and the government’s pledge to bolster vaccinations among senior citizens. We believe the Chinese government is likely to stick to its zero-Covid policy through winter. China continues to see record daily cases of Covid, which has resulted in some cities tightening mobility restrictions. Reports of Covid protests in China will also likely prove harmful to sentiment. We believe the short-term outlook remains bearish with sluggish demand from China suggesting that prices should trend lower. We expect prices to slide to $85/t in the first quarter of 2023 and hover around $90/t throughout the second and third quarters. Prices should be supported in 2H23 due to expectations of a recovery in China and easing Covid-19 restrictions, with prices moving above $95/t in 4Q. However, it appears that China will continue to cap crude steel output whilst also looking to replace older steel capacity with electric arc furnace capacity in order to help the country meet its decarbonisation goals. Growth in electric arc furnace (EAF) capacity at the expense of basic oxygen furnace (BOF) capacity will be a concern for the medium to long-term outlook for Chinese iron ore demand. It also suggests that we have already seen China’s iron ore imports peak in 2020. ING forecast ING research TagsIron ore Commodities Outlook 2023 Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Fertiliser supply decreased in 2022 and prices rose to record highs causing a global drop in demand. High gas prices, sanctions, and export restrictions have resulted in a shift in trade which will continue into 2023. Meanwhile, the lower use of fertilisers will weigh on crop yield expectations for the upcoming season In this article High prices create ripple effects Considerable shifts in fertiliser trade Prospects for 2023 Impact on food production   High prices create ripple effects The war in Ukraine, Western sanctions on Russian and Belarussian exports, and Chinese export restrictions have created turmoil in fertiliser markets. The surge in fertiliser prices that started in 2021 led to deteriorating farmer affordability during 2022 and lower demand. Uncertainty about the amount of fertiliser that farmers are going to need for the upcoming season leads to a more muddied outlook for next year’s crop yields. This has an upward effect on commodities futures. Although the urgency of the situation for global food security is increasingly being recognised, there are reasons to be cautious about any quick improvements in the situation. History shows that unwinding sanctions often prove to be quite a sticky process against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions. Fertiliser prices are still high despite recent falls Monthly prices per metric ton Refinitiv, ING Research*DAP = Diammonium phosphate Considerable shifts in fertiliser trade Buyers have been busy this year finding alternative suppliers due to the sharp drop in fertiliser exports from Russia (nitrogen, potash), Belarus (potash), China (nitrogen, phosphate) and the EU (nitrogen). In the EU, lower local ammonia and urea production in combination with a reduced inflow of Russian products has been partially offset by imports from other countries such as Egypt and Algeria. This is also happening with potash where Belarussian exports to the EU have ceased and Russian imports dropped by more than 70% up until September. Those decreases are partially made up by a 25% increase in potash imports from Canada. In the process, European buyers are crowding out other buyers, similar to what has been happening in liquefied natural gas (LNG) markets. Meanwhile, other large importers, including Brazil, China, India and the US, have not turned away from Russian fertilisers and absorbed some of the flows that have become available, as they have generally worked out how to deal with any additional red tape. The EU is turning to other countries for ammonia imports Import volume in tonnes, 3-month average, January 2020 to September 2022 Eurostat, ING Research Prospects for 2023 High prices drive producers across the globe to ramp up production at existing sites and increase investments in new capacity which has a downward effect on prices. Still, it’s likely that part of the supply gap in 2023 will remain. Geopolitics is a major factor in how the market will evolve in 2023 as European sanctions on exports from Russia and Belarus are particularly influential. Both a de-escalation of the war in Ukraine and global pressure to reduce restrictions on fertiliser trade flows for the sake of food security could lead to a winding down in sanctions. This could, for example, result in the reopening of the Tolyatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline (output: 2.5 million tonnes, 1.5% of global production) and the release of fertiliser cargoes stuck in European ports. However, further tightening of sanctions cannot be completely ruled out in case the war in Ukraine escalates. Impact on food production In our view, the impact of the increase in fertiliser prices on crop yields has been soft this year as many farmers buy fertiliser ahead of the season and affordability was still quite favourable at the start of 2022 due to high commodity prices. But during the course of 2022 fertiliser imports in major markets such as India and Brazil have dropped below the levels of the previous year. The impact on yields could become more pronounced in 2023, especially in African and Asian countries where farmers have generally fewer means to adapt and get less government support compared to their counterparts in Europe, the US and China. Still, the process is likely to be gradual for two reasons. First, while the lower application of nitrogen fertilisers is directly affecting yields, the reduced use of phosphate and potash has a longer lag before it kicks in. Second, some of the impact can be mitigated by farmers and such mitigation can also be in the interest of food traders and manufacturers. Farmers could invest in the more precise application of (liquid) fertilisers, increase the use of organic fertilisers (like biochar) or opt to shift to crops that require less fertiliser (such as legumes or cassava). All of these have their drawbacks and limitations. Shifting to a different crop, for example, requires specific knowledge to be successful. So overall it will be hard to match the effectiveness of synthetic fertilisers. As always, favourable weather in the major growing regions during the season can ease some of the impact of under-fertilisation, while bad weather can cause more problems. TagsUS Food & Agri European Union Emerging Markets Commodities Outlook 2023 Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

The global sugar market is set to see yet another surplus, driven by expectations of stronger output from Brazil, India and Thailand. We believe the surplus environment should limit further upside in sugar prices through 2023 In this article 2022/23 global surplus CS Brazil to see larger 2023/24 crop How much will India export in 2022/23? Thai output continues its recovery EU sugar market set to tighten   Shutterstock 2022/23 global surplus Global sugar output in the 2022/23 marketing year is expected to hit around 180mt, which would leave it near record levels. Stronger output is largely due to expectations of higher output from Brazil. This production growth should mean that the global sugar market will see yet another surplus in the 2022/23 season- in the region of 4mt. This surplus should cap prices although we could see seasonally stronger prices over the CS Brazilian off-crop (1Q23). How much strength will really depend on how Indian sugar exports perform. CS Brazil to see larger 2023/24 crop The current Centre South Brazilian crop is quickly coming to an end as the region moves deeper into the rainy season. The industry is expected to crush around 530m tonnes of sugarcane (vs. 523mt last season) and with a sugar mix approaching 46%, sugar output is expected to total 32.5mt tonnes, marginally up on the 32mt produced the previous season. Changes to fuel taxes this year in Brazil (due to high prices) led to lower gasoline prices. The ethanol/gasoline parity has been above 70% for much of the current season, which saw motorists deciding to fill up with gasoline rather than hydrous ethanol this year. As a result, domestic ethanol demand in Brazil has been weak this year. The industry started the crush late this season and given the fact that the region is entering the rainy season, it's unlikely all cane will be harvested this season. Therefore, there is the potential for an early start next season, so that mills can crush this stood-over cane. An earlier start to the 2023/24 crush would be helpful to the global market as it would ease some of the seasonal tightness during the off-crop. Furthermore, harvesting stood-over cane next season suggests that we will see a larger CS Brazil crop next season. Given the more recent strength in sugar prices along with a generally weak Brazilian real, sugar returns for Brazilian mills are attractive in BRL terms. As a result, we would expect that mills increase their sugar mix for the upcoming 2023/24 season, which officially gets underway in April. However, with the change in government, we could also see some changes to the domestic fuel policy, which could have a knock-on effect on the sugar/ethanol production mix. While recent rainfall has proved disruptive for the current harvest, this rainfall is likely to prove beneficial for the 2023/24 crop. The size of the 2023/24 season will depend on how the rainy season develops but early estimates suggest that CS Brazil could crush close to 570mt of cane. A larger cane crush and expectations of a stronger sugar mix suggest the region could produce in excess of 34.5mt of sugar next season. This would be the highest output from the region since 2020/21. How much will India export in 2022/23? Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, India has been concerned about inflation, which saw the government take steps to try to limit domestic price increases. This has seen the government take action to restrict exports of wheat, rice and sugar. In the 2021/22 season, mills were allowed to export 11.2m tonnes of sugar. And even though India is set to produce another large crop in the 2022/23 season, the government has decided to set the quota for the current 2022/23 season at 6m tonnes. To be fair, this quota runs until the 31 May. The government will then decide on whether to issue another tranche of export quotas for the remainder of the season (June-September). There are reports suggesting that an additional 3m tonnes of quotas could be made available at a later date. This will obviously be dependent on how the 2022/23 crop develops and ultimately domestic prices. In addition, there have been reports of a small number of Indian mills defaulting on export contracts and trying to renegotiate at higher levels given the more recent strength in the world market. However for now, the tonnage of defaults appears to be marginal. India is expected to produce 36.5m tonnes of sugar, an increase of almost 2% year-on-year. As we have seen in recent years, the amount of sucrose diverted to ethanol is expected to grow. Last season, 3.4mt of sucrose was diverted to ethanol production, whilst for this season 4.5mt of sucrose is expected to be diverted. This is a trend that will only grow in the years ahead given the government’s ambitious plans to bring forward a 20% ethanol mandate from 2030 to 2025. For 2023, the government is targeting an ethanol blend of 12% in fuel. This move helps reduce India’s import needs for oil whilst also dealing with persistent domestic sugar surpluses, which are largely due to government policy of fixing sugarcane prices for farmers. Thai output continues its recovery Thailand is expected to see sugar production in the current 2022/23 season increase by 3% YoY to 10.5mt. However, output is still expected to fall well short of the record 14.7mt produced back in the 2017/18 season. Thai output in recent years has suffered due to drought conditions but is slowly recovering. Planted area is still below levels seen prior to the drought years of 2019/20 and 2020/21. Higher fertiliser prices for much of this year have pushed farmers to plant more cassava instead of sugarcane, which is less fertiliser-intensive. Tighter EU sugar market European Commission, ING ResearchNote: Output from 2020/21 onwards excludes the UK EU sugar market set to tighten The European sugar market has seen significant strength in prices so far this year. According to data from the European Commission, prices in September averaged EUR515/t. However, these prices are not a true reflection of spot prices. In fact, spot prices have been reported to be in excess of EUR1,000/t. While EU sugar production in 2021/22 saw a recovery, the hot and dry summer seen across parts of Europe will have had an impact on the 2022/23 crop. European Commission data estimates that sugar yields will be down 3.4% YoY to 11.4t/ha while area is also expected to be down 4.3% YoY to 1.34m hectares. As a result, EU sugar production this season is estimated to total a little under 15.5mt, down almost 1.2mt YoY. Assuming EU consumption in the region of 17.3mt, this does leave the region with a shortfall of a little more than 1.8mt. It is clear that the EU will need to meet this through a combination of stronger imports, weaker exports and the drawing down of inventory. The Commission estimates that stocks at the end of 2022/23 will total 1.3mt, which meets around 8% of annual demand, similar to levels that we have seen in recent seasons. Given that EU spot prices are trading well above the world market, one may think that we would see a flooding of sugar into the EU. However, import duties on world market sugars are prohibitively high, which means we are not likely to see these flows. However, there is room for increased import volumes under current import quota programmes, which should prevent the EU market from getting significantly tighter. In addition, the large premium at which Europe is trading to the world market should limit EU sugar exports. ING sugar price forecast ING research Read the article on ING Economics TagsSugar Ethanol Brazil Agriculture 2023 Commodities outlook Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Specifics of the American market The United States is essentially self-sufficient in natural gas. There are gas pipelines to Canada and Mexico, and there is mutual exchange due to the size of the entire continent and a less extensive network of connections than in the case of Europe. The United States obtains the vast majority of gas from shale, therefore, in the context of long-term prospects, the number of drilling rigs and the number of fracturing crews are being analyzed. However, gas deposits are much larger than in the case of oil, so the number of towers does not change too dynamically. The largest consumers of natural gas in the US are households and power plants. Above 1/3 of electricity in the United States is produced from gas, so when gas consumption increases dramatically, the price of the raw material can react. This is the case, for example, during summer periods when the use of air conditioning reaches peak levels. Due to the shale revolution, the United States has become an important player in the LNG market. The vast majority of gas was sent to Asia, but the war in Ukraine changed this situation and Europe became more important. This is why the correlation between European and US gas prices has increased. Seasonality and weather Gas is also the most important source of home heating, which is why its highest consumption during the year takes place in the winter. This is when gas futures prices are at their highest. On the other hand, the increased use of air-conditioning in the summer may lead to greater price anomalies on the market. How do prices on the natural gas market usually move? The first phase of growth begins in early or late spring, due to the appearance of weather forecasts for the summer season, and usually ends at the beginning or during the summer The second wave of increases begins at the end of summer or the beginning of autumn and usually lasts until the turn of October and November, i.e. at the start of the heating season What are the conclusions? Building expectations is crucial for gas prices, which is why weather forecasts play the biggest role in creating market volatility. On the other hand, later execution associated with a change in stocks causes a trend to be maintained or a correction in case of excessive expectations. We can illustrate the seasonality of gas prices on the xStation 5 platform with two indicators - the average price behavior ( seasonal trends ) and a histogram of changes in a given time range ( histogram seasonals ). The greatest seasonality in the case of gas prices can be seen in the autumn period and the related building of expectations before the heating season. Source: xStation 5 Please note that information and research based on historical data or results do not guarantee future profits. Stocks Gas stocks are by far the most important factor in gas prices. Change in stocks is the difference between production and consumption, which in turn is divided into domestic consumption and exports. Stocks must be built up before the winter period, as gas consumption in these months is greater than production capacity. Demand for gas is basically shaped mainly by the weather and does not depend much on the price. Price trends have a greater impact on production, as higher gas prices determine the willingness to invest more. Changing stocks gives us an idea of the joint behavior of supply and demand. How do we analyze inventory? Stock change and analysis if it is seasonal Inventory seasonality and analysis against previous years and long-term average Comparative stocks, ie the behavior of current stocks relative to the average and compared to prices Weekly change of gas stocks Max Average (2017-2021) Min 2022 The seasonality of inventory changes alone is key to analyzing short-term price volatility. A significant deviation from the average shows a change in fundamental factors. In addition, we see that the largest increase in inventory has place in spring and autumn. Source: EIA, XTB Gas in underground storage (billion cubic feet) Max Average 2021 2022 Inventory trend analysis against historical data is crucial in assessing price pressures. For 2022, we are seeing a strong departure from both the average and the previous year, which has driven prices to levels not seen since 2008, when the US was still one of the world's largest gas importers. Source: EIA, XTB Comparative stocks and relation to gas price Gas stocks - five-year average Natural gas (USD/ MMBTu ) As you can see, there is quite a significant relationship between the direction of changes in the level of inventories and the price of natural gas. If current inventories are lower than the five-year average (inverted left axis), we should see upward pressure on commodity prices. However, if inventories are rising relative to the five-year average, there is significant oversupply in the market and downward pressure on the price. The situation at the end of 2022 does not look extreme, but geopolitical issues keep the price close to 15-year highs. Source: Bloomberg, XTB Please note that information and research based on historical data or results do not guarantee future profits.

