NGAS Prices Are Close To 7-Month Lows, Cotton Futures Touching December 2020 Lows, Gold Weighed Down By Inflationary Pressures
Aa
Share
Summary:
- Prices have dropped about 60% in the past nine weeks.
- Persistent demand concerns and rising interest rates causing cotton to decline.
- Investors await further information on the direction of US Fed monetary tightening.
NGAS rose during the 4th week of October
On the assumption that LNG shipments would rise as a result of the conclusion of maintenance outages at plants like Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Cove Point LNG, and Freeport LNG, US natural gas futures were up in the fourth week of October. Nevertheless, due to projections of lower weather-driven demand, record domestic production levels, and decreased LNG exports that allowed utilities to inject more gas into storage, prices have dropped about 60% in the past nine weeks and are still very close to seven-month lows. Below Refinitiv's forecast on Friday, the average US gas demand, including exports, is anticipated to increase this week. In the meantime, Lower 48 US states have seen an increase in average gas production, rising to 99.5 bcfd so far in October from a record 99.4 bcfd in September. According to the EIA data, US utilities added more gas than anticipated (111 bcf) to storage last week, well exceeding the 91 bcf that was injected during the same week last year and the 73 bcf that was added on average over the previous five years (2017–2021).
NGAS Nov ‘22 Futures Price Chart
Cotton supply and demand prospects are falling
Due to persistent demand concerns and rising interest rates, which strengthened the currency and reduced the appeal of commodities priced in US dollars, cotton futures fell to a level not seen since December 2020. On the supply side, however, an optimistic report from the US Department of Agriculture provided some support for the fiber. In light of the ongoing uncertainty on the extent to which unfavorable weather conditions, such as drought and heavy rain, may reduce output in top producer Texas and other states for the 2022–2023 season, the USDA has lowered its outlook for domestic supplies.
Cotton Dec ‘22 Futures Price Chart
Gold weighed down by inflation worries
After swinging wildly in the previous two sessions, gold prices stabilized near $1,650 an ounce on Tuesday as investors carefully awaited further information on the direction of US Federal Reserve monetary tightening. Fed officials are likely to take into account a lesser increase in December amid worries about overtightening after delivering a widely anticipated 75 basis point rate boost in November, the WSJ reported on Friday. Such a view was bolstered by data showing that private sector activity in the US shrank for the fourth consecutive month in October, indicating that the economy is already feeling the effects of tighter financial conditions. Investors continued to be wary of inflation worries, which might trigger another surge in the currency and Treasury yields. Amid increased political and economic unpredictability throughout the world, markets also maintained a strong position in the dollar as a safe-haven asset and as an alternative to gold.
Gold Dec ‘22 Futures Price Chart
Sources: finance.yahoo.com, tradingeconomics.com
