FICC

Investors often rely on past relationships to predict future outcomes. This strategy is at risk now that several commodity correlations have broken down. We explore the causes and sustainability of the new commodity relationships.

Oil, copper, and gold futures curves have recently experienced abnormal shifts and twists. Brent is no longer fully backwardated, copper curves on the LME and CME have diverged, and gold is in a steep contango. We examine the drivers and implications of these shifts for prices and curve structure across the three commodities.

OPEC+ recently announced another outsized oil production hike, tripling its planned June output increase to 411k b/d for the second consecutive month. Our take on why KSA is boosting crude output at a time of heightened downside demand risks is that it is pursuing an oil price war lite. President Trump is not only blessing this strategy but also depending on it.

Oil has borne the brunt of the year-to-date deterioration in cyclically sensitive financial assets. It is a key underperformer both within the commodity space and among global risk assets. This underperformance underscores that in addition to the trade war-induced headwind to demand, bearish supply-side developments are also weighing down on crude prices. As we discuss in this report, these dynamics will likely continue exerting downside pressure on oil prices over the coming weeks and months.

Commodities have not been spared the wrath of the post-"Liberation Day" selloff. However, in the sea of red, gold continues to shine bright, climbing to a fresh record high. How much further does the recent price action have left to run? We explore technical indicators to gauge the likely price outlook for gold, oil, and copper over the coming months.

Commodity prices are succumbing to the risk-off environment triggered by President Trump’s reciprocal tariff announcement. The latest events and market moves raise several important questions about the outlook for commodity markets. In this Strategy Report we address some of the most pressing questions raised during our recent discussions.

In this month’s Beta report, we continue our series supporting our bullish thesis on Europe. We take a deep dive into the aftermath of the European energy crisis – dispelling the myth that Europe faces risks of imminent deindustrialization – and evaluate the impact the approaching LNG wave will have on European industry and the global natural gas market.

Special Report

Lithium prices have collapsed by nearly 90% from the late-2022 peak. How will lithium markets evolve from here? In this report, we explore the cyclical and structural outlook for supply, demand, and prices. We conclude that prices are likely to remain contained over the coming 12 to 18 months before facing upside pressure later this decade.

OPEC+ is planning to boost its crude oil output at a time of lingering demand weakness. What is driving this decision? And will Chinese oil consumption – historically a key contributor to global oil demand growth – reaccelerate and justify the coalition’s decision to bring back more supply to the market? This report answers these questions and more.