The weak macroeconomic outlook continues to weigh on the oil market, overshadowing any optimism from China’s easing of Covid-19 restrictions Energy – weakness persists Weakness in the oil market persists with ICE Brent settling with more than 1% losses yesterday to a fresh year-to-date low of US$76.7/bbl. Reports of the disruption to the keystone pipeline in the US helped the NYMEX WTI rally above US$75/bbl, although a quick sell-off at the higher prices pushed WTI back to below US$72/bbl later in the day as demand concerns and a softer US dollar continue to weigh. The Keystone Pipeline remained shut on Thursday after a spill on Wednesday night prompted the pipeline operator (TC Energy Corp) to close it for crude oil flow. The operator declared force majeure on Keystone crude oil supplies for now and the restart of the pipeline remains uncertain. The 600Mbbls/d crude oil pipeline is a major link between the oil fields in Canada and refineries in the US, hence any prolonged disruption could result in tight oil supply in the US market. A continued halt to the pipeline flow could also push Canadian crude oil into a deeper discount compared to WTI; WCS crude was trading at a discount of US$29/bbl compared to US$26/bbl on Tuesday. The latest data from Insights Global shows that refined products inventory in the ARA region (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Antwerp) dropped by 54kt over the last week to 5.22mt. Inventory of light products dropped significantly with naphtha inventory down 104kt and gasoline inventory falling by 63kt. On the other hand, stocks and middle and heavy distillate increased over the week. Gasoil stocks increased by 49kt to 1.77mt whilst fuel oil inventory also increased by 79kt to 1.08mt. Read next: UK Santander Bank Fined USD 132 Million, The Cost Of The Pandemic To The US Economy| FXMAG.COM Freeport has delayed the restart of its LNG plant in the US to the end of December against its earlier plan of mid-December. The 2.1bcf/d LNG export plant has been shut since June 2022 after an accident. The plant closure has reduced LNG exports from the country since then with LNG shipments falling to 295.4Bcf in September 2022 compared to 351.5Bcf in May 2022. Further, the plant restart will be done in phases, in a slow and deliberate manner considering the safety aspects and full capacity utilisation may be achieved towards the end of the first quarter only. Slower exports from the US could help keep the European and Asian gas markets tight especially when winter demand increases. In Asia, Australia has capped natural gas and coal prices for domestic consumers which could help keep domestic demand firm for gas during winter months and potentially limit the availability of gas for exports. Metals – prices firm on China optimism Industrial metals extended their upward rally yesterday following a softer dollar (which declined for a third consecutive day) and continued optimism building over better demand prospects as China starts easing Covid-19 restrictions. Meanwhile, Chinese authorities could further soften their stance on real estate policies at a key economic meeting scheduled for next week. LME copper 3M prices rose over 1% day-on-day to close at US$8,543/t yesterday, the highest since 22 June. The latest survey from the Shanghai Metals Market (SMM) shows that refined copper output in China fell marginally to 899.6kt in November as a smelter brought forward maintenance due to tight blister supply. The market was estimating the copper production to be around 903.3kt for November. The group expects copper output to drop further to 887.9kt in December due to the continued maintenance and tight availability of blister feedstock. Amongst other metals, primary aluminium production in the nation stood at around 3.34mt last month (an increase of 1000t/d from a month earlier), as the higher operating rates in Guangxi and Sichuan offset production cuts elsewhere due to winter pollution curbs. For December, the group expects aluminium output to rise further resulting in increasing inventories of aluminium ingots. Meanwhile, zinc production also picked up in November as smelters resume operations. Meanwhile, the latest data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) shows that passenger car sales in China fell 9.2% year-on-year to 1.65M units in November. Cumulatively, sales rose 1.8% YoY to 18.4M units in the first 11 months of the year. Agri – CONAB reduces Brazil's corn production estimates Brazil’s National Supply Company, CONAB, has reduced its corn production estimates from 126.4mt to 125.8mt (up 11.2% YoY) for 2022/23 as excessive heat and irregular rains impacted yields; the market was expecting a number closer to 127.8mt. For soybeans, CONAB left production estimates almost unchanged at 153.5 (up 22.2% YoY) for 2022/23. The adverse weather has delayed soy planting in some of the regions which may reduce the ideal period for winter corn seeding and likely weigh on corn yields. The latest weekly data from the United States Department of Agriculture shows that US grain exports remained strong for the week ending 1 December. Weekly export sales of soybean rose to 1,746kt compared to 694 kt over the preceding week and higher than the average market expectations of 825kt. For corn, the agency reported that the US export sales rose to 692kt for the last week, higher when compared to 633kt in the previous week. Similarly, US wheat export sales also rose to 190kt compared to 163kt a week ago, although the market was expecting a higher number of around 284kt. Read this article on THINK TagsOil Corn Commodities Agriculture Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Commodities - what exactly are they? Commodities or raw materials are goods that are used to produce other goods or services. It is a product derived from extraction (industrial goods) or cultivation (agricultural goods). Generally, semi-processed raw materials are called commodities, although in the case of investments, the two terms are used interchangeably. Raw materials are real, not contractual, as in the case of stocks, currencies or even the increasingly popular cryptocurrencies. This makes trading commodities different from investing in other asset classes and much more interesting. Commodity prices are primarily determined by the interaction between supply (production + inventory) and demand (consumption + inventory), both locally and globally. The basic factors that affect the prices of goods, i.e. supply and demand, depend on many factors, such as the economic situation, natural resources of individual countries, weather, geopolitical events or supply and demand shocks, which we have recently witnessed more and more often (pandemics, wars). Do you know that? The history of commodity trading basically goes back to the beginning of commerce in society. The original form was barter, i.e. a form of exchange "goods for goods". Around 4000 BC in Sumer, the first primitive form of money was invented in the form of clay tablets, which began to be exchanged for goods and raw materials. However, the real milestone for modern trading was the opening in 1848 of the first commodity exchange - the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), which in 2007 merged with the CME Group, creating one of the most popular electronic markets for exchange and trading of contracts. Today, there are many commodity markets in the world, but the vast majority of trading is based on futures contracts, which are traded in markets in the United States. The basic groups of goods include: energy commodities (e.g. crude oil, natural gas, coal); industrial metals (including copper, steel, aluminum, nickel, zinc); precious metals (e.g. gold, silver, platinum, palladium); cereals (e.g. wheat, corn); oilseeds (e.g. soybean, rapeseed); edible oils (e.g. palm oil, soybean oil); soft raw materials (e.g. coffee, cocoa, sugar); These are just some of the basic groups of raw materials, but there are also groups such as rare earth metals (lithium, cobalt), electricity or carbon dioxide emission allowances, which are difficult to classify into a specific group. Trading in the commodity market is primarily focused on futures contracts, although this is not the case for all commodities. However, exposure to most assets can be obtained through these contracts, stocks of companies involved in the production or trading of commodities, and ETFs. Of course, there is also the possibility of physical investments, although this is reserved primarily for the largest players who have the infrastructure to store the purchased goods. Why goods? Are commodities really a passing trend? Over the past few years, commodities have been losing ground as a mature and "out of fashion" asset class that has failed to keep up with the changing world. It was often characterized by low price volatility and more stable rates of return, especially when compared to the strongly growing stock market or cryptocurrency market . As a result, the valuation of many commodities was almost "dormant", and globalization allowed investors to believe in continuous growth and underestimate the role of commodity availability in the global economy. Meanwhile, it is the