Daily FNArena News - Commodities

The newfound interest in commodity investment through commodity index funds has been a key factor in higher prices, but returns run into difficulty when contracts are rolled forward.

Thermal coal prices should have been settled by now, but utilities are holding out for a better deal.

For those concerned about the commodities boom the message from both National Australia Bank and Macquarie is relax, prices should…

ANZ believes most of us could do with a little bit of extra education on uranium. Who are we to disagree?

Barclays Capital suggests it’s not hard to see why copper has breached new highs given industrial demand and supply. Gold is more speculative, which makes it dangerous.

Over a 30-year analysis, the gold price has a tendency to dip around March/April, stay quiet in the northern summer, and then take off again around August/September. Given what’s happening now, will the trend hold up in 2006?

Global steel prices are expected to rise over the coming months, but weaken later this year.

The current decade still has the potential to become the best ever for the steel industry.

Copper hit another record high on Friday, buoyed by falling inventories and views from inside the industry at the annual CRU copper conference.

Don’t worry, Barclays Capital says, sell-offs occur every once in a while. Gold should still be on its way passing the US$600/oz mark