Authored by Simon White, Bloomberg macro strategist, Inflation is back on the radar this week after yesterday's release of PCE in the US. It showed a modest fall from the prior month in the headline print (but under the surface the picture was more worrying), lending credence to the bigger picture signal of inflation pressures building again. Emblematic of how unpriced assets are for this likelihood, volatility in gold and silver and other metals is near decade lows. Given how recently inflation was at generational highs... Читать дальше...
Via Metal Miner The start of the new year presented mixed signals for the global economy and overall financial markets. An optimistic government outlook and positive US economic data initially fueled enthusiasm and anticipation for future developments. However, interest rate fears, rising geopolitical tensions, and concerns regarding future economic growth overshadowed many of these positive perspectives. This resulted in a varied outlook for the remaining months of Q1. Moreover, the US steel market... Читать дальше...
Renewable energy developments continue at break-neck speed, with $644 billion to be spent on new capacity in 2024, but outdated and inadequate power grids could prove to be a significant stumbling block to the energy transition. If the world is to limit global warming to 1.8 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, $3.1 trillion of grid infrastructure investments are required before 2030, according to Rystad Energy research. In that scenario, an additional 18 million kilometers of grid network... Читать дальше...
Anonymous sources within OPEC revealed on Sunday that certain OPEC members and allies, spearheaded by Russia, have reached an agreement to prolong voluntary oil output reductions from the first quarter into the second quarter of 2024. These cuts, initially totaling approximately 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd), were endorsed by OPEC+ in November, with Saudi Arabia leading by example by extending its own voluntary reduction. OPEC+ has been implementing successive output reductions since late 2022... Читать дальше...
When Chevron announced it had struck a deal to acquire Hess Corp. for $53 billion last year, it was seen as yet another move by a supermajor to secure future oil supply at reasonable production cost. Just how important securing this supply is not only for Chevron but for its peers became clear last week, when Exxon surprised many with the warning that it could make the deal meaningless by exercising a right of first refusal stipulation in its Guyana partnership with Hess Corp. Without Guyana, Chevron has signaled... Читать дальше...
As it accelerates its green transition, the U.S. is looking to become a major player in the international semiconductor market, to become more competitive with Asia, the world’s biggest producer and consumer. The 2022 bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act introduced a high level of public funding for research and manufacturing into semiconductors in the U.S. This supports the overarching aims of establishing the country as a major manufacturing hub and strengthening the supply chains that aid the green transition. Читать дальше...