reserves and prices of raw materials that determine the real condition of the economy and the strength of its industry. Crude oil, natural gas and uranium gained strategic importance, the true scale of which became apparent only as geopolitical and economic tensions increased. The year 2022 was full of unforeseen events that continue to have a strong impact on the commodity market and cause above-average price volatility. Crises in supply chains, trade blockades in China, the war in Ukraine, friction between the USA, China and Russia, and the outflow of investors from the risky technology sector. All of these factors have brought commodities to the attention of the markets as an essential safe-haven asset class, and they continue to grow in popularity with traders and long-term investors alike. Read next: Commoditity market and shaping factors – weather, seasonality, intermarket corelations and market positioning| FXMAG.COM The increased interest in the commodity market increased the volatility not only of the commodity contracts themselves, but also of the prices of listed companies. This contributed to the great return of the bull market in the commodity market. Commodities as a means of inflation and diversification Inflation protection - inflation and commodity prices are very closely related. Numerous studies are still unable to determine exactly what has a greater impact on what. However, it should be noted that rising commodity prices may be passed on by producers to consumers to some extent. In particular, when factor prices often rise by tens or hundreds of percent during times of demand or supply shocks. It is worth noting that the relationship between inflation and commodity prices depends on the period we are considering. Commodity prices have a huge impact on inflation in the short term (usually in the event of large price changes), while in the long term this impact becomes increasingly limited. Influence of goods on inflation  Goods  Other factors Source: Bloomberg, XTB Portfolio diversification - the aforementioned stable rates of return may also be desirable in the financial market. Commodity returns historically have a very low or even negative correlation with other key markets, especially the stock market. Therefore, commodities are a great way to diversify your portfolio. We often see situations where commodity prices react very differently to the stock market. If there is an oil shortage in the market despite a weak economy, oil prices should rise even if the stock market is falling. Source: Bloomberg, XTB It is worth remembering that commodities can also give exposure to the business cycle, globally or in a selected economy that is known for producing a given commodity or is its large consumer (e.g. you can look for a positive or negative exposure in the case of expectations of strong or weak economic growth in China - the world's largest consumer of raw materials). In addition, the goods can be used as a hedge against geopolitical or weather events (a war in a production region, e.g. in the Middle East, is often associated with an increase in oil prices, and if drought or floods are expected, we can expect an increase in the prices of e.g. wheat or corn) . is not always viewed positively by many seasoned investors, such as Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, and may limit a portfolio's growth potential, it is an optimal risk-reducing solution, especially for novice investors. The commodities market can be an important part of a diversified investment portfolio, especially in 2022, when the topic of the commodity crisis is almost constantly present on the headlines. However, it may be important to divide the commodities sector in advance into assets that gain when market sentiment towards risk decreases and an aggressive part that increases with investors' appetite for risk. Some commodity companies, such as Occidental Petroleum, survived the recent downturn in very good shape and were able to generate profits even in the face of declines in the broader market. Exposure to the commodity market may prove to be a risk-mitigating solution to investing in the tech sector, which tends to rise when investor sentiment is positive and fall when markets are fearful. In this way, the shares of the world's largest commodity companies, such as Rio Tinto (RIO.UK) or BHP Billiton, can be included in the defensive portfolio (BHP.UK), companies from the fuel sector, such as Chevron or ExxonMobil, and companies involved in the mining and sale of metals, including precious metals, such as Wheaton Precious Metals . On the other hand, the aggressive part of the investment portfolio may include stocks from sectors that attract speculative growth and high volatility, such as uranium and rare earths companies.

Taking advantage of price drops - short selling of goods The financial market is where investors express their views on the future price of assets such as oil, gas, ExxonMobil and Shell. In the stock market, prices do not always go up. In the case of ordinary assets, a fall in prices is associated with losses for investors. In the case of trading CFDs ( Contract for Differences ) - price drops may be positively perceived by investors betting on such a scenario. Thanks to the available CFD instruments, market participants can invest both during an uptrend, when prices go up, and during price decreases. As a result, even when the market goes down, traders who correctly predicted the downside can make profits. At the same time, when the market changes direction and starts to grow, they will record a loss. CFD traders earn the difference between the entry price and the exit price of a position. The reason for taking a short position (SELL) on a commodity may be overvaluation, increasing supply and decreasing demand, poor financial report or deteriorating sentiment in the industry or, on the contrary, very positive investor sentiment, which may turn into declines in accordance with the principle "it's so good" that it can only get worse" and attract " contrarian " investors who like to be "right" faster than the market. The future of the commodity market Like technology, the raw materials industry evolves and trends change. Commodity revolutions typically take decades and require the entire infrastructure and industry to adapt, but keep in mind that they are possible. Due to the growing environmental awareness, the world's richest countries and consumers are moving away from fossil fuels, the extraction of which leaves an environmentally harmful carbon footprint. An example of a catalyst for change is the EU ban on the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines after 2035. This can increase the demand for raw materials needed to build electric motors, batteries and accumulators, such as lithium. This ban may also have an impact on the oil market. On the other hand, the demand for solar energy may prove to be a catalyst for increases in the price of silicon, which is used in the production of solar panels. The new situation creates new investment opportunities; over the past few years, the assets of photovoltaic panel manufacturers, wind turbine manufacturers and uranium mining companies have gained significantly. Natural gas stands out among the most environmentally friendly fossil fuels, but due to supply issues, economies are likely to shift to sources that do not carry similar risks. Therefore, the beneficiaries of changes in the energy sector may include nuclear, wind and solar energy as well as various alternative sources. Speculators are also attracted to the still abstract vision of extracting energy resources and elements beyond Earth, such as helium-3 found on the moon. Natural gas and crude oil prices soared in 2022, and therefore we may face a particularly turbulent period. Due to its strategic importance, the commodity market will attract a lot of attention from the markets, and the return of high volatility will attract investors and traders . How to make a transaction in XTB XTB currently offers 26 CFDs on commodities and allows you to trade both during rising (BUY) and falling (SELL) prices. Offered commodity contracts are in a separate tab, where they are additionally grouped into separate commodity classes. In addition, the search bar in the Market Watch window makes it easier to find a specific stock. Trading CFDs on commodities on the XTB trading platform is intuitive. The best way to place a trade is to use the classic order window with full trade information, which can be accessed by clicking the "+" symbol next to the relevant instrument. In the order window, you can define its parameters, such as the size of the transaction or the levels of defense orders - TP and SL. The built-in investment calculator calculates the costs and other values related to the order on an ongoing basis. To make a trade, click on the "Buy" or "Sell" button, depending on the chosen direction. An open order will immediately appear in the order panel at the bottom of the platform, where you can also check the result of the trade. From this panel, it is possible to modify open positions in terms of Stop Loss and Take Profit order levels , as well as close transactions.

