Analysis: Commodities

Floods destroy 1.1 million tons of rice in Bangladesh

Floods in Bangladesh have destroyed an estimated 1.1 million metric tons of rice, according to data from the agriculture ministry, prompting the country to ramp up imports of the staple grain amid...

Shanghai frenzy fuels alumina's record-breaking rally: Andy Home

LONDON -Alumina prices have soared to record highs this week, compressing margins at the world's aluminium smelters which convert the intermediate product into metal.  The London Metal...

Record prices dull India demand ahead of key festival

Physical gold dealers in India were forced to offer discounts this week, as record high prices dampened demand ahead of a key festival, while discounts in top consumer China narrowed. In...

Safe-haven gold breaks $2,700/oz level as uncertainty looms

Gold breached the $2,700-per-ounce level on Friday for the first time ever, as U.S. election jitters and simmering Middle East tensions boosted safe-haven demand, while a looser monetary policy...

India raises wheat purchase price by 6.6% to boost output

India has raised the price at which it will buy new-season wheat from domestic farmers by 150 rupees or 6.6% to encourage growers to expand acreage and remove the need for imports in the world's...

Gold ticks up as Treasury yields slip; US retail sales data in focus

Gold prices inched higher on Wednesday, as U.S. Treasury yields eased, while market participants waited for more U.S. economic data to determine the number of interest rate cuts the Federal Reserve is...

Commodities overview: Geopolitics or fundamentals, who will have the last word?

Every week, we review the latest news on the commodities markets, to better understand the variations in the prices of energy, metals and agricultural commodities. On today's menu: oil, which remains...

Gold prices flat as investors await fresh impetus

Gold was flat on Tuesday as investors await fresh insights on the Federal Reserve's stance on U.S. interest rate reductions for further direction on bullion prices. Spot gold held its...

Central banks remain keen buyers of gold, representatives tell bullion conference

Central banks remain keen buyers of gold to diversify their reserves for financial or strategic reasons, representatives of three central banks told the London Bullion Market Association's annual...

Hundreds march against Ghana's damaging informal gold mining boom

Hundreds of people marched through Ghana's capital Accra on Friday in a peaceful protest against unlicensed gold mining, calling on authorities to act against the dangerous and environmentally...

India prices at premium after two months as festive season draws buyers

Physical gold dealers in India charged premiums for the first time in two months this week as the upcoming festival season attracted some jewellery buying, while weak consumer sentiment dampened...

Zimbabwean miners expect profits to fall in 2025, report says

Zimbabwean miners expect profits to decline on the back of anticipated high costs of production and a weak outlook for platinum and lithium in 2025, according to a report. A confluence...

Gold ticks up, US inflation data in focus

Gold prices nudged higher on Thursday, while traders await a key U.S. inflation data due later in the day to gauge the Federal Reserve's future monetary policy stance. Spot gold rose...

Exclusive-Algeria bars France from wheat import tender as relations sour, sources say

Algeria excluded French companies from a wheat import tender this week and required that participating firms did not offer French-origin wheat, in apparent fallout from renewed diplomatic tensions...

Festive hopes fade for India's gold industry after price surge

A rebound in gold prices to a record peak has dashed the Indian bullion industry's expectations of a lucrative festival season after their hopes were boosted by a deep cut in import duty two months...

Gold lacks momentum as investors brace for Fed minutes

Gold prices were subdued on Wednesday as investors strapped in for minutes from the Federal Reserve's latest policy meeting for insights into the U.S. central bank's interest rate trajectory. ...

Ghana's wildcat gold mining booms, poisoning people and nature

At an unlicensed gold mine in Ghana, men in t-shirts, shorts and rubber boots wade through pools of muddy water laced with mercury, pull out rocks with bare hands and operate a rickety sluice as they...

Gold inches lower as US jobs data cements bets for smaller rate cut

Gold prices eased on Monday as bets firmed for a smaller U.S. rate cut in November after a surprisingly strong jobs report, while market participants awaited inflation data and comments from Federal...

China's gold reserves unchanged for fifth straight month in September

China's central bank held back on buying gold for its reserves for a fifth straight month in September, official data showed on Monday, mainly due to a surge in prices for the yellow metal. ...