Commodities
Lower Oil Prices Could Lead to More Debt Issuance to Plug MENA Deficits
A pronounced and prolonged deterioration in the price of oil could shoulder Gulf governments with yawning deficits and may catalyse additional debt issuance to plug the gap.
12 Mar 2020
Chile’s Trade Surplus Narrows Despite Drop in Global Commodity Prices
While copper, the country’s main export, has had a torrid week, Fitch predicts a recovery in 2H2020.
10 Mar 2020
Fed Injects Further USD50bn Into Repo Markets to Stem Biggest Market Drop in a Decade
The US Federal Reserve bolstered its repo taps overnight in an attempt to boost market liquidity a day after the MSCI global index lost more than 7% and government bond yields collapsed, the biggest daily drop since the financial crisis.
10 Mar 2020
Double Blow to Oil Prices as Demand Plummets, Supplies Surge amid OPEC+ Breakdown
The “unthinkable” has happened – and has caught the market unaware, says MUFG in a note.
10 Mar 2020
Oil Plunges as OPEC Standoff with Russia Escalates
While the cartel and Moscow wait to see who blinks first, Brent could fall below the crucial USD50-mark by April.
6 Mar 2020
Risk of Oil Price Collapse ‘High’ as Russia Urges Caution on OPEC+ Action - Standard Chartered
Russia’s slowness to respond to a fall in demand for oil following the coronavirus outbreak could send oil prices plummeting to as low as USD30 per barrel, according to analysts at Standard Chartered Bank.
2 Mar 2020
Oil, Non-Oil Growth Continue to Head in Opposite Directions in Saudi Arabia
The Saudi economy experienced a temporary growth slowdown through much of 2019 while non-oil growth saw one of the strongest performances in a year, a trend analysts believe may continue through much of 2020.
28 Feb 2020
Coronavirus Could Weigh on Nigeria’s Ability to Secure Crucial Loans from China, Protect Fiscal Revenues – SBM
The coronavirus outbreak currently plaguing global markets may harm Nigeria’s ability to secure Chinese loans needed to fund the 2020 budget, while also weighing on trade and oil revenues, according to a research note from SBM Intelligence.
25 Feb 2020
MENA Borrowers Weigh Costs and Benefits of Debut DCM Deals as Appetite for Funding Diversification Grows
CFOs and Treasurers from across the region are looking at ways to diversify their funding base and reduce their dependence on the region’s deep-pocketed lenders, with the debt capital markets – which has grown leaps and bounds over the past decade – looking increasingly likely to be the dominant means of doing so. But how to shift internal cultures around disclosure, engage new investors, and…
20 Feb 2020
South Africa’s Mining Sector Production Continues to Fall – Standard Bank
South Africa’s mining sector suffered a drop in production during 2019, following an equally disappointing performance in 2018, according to a report from Thanda Sithole, an economist at Standard Bank. Production fell by 1.4% year-on-year in 2019, after a 1.9% decline in 2018.
18 Feb 2020