Ways to invest in commodities CFDs allow you to trade commodity or stock futures in real time using leverage. CFDs give you the opportunity to trade commodities not only when prices are rising (BUY position) but also when they are falling (SELL position). Leverage allows you to open relatively large positions in relation to the capital involved. However, keep in mind that leverage increases both potential profits and possible losses. Commodities can be divided into several different groups, each with different economic uses, risks and growth prospects. The XTB trading platform offers CFD trading on commodities such as: Energy (e.g. WTI or Brent crude oil , natural gas, gasoline or diesel) Industrial metals (e.g. aluminum, copper, zinc) Precious metals (gold, silver, platinum, palladium) Agriculture (wheat, soybeans, cocoa, corn, coffee, soybean oil or cotton) And much more. Trading with CFDs on commodities is: Trade in the prices of goods without their physical delivery and without leaving home; Access to thousands of leveraged instruments, including contracts for commodities such as crude oil, natural gas, gasoline, copper, gold and silver; Ability to conclude transactions also from the mobile application; Dozens of indicators and advanced chart editing options to aid market analysis; Possibility to open positions for both up and down price movements (BUY and SELL); Possibility to open larger positions with relatively small capital involvement; The ability to define defensive orders such as Stop Loss , Take Profit and Trailing SL, which allow you to properly manage your trades. However, it should be remembered that trading CFDs is associated with high risk, as investing with the use of leverage can increase both potential profits and possible losses, and the specificity of these instruments is also not conducive to long-term investments. It is also worth noting that when buying a CFD for a given asset, the investor does not become its owner (as is the case with the purchase of shares, ETFs or physical commodities), but only speculates on its price movements. Actions Commodity stocks are becoming more and more popular, and rising commodity prices and supply problems are driving up their valuations. Large investment funds, such as Berkshire Hathaway owned by Warren , are also interested in shares of companies from this sector Buffett , who bought shares in Chevron and Occidental Petroleum in 2022. Due to the deepening energy crisis in Europe and the suspension of oil supplies from Russia, Cheniere Energy, the leading American LNG supplier, recorded above-average profits. In addition, thanks to the return of positive sentiment towards nuclear power, we have seen uranium prices increase from suppliers such as Cameco (CCJ.US) , Kazatomprom (KAZ.UK) and Uranium Energy Corp (UEC.US) . Of course, this is only a fraction of the information from the entire commodity market, the list of news that circulated the industry and caused unusual volatility in 2022 is very long. ETFs ETFs (Exchange- traded funds ) allow you to diversify your investment portfolio and provide exposure to listed companies in a selected commodity sector. Due to the specificity of this type of assets, their price volatility is usually much lower than that of shares of individual companies. We also provide ETF CFD trading, allowing you to bet on the ups and downs of selected funds and industries, including fuels, renewable energy, natural gas, copper and zinc, and precious metals suppliers. Investing in "Physical Commodities" In the past, the physical form of investing in commodities was the only possible option to participate in this market, but it caused a number of different problems. These include problems with the storage and transport of purchased goods, as this usually requires appropriate infrastructure, as is the case with oil or natural gas. In addition, the trading of physical goods often involves problems with the liquidity available in the market, which significantly hinders the efficiency and speed of purchase or sale transactions. In the case of currently available options for exposure to the commodity market (i.e. CFDs, shares of listed companies or ETFs), this problem does not occur, which makes them a much more interesting form of investment. Read next: Commodities Worthy The Attention I.E. Coffee, Precious Metals And Key Energy Resource Goods | FXMAG.COM

The USDA’s latest WASDE report was constructive for grain markets with US ending stocks for corn, soybeans and wheat all coming in below expectations. Global balances were less supportive, with stocks mostly in line or above market expectations US corn balance tightens The USDA revised US corn production estimates lower by around 200m bushels to 13.73b bushels for 2022/23. This revision lower was primarily due to lower acreage. Both domestic and export demand were lowered, which saw total use lowered by 185m bushels. However, weaker demand was not enough to offset lower supply. US ending stocks for 2022/23 were reduced from 1.26b bushels to 1.24b bushels, which was also below market expectations of around 1.31b bushels. In addition to these supportive WASDE numbers, the USDA also released its quarterly grain stocks report yesterday, which showed that US corn stocks stood at 10.8b bushels on 1 December 2022, down 7% year-on-year and also below what the market was expecting. The global corn balance saw a marginal tightening. 2022/23 global ending stocks were lowered from 298.4mt to 296.4mt. Meanwhile, the market was expecting a number closer to 298mt. Lower opening stocks and revisions lower to global production numbers were the reasons for the lower ending stocks. Global corn production estimates were lowered to 1,156mt (-5.9mt) with poor weather conditions in both Argentina (-3mt) and Brazil (-1mt). Meanwhile, global demand estimates were also revised down to 1,165.5mt from 1,170.6mt. Corn supply/demand balance Source: USDA, ING Research US soybean stocks below expectations The USDA decreased production estimates for US soybean by 70m bushels to 4.28b bushels because of lower yields. Yield estimates were cut from 50.2 bushels/acre to 49.5 bushels/acre. Lower output and little change in demand meant that 2022/23 ending stocks were cut from 220m bushels to 210m bushels. This was a surprise for the market, with expectations that ending stocks would exceed 230m bushels. As for the separate quarterly grains report, the USDA reported that soybean inventories on 1 December 2022 stood at 3.02b bushels – 4% lower YoY. This was also lower than the more than 3.3b bushels expected. However, the global soybean balance saw some easing. The USDA revised up its 2022/23 global ending stocks from 102.7mt to 103.5mt, largely due to higher beginning stocks. Expectations in the lead-up to the report were for ending stocks to come in below 102mt. The increase comes despite expectations of lower global output. This was driven by Argentina, where crop estimates were reduced by 4mt to 45.4mt, due to lower area and early season heat and dry weather conditions. Soybean supply/demand balance Source: USDA, ING Research Fewer surprises for wheat The USDA decreased its US wheat ending stock estimates for 2022/23 from 571m bushels to 567m bushels as higher domestic use offset the sharp rise in beginning stocks. The number came in below the 580m bushels expected. Output estimates were left unchanged. There were two other USDA releases which were also important for the wheat market. Firstly, the quarterly grains report showed that US wheat stocks stood at 1.28b bushels on 1 December 2022, down 7% YoY and also below the 1.34m bushels expected. Secondly, the winter wheat and canola seedings report from the USDA estimates the 2023 winter wheat area at 37m acres, up 11% YoY and also above the roughly 34.5m acres expected. This appears to have been enough to dampen some of the more bullish numbers in the other two reports. Although, it is important to note that crop progress reports at the end of last year showed that the condition of this planted US winter wheat was not great.  