Futures and Commodities

Correction for crude oil futures towards $86?
Crude oil futures (West Texas Intermediate) is up around 82 per cent from a year ago and February delivery contracts reached a record high of $100.09 a barrel on January 3. From that top, WTI retreated towards a current level of $94.
Sunday, January 13 - 2008 at 10:03 |

Yen-carry trade: Game over?
This coming year the euro could strengthen against the Japanese yen. The present low Japanese interest rate of 0.5%, combined with a higher European interest rate of 4%, has fuelled demand for euros. Of course the yen has also weakened against other 'high interest' countries like Australia, New Zealand and the US.
Saturday, December 22 - 2007 at 14:56 |

Silver shines
Silver, like gold, is a precious metal. This is a highly speculative investment category. But gold and silver have both gained since August, mainly because of a weaker US dollar.
Tuesday, December 11 - 2007 at 12:45 |

Subprime crisis still alive
In August and September stock markets bottomed out after a brutal sell-off caused by the subprime crisis. In the following two months, markets rallied after the Fed cut the federal funds rate by 75 basis points to 4.5 per cent.
Monday, November 19 - 2007 at 16:32 |

Greenback feeling blue
Recently the US dollar fell to a record low on speculation that the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates again. Against the euro, the greenback's spot rate weakened to a level above $1.44. The slump in the housing market which has hurt the US economy has also caused the weakness of the dollar.
Wednesday, October 31 - 2007 at 15:30 |

Gold: is the sky the limit?
What a difference a couple of months make. Gold was fluctuating in tandem with the Western stock markets, drifting mostly down - until August. Worldwide stock markets were hit by the subprime crisis, forcing investors to liquidate their positions.
Thursday, October 04 - 2007 at 11:39 |

Black gold over the top?
At the end of June, I dedicated a column to oil. The question I asked was whether 'black gold could rise to the top?'. Well, since that time many things have happened. Oil (West Texas Intermediate) surfed on the back of good performing stock markets from a level of $70 towards a peak of around $80 a barrel. Until mid July, everything looked fine, until the guy with the hammer came and punched prices to lower levels. The guy's name was 'subprime'.
Tuesday, September 18 - 2007 at 12:49 |

Sugar: a sweet soft commodity
Not only have global stock markets been hit by the credit crunch brought on by the problems in the American subprime mortgage market. The prices of oil and industrial and precious metals, like copper, nickel and gold have also been hammered. So which sector has not been hit yet by the credit crisis?
Tuesday, August 28 - 2007 at 14:21 |