NGAS Prices Remain Elevated, Cotton Shortage Anticipated By Companies, Gold Supported By Dropping Dollar
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Summary:
- NGAS prices remain supported by increasing demand expectations.
- Indian cotton crops are threatened.
- Falling US Dollar and lower Treasury yields supporting gold prices.
NGAS demand expected to fall
US natural gas futures continued to decline below the $8/MMBtu barrier due to pressure from record supply levels as domestic producers profited from higher prices. Still, strong domestic and foreign demand continues to sustain the NYMEX complex's fundamentals. Prices have been supported by expectations of an increase in cooling demand due to the United States' above-average temperatures and by Europe's sustained strong demand despite a 20 percent reduction in Nord Stream pipeline gas flows. For refusing to accept its demand for payment for natural gas in Russian rubles, Russia has already stopped exports to Denmark, Finland, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, and Poland and cut supply to Germany.
Natural Gas Sep ‘22 Futures Price Chart
Companies are anticipating a cotton shortage
Due to active buying from weavers, cotton futures on ICE reached 102 cents per pound, the highest level in more than 2 weeks. As companies anticipate a shortage of cotton yarn during the current cotton season, which runs until September 2022, higher production in the fabric and apparel segments and slower production in the spinning mills encouraged purchase. Additionally, the USDA noted decreased projections for US output, exports, and ending stocks for the years 2022–2023 in its July monthly report due to the possibility of dry weather in Texas. The pink bollworm pest, which this year attacked earlier than anticipated in Punjab and Haryana due to the lack of rainfall in the early part of the planting season, is another threat to cotton crops in India. Despite the fact that the global recession is expected to reduce demand for luxuries like apparel and fabric goods, cotton is still 35 percent below the 11-year high of 158 cents/pound reached in May.
Cotton Oct ‘22 Futures Price Chart
Gold demand boosted by low treasury yields and a falling dollar
Tuesday saw gold trading above $1,770 per ounce and hanging at its best levels in four weeks as demand for bullion was boosted by a dropping dollar and low Treasury yields. The Federal Reserve may hike interest rates less aggressively in the upcoming months as a result of recent weakness in US economic statistics, which pressured the dollar and US yields while raising gold prices. As fresh US data continue to show an economic slowdown, this trend is anticipated to last throughout August. Demand for gold as a safe haven was also fueled by weaker manufacturing statistics across major economies and escalating tensions between China and the US before US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.
Gold Dec ‘22 Futures Price Chart
Sources: finance.yahoo.com, tradingeconomics.com