Looking at the global market, the USDA left both production and demand estimates largely unchanged. Global ending wheat stocks for 2022/23 increased slightly from 267.3mt to 268.4mt, leaving it slightly above market expectations of around 268mt. Wheat supply/demand balance Source: USDA, ING Research Read this article on THINK TagsWASDE Grains Agriculture Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Iron ore has rallied above $120/t at the start of 2023, rising by almost 50% from the lows of just under $80/t in early November 2022, with China driving prices higher. We have increased our price forecast for 2023 reflecting continued China reopening optimism and likely further stimulus measures China remains key for iron ore direction Iron ore was one of the worst-performing commodities in 2022. Concerns over Chinese macroeconomic performance and Covid-19-related disruptions were key to driving prices lower. China alone accounts for about two-thirds of seaborne iron ore demand. The Chinese economy has slowed since the second quarter of 2022, mainly due to strict Covid measures that disrupted port and land logistics, retail sales and catering, and caused temporary shutdowns of factories in some key manufacturing locations. Even when restrictions were eased, a mixture of a weak domestic economy and high external inflation hit manufacturing in the fourth quarter of 2022. In addition, real estate developers have struggled to get enough cash to complete residential projects. The Chinese economy expanded by 3% last year, the second slowest pace since the 1970s, according to the latest official figures. This followed zero growth in the fourth quarter. With a stronger end to 2022 than expected, our China economist has revised its GDP growth outlook upward to 5% in 2023. That is not to ignore the fact that China still faces considerable headwinds, including external demand, with recessions likely in the US and Europe this year. In our November Commodities outlook, we said the direction for iron ore is going to largely depend on how China approached any further Covid outbreaks as well as the scale of stimulus the Chinese government unveils. Since the release of this report, most Covid measures have been removed and the virus was officially downgraded on 8 January, when international arrivals were no longer required to quarantine. China’s abrupt exit from its zero-Covid policy and improving reopening sentiment have supported iron ore prices so far in 2023. In recent weeks, Beijing has also stepped up policy support for its ailing property sector. In its most recent move, China is planning to allow some property firms to add leverage by easing borrowing caps and pushing back the grace period for meeting debt targets. The move would relax the strict “three red lines” policy that had contributed to a historic property downturn, hitting demand for industrial metals. China’s property sector accounts for almost 40% of its steel consumption. That sector has been in a steep decline for more than a year amid continued tightening of housing measures across China since March when cities began to introduce a sales ban. And although the government has stepped up its support for the property market, the effects have been slow to kick in. China’s home sales continued to slump in December. The 100 biggest real estate developers saw new home sales drop 30.8% from a year earlier to 677.5 billion yuan ($98.2bn) in December, according to preliminary data from China Real Estate Information Corp. That compared with a 25.5% decline in November. We believe more stimulus and infrastructure spending could be unveiled at the National People’s Congress in March, which is likely to boost demand for commodities further. Iron ore rallies above $120/t at the start of 2023 Source: SGX, ING Research China demand likely to recover in 2023 Qu Xiuli, vice chairwoman of the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA), said earlier this month that iron ore and steel demand in China is expected to pick up this year. She told an industry summit in Beijing that demand is expected to rise in 2023 thanks to the continuous optimisation of Covid-19 prevention and control measures and the effect of policies to steady the economy. China likely produced one billion tonnes of crude steel last year, down 2.3% from 2021, according to CISA. Meanwhile, inventories at major Chinese steel mills slumped to their lowest levels since January last year, CISA data showed. Stockpiles tumbled to 13.1 million tonnes in the final 10 days of December, about 18% down from the second 10 days of the month, according to a survey by CISA. Crude steel production at major mills fell by 2.4% to 1.92 million tonnes a day in the last 10 days of December from the previous period. 10-day inventory of key steel mills Source: CISA, ING Research Government scrutiny could cap further gains Sharp price movements in iron ore have drawn scrutiny and warnings from regulators. The National Development and Reform Commission said this month that it was highly concerned about recent price changes and would closely monitor the situation. The government body also warned against publishing false market information and pledged to maintain tight supervision of pricing. Previously, government interventions to calm the markets have included subduing trading and ordering steel capacity cuts. If we see similar measures used again, this could add some downside pressure to our view. Beijing pro-growth policy to support iron ore prices Looking forward, we expect iron ore prices to remain supported by Beijing’s pro-growth policy stance. We have increased our 2023 iron ore forecast on China’s reopening optimism. We are still cautious for the first quarter and we now expect prices to hover around $115/t in 1Q with a seasonal lull expected during the Chinese New Year holidays later this month, when steel production usually slows down. In the second quarter, we expect prices to rise to $120 and to $135/t throughout the third quarter, which is typically construction season in China, before edging down to $120/t in the fourth quarter. ING forecasts Source: ING Research Read this article on THINK TagsSteel Iron ore Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more  

Summary:  A technical look at some of the Commodity ETF's both US and London listed that could benefit from a bull market developing in the Base and Precious metals market Today's Saxo Market Call podcast.Today's Market Quick Take from the Saxo Strategy Team  The Bloomberg Commodities Index which tracks futures prices on physical commodities such as Energy, Soft Commodities and Base Metals and Precious metals has been in a corrective phase for the best part of a year now after a strong uptrend starting in 2020.Illustrated here by the Invesco DB Commodity Index Tracker Fund DBC (further below its London listed Commodity ETF) it has formed a Descending triangle like corrective pattern. It is not yet confirmed and could also be a falling Wedge like pattern ( a falling wedge the price must touch the trendlines a total of 5 times)Break out will confirm which one it is.If breaking below 23.42 it is likely to be a falling wedge.Currently the DBC is trying to break above its upper falling trendline and if closing above the correction could be over and DBC set to resume uptrend.Medium-to longer-term uptrend will be confirmed by a close above 26.70.The corrective pattern currently being formed seems to be the 4th corrective wave ABC. If the correction is over and bull trend resumes we can estimate how high the DBC can potentially move.5th wave often moves 1.618 projection of wave 4 i.e., to around 35.10 or 0.618 of wave 1+3 i.e., to around 35.92. If moving 0.618 of Wave 3 alone target is at 34.64. However, 5 wave in commodities can become the longest one i.e., longer than wave 3. If that is the case here then DBC can move to 43.65. But let’s if we get above the above mentioned potential targets.Monthly RSI is bullish with no divergence which indicates likely new highs i.e., supporting the bullish outlook.If DBC closes below 23.42 the correction could be extended down to around 22-21.85 (dashed line on weekly chart) thereby potentially forming a falling wedge.Weekly RSI is still positive (hasn’t closed below 40) with no divergence support the bullish trend to resume   Source all charts and data: Saxo Group European listed Commodity ETF If you cannot trade the US based ETF it is also listed in London:  Invesco Bloomberg UCITS EFT (CMOD:xlon) traded in USD. Strong support at 23 . A close above the falling trendline is like to resume uptrend. An uptrend that will be confirmed by a close above 25.41. CMOD has the same technical picture and will have same upside potential as the DBC i.e., approx. +40%.  A pureplay Metals ETF is Invesco DB Base Metals DBB:arcx  (US Listed) or WisdomTree Industrial Metals AIGI:xlon (London listed)They are both in an uptrend on medium-term. AIGI:xlon if closing above 17.20 today Friday would be in a confirmed uptrend supported by RSI above 60. A double bottom pattern ahs been confirmed with potential target to around 18.76. However, there could be more upside potential. 0.618 retracement of the Q2 collapse at around 22.85 is not unlikely.To demolish this picture a close below 15.65 is needed.  