Gold supported by a falling US dollar, NGAS fell in the wake of weaker demand expectations, Cotton touching 4-week lows
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Summary:
- Gold rose, recovering the majority of its losses from the previous session.
- In anticipation of weaker demand, US natural gas futures were trading down from a two-month high.
- Recession expectations weighing on cotton prices
Gold futures rose on Tuesday
As the dollar fell on Tuesday, gold rose beyond $1,750 an ounce, recovering the majority of its losses from the previous session. Investors were still determining the likely course of US monetary policy. After US Federal Reserve officials indicated that interest rates will continue to rise well into next year, the yellow metal fell by about 1% on Monday. However, after delivering four consecutive 75 basis point rate hikes, it is largely anticipated that the Fed would moderate the pace of its rate hike to 50 basis points in December. Investors anticipate numerous US economic releases this week as well as Fed Chair Jerome Powell's speech on Wednesday for new information regarding the central bank's plans to tighten monetary policy. The rate outlook has a significant impact on gold because it makes holding non-yielding bullion more expensive, decreasing its appeal.
Gold Dec ‘22 Futures Price Chart
NGAS’s decline on weaker demand expecations
In anticipation of weaker demand, US natural gas futures were trading at around $7.3/MMBtu, down from a nearly two-month high of $8/MMBtu reached on November 23. Recent weather predictions predict milder conditions over the following two weeks. Nevertheless, costs are anticipated to stay high due to expectations of a significant demand for heating during the winter. Investors continued to express anxiety about potential interruptions in the coal supply. The largest US rail union's members rejected a tentative contract agreement reached in September, increasing the likelihood of a year-end strike that could halt coal shipments and make power plants burn more gas. At the same time, Europe is clamoring for US exports after Russia threatened to further reduce supplies. The Freeport LNG export plant in Texas, which had to shut down due to a fire in June, anticipates starting to resume operations in mid-December.
NGAS Dec ‘22 Futures Price Chart
Cotton touching 4-week lows
On the back of declining demand brought on by worries about an impending global recession, rising supplies, and at their lowest level in over four weeks, cotton futures were trading at approximately 78 USd/Lb. The most recent US Department of Agriculture cotton projections for 2022–2023 showed reduced worldwide demand forecasts for 2022–2023 and a marginal increase in global cotton production from 2021/22. With 14.0 million bales produced, the US, the world's largest cotton exporter, saw production rise by around 1.5% as rises elsewhere more than made up for a decline in the Southwest. A 300,000-bale reduction in mill use in Pakistan and Bangladesh is expected to result in a 650,000-bale decrease in worldwide cotton consumption this month.
Cotton Mar ‘23 Futures Price Chart
Sources: tradingeconomics.com, finance.yahoo.com