DBB:arcx has also formed a double bottom pattern and in a confirmed uptrend with RSI above 60 threshold. 200% of the double bottom pattern is at 23.90 and 0.618 retracement of the downtrend since Q2 2022 at 23.37.However, there could be more upside. DBB has corrected 0.618 of the 2020-2022 bull market (Monthly chart) and seems set for higher levels. RSI showing positive sentiment with no divergence which indicates likely new highs. Possibly reaching 1.382 projection of the correction to around 30.35.For DBB to demolish this bullish scenario a close below 17.48 is needed. RSI divergence: When instrument price is making a new high/low but RSI values are not making new high/low at the same time. That is a sign of imbalance in the market and an weakening of the uptrend/downtrend. Divergence or imbalance in the market can go on for quite some time but not forever. It is an indication of an exhaustion of the trend Source: Technical Update - Commodities lead by metals are drawing the picture of a bull market. Commodity ETF's to trade | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Summary:  Markets see red on concern FAANG’s will bite into markets, while there is worry the Fed won’t cut rates this year like the market expects, this has resulted in traders booking profits ahead of end of month. Commodities see short term pull back risks, with prices already down from fresh peaks; oil is down 5.6%, iron ore, copper and aluminium lose 2% ahead of the Fed meeting. While Australian shares hold steady, defying negative leads from Wall Street. In FX the US dollar picks up, pushing most currencies off course, with the Aussie dollar down 0.8%. What's the short vs long term narrative. Markets see red on concern FAANG’s will bite into markets, while there is worry the Fed won’t cut rates this year as markets has priced in Ahead of the Fed, ECB, and BOE meeting this week, for the first time in 2023, with the central banks potentially setting the course of interest rates for the year, risk management resulted in traders and investors booking profits ahead of end of month, which dragged the S&P500(US500.I) down 1.3% and the Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) 2.1%. The worry is that the market believes the Fed will only hike by 0.25% this week and 0.25% next month. Two and done, before cutting in July. There is also a risk the Fed says it has “more work to do”, which could send equities into a tailspin. Our view is given financial conditions have improved, and there is a 20% chance of a recession, the Fed can keep rates higher for longer. This is why we think there could be a short term potential correction, so potentially consider taking profits and buying downside optionality (puts), and consider tight stops. Secondly, the worry is that major tech company earnings will continue to slump, with average overall  earnings down 0.3% this quarter, across the 145 of the S&P500 companies. This is why profit taking in Facebook, Apple, Amazon and Google parent Alphabet is occurring ahead of them reporting results. Ultimately, we think their outlooks could set the tone for equities this year. Consider FAANG names like Facebook/Meta are up 61%, Apple is up 10%, Amazon is up 20% and Google’s parent Alphabet is up 12% from recent lows. Click here for more on US earnings. Read next: Major Currency Pairs Are Waiting For Central Banks Decisions, USD/JPY Pair Rose Above 130.00, | FXMAG.COM Commodity short term pull back risk – with prices already down from fresh peaks; oil down 5.6%, iron ore, copper and aluminium lose 2% ahead of the Fed   On Monday oil dropped 2.4%, while most commodities lost almost 1%, with the markets awaiting further evidence China is picking up demand - just as BHP, Rio and FMG alluded to in their quarterly results. It seems traders are torn between real demand physically rising, but awaiting the Fed’s decision this week, which could result in the US dollar spiking, that would ultimately pressure commodity prices down. So these factors raise the risk of a short-term correction across the board. That said, resources prices have been really strong up 17-70% on from their lows. In 2023 alone iron ore and copper are up 9%, Aluminium up 11%, spot gold up 5%. However, with commodity prices falling, it also raises the alarm that Aussie dollar and the Aussie share market could be at risk of a short term correction or consolidation as well. The key is to watch the US dollar index. However keep in mind, over the longer term, commodity prices are supported higher, underpinned by rising demand over course of the year, and lower physical supply. For more on commodities, see Saxo’s Commitments of Traders report, that highlights broad buying slowed in recent weeks. Australian shares hold steady, defying negative leads from Wall Street. Australian retail sales fall off a cliff, borrowing falls Australia’s share market, as measured by the ASX200(ASXSP200.I) opened 0.3% higher today at 7,501 defying the futures and US markets negative lead. Not only are Australia shares outperforming US shares this year, but also UK’s FTSE. However, given materials prices could be at risk of a shorter term pull-back, it’s worth pointing out the technical indicators suggest the ASX200’s uptrend is weakening. Our Technical Analyst suggests a possible short term correction down to 7,167 should not be ruled out. However, over the longer term, we think upside in the ASX200 is intact with mining companies to report some of the strongest earnings on record, and provide their strongest outlooks in several years amid China reopening. For stocks, ETFs and baskets to watch, click here.  In company news today, Gold Road Resources (GOR) reported a drop in production in the prior quarter and higher costs due to inflationary pressure, but guided for higher grades in 2023. This follows Oz Minerals (OZL) also guiding for higher costs, which paints a picture of what we can expect for full year earnings season next month. In economic news, retail sales fell 3.9% in December, shocking the market, which expected sales to only decline 0.3%. On top of that, borrowing data also missed expectations. Borrowing rose 0.3% in December, vs consensus expecting lending to rise 0.5%. Today’s data is telling as it shows interest rates have taken effect on the consumer, and supports the market thinking that the RBA could potentially pause and then cut rates later this year.   In FX the US dollar picks up, pushing most currencies off course The US dollar index has bounced up off it low and risen 0.5% and pressured most currencies lower, with the Aussie dollar (AUDUSD) falling 0.8% from its high, with the Aussie buying 0.7061 US. The Aussie against the US has fallen under its 200-day moving average, while there is caution the Fed’s Wednesday’s decision could cause the US dollar to rise. Should the Fed only hike by 0.25% as expected and guide for one more hike, or if the Fed mentions its hikes have been effective, or that it sees interest rates having a lag effect, then the AUDUSD could potentially rally back up. Supporting longer term upside in the Aussie is the rise of China’s economy and commodity buying. From a technical perspective, the bulls may like to hear the 50 day moving crossed above the 200, indicating the longer term rally could remain intact, despite the RSI indicating, there are currently more sellers right now, than buyers.  Stay tuned to Saxo's inspiration page for trading and investing ideas. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: Video: Will FAANGs results bite into markets and what if the Fed says it won’t cut rates this year, like the market thinks | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Summary:  Models are used everywhere in the financial world. But what do you do when the models you use don't work anymore? That's what this Quarterly Outlook is all about. An Executive Summary In the introduction to this outlook for early 2023, Saxo CIO Steen Jakobsen argues that our economic models and our assumptions for how market cycles are supposed to work are simply broken. And so should they be, as why should we even want to return to the ‘model’ of central banks engaging in moral hazard and bailing out incumbent wealth, rentiers and risk takers, the rinse-and-repeat we have seen in every cycle since Fed Chair Greenspan bailed out LTCM in 1998? This new post-pandemic and post-Ukraine invasion era we find ourselves in has brought an entirely new set of imperatives beyond bailouts and reinflating asset prices. Instead, we need to brace for the impact of higher inflation for longer as we scramble for supply chain reshoring and redundancy, and as we transform our energy systems to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and reduce our impact on the climate. And it won’t be all pain for all assets. Quite the contrary; it will bring a refreshing return of productive investment and a brighter future for everyone.  The return to more productive deployment of capital will have to mean investing more in the real, physical world to accomplish the new set of supply chain and resource access imperatives, not pouring money into digital platforms that capture excess profits by monopolising markets and user attention. On that note, our equity strategist Peter Garnry looks at whether the multiple decades of underperformance for equities dealing in tangible assets is ending, with intangibles and financials set to underperform after decades of excess financialisation. He also pokes into the geographies that look the most interesting as supply chains diversify.  Our macro strategist Christopher Dembik notes that the worst outcomes for Europe in the wake of the EU shutting itself off from cheap Russian energy were thankfully not realised. Danger and opportunity lie ahead for Europe, which faces the steepest challenges in the new world order, but where the sense of crisis will bring the needed change the quickest. As well, Europe is set to benefit from China, its largest trading partner, coming back online this year. Our market strategist for Greater China, Redmond Wong, looks at where the most potential lies in Chinese equities after China executed a seeming total about-face in its zero-Covid tolerance and other policies that cracked down on the property and technology sectors and were presumed to be the hallmarks of rule under Xi Jinping. Charu Chanana, our market strategist in Singapore, picks up on the rest of Asia, weighing the relative value across several Asian markets. She argues that India and also the traditional exporters will benefit both from renewed demand from China and from investment by both China and OECD countries looking to leverage production – and supply chain diversification potential. In commodities, Ole Hansen looks at the potential for the extension of a bull market in industrial metals as China, the world’s largest commodity consumer, returns in force from lockdowns and not least, as the metal-intensive investment in green energy deepens. The end of China’s lockdowns will also boost crude oil demand by the most in years as China normalises air travel levels. On the supply side, the avoidance of Russian crude and the end of risky, massive drawdowns of much of the US strategic reserves will weigh. Gold could be set to thrive with a turn lower in the USD, but also as a growing roster of countries looks for alternatives to the greenback for maintaining reserves and conduction trade outside the USD system. Our strategist in Australia, Jessica Amir, breaks down what Australia has to offer as a formidable exporter of resources and list of Australian resource companies involved in everything from the EV-battery supply chain to iron ore and gold. With the return of solidly positive interest rates after the seeming endless years of ZIRP and NIRP, especially in Europe, Peter Siks of our CIO office looks at a far better expected return for the traditionally balanced portfolio. This is somewhat ironic, given that 2022 offered the worst nominal returns for traditionally ‘balanced’ stock and equity portfolios in modern memory. FX strategist John Hardy looks at the potential for a turn lower in the USD this year and the likelihood of a much stronger JPY in the first half of the year, chiefly driven by its late-comer status to the central bank tightening party and the exit. Finally, crypto strategist Mads Eberhardt sees the risk of more challenges ahead for crypto, particularly the smaller cryptocurrencies as retail participation risks continuing to wither, even as the longer term prospects will brighten in line with the deepening institutional participation in the space in coming years. We wish you a safe and prosperous 2023.  We strongly believe that markets and the global economy are entering a new era. It won’t be an easy transition, but all great transitions bring exciting new opportunities for those willing to walk away from the old assumptions and to look at how their investments and efforts can contribute to the new world taking shape before us.  Source: Quarterly Outlook Q1 2023 - The models are broken | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

  Summary:  Earnings focus moves to Asia this week, even though US retail earnings from Walmart and Home Depot will still be key. Outlook from airlines like Singapore Airlines and Qantas, as well as commodity giants like BHP and Rio and Singapore’s agri player Wilmar, will add more colour on the potential pickup in Chinese demand. China’s tech sector and its progress on ChatGPT style products will also be a key focus as Alibaba and Baidu report. Singapore bank earnings also in focus. ChatGPT craze on test in China technology sector Alibaba (BABA:xnys) and Baidu (09888:xhkg) report earnings this week, and the key focus will be on the outlook on the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) as well as the impact from easing crackdown of the Chinese government on the internet companies. While Baidu is likely to see the ongoing recovery in its advertisement business and upside in cloud opportunity become more supportive, key focus for investors will be on any further details on its ChatGPT-style product which the company is expected to launch in March. Alibaba is also likely in the race for an AI Chatbot, but earnings will take some time to capture the real enthusiasm from China’s reopening. Both Alibaba and Baidu have seen a rebound in their share prices this year, market will be focused on evidence of an earnings recovery and a strong outlook to sustain the price momentum. Travel demand outlook from airline stocks on watch Earnings reports from Singapore Airlines (C6L:xses), Qantas Airlines (QAN:xasx) and Air New Zealand (AIZ:xasx) will be key to assess how the Asia reopening theme has been playing out. More importantly, the outlook for the travel and tourism sector will be on watch in anticipation of the return of Chinese tourists. US airlines earnings results for Q4 have been strong amid booming demand and a decline in jet fuel prices, and a similar momentum remains likely from Asian airline results due in the week. Singapore Airlines has recently reported a 400% increase in passenger traffic in January from last year amid year-end traffic and the Lunar New Year holiday, but it is still trading below historical averages and at a discount to its regional peers. Qantas is expected to return to profitability, and also appears undervalued despite being up 55% from its 2022 lows. Air New Zealand also reports this week. Singapore banks remain a key dividend play Singapore’s largest bank DBS (D05:xses) reported bumper Q4 earnings last week, and declared a special dividend. The other two banks, UOB (U11:xses) and OCBC (O39:xses) will be reporting this week and are also likely to show resilient earnings. UOB reports on Thursday pre-market and may be able to garner gains in net interest income and show a greater impact from the acquisition of Citi’s retail banking business, but that will be offset by lower wealth management fee amid continued investor caution. OCBC's profit remains more vulnerable than that of DBS and UOB due to its large wealth-management and insurance businesses, which account for 50% of non-interest income. Commodity giants BHP, Rio Tinto and agricultural producer Wilmar also on tap Resource company BHP Group (BHP:xnys) reports earnings before Australia open on Tuesday, and dividend payout is expected at USD 0.88, well below the USD 1.50 declared in February 2022 amid the Oz Minerals acquisition being in play. Market expects lower revenues and earnings compared to last year due to the weakness in iron ore and copper prices. Rio Tinto (RIO:xlon) reports full year results on Wednesday, and plans for Pilbara (PLS:xasx), its lithium arm, will be key to watch. The focus will also be on BHP and Rio’s upcoming projects and outlook for the year ahead, with supply constraints reigning and expectations of Chinese demand picking up. Another lithium player Allkem (AKE:xasx) also reports results this week. On the agri side, Singapore’s Wilmar (F34:xses) is expected to report record profits for 2022 and outlook is likely to remain positive as well with China demand picking up. Source: Asia: Key earnings this week will add more color on the potential from incoming China demand boost | Saxo Group (home.saxo)