Daily FNArena News - Commodities

As 2014 ends with a whimper, brokers are becoming more subdued about the outlook for most commodities in 2015.

Supportive signals for the gold price appear few and far between and analysts suspect the yellow metal may languish further.

Following last month’s surge in the spot price, uranium term prices have now shifted upward.

Ahead of the Herd’s Rick Mills weighs up the global demand-supply equation for nickel and comes out very bullish.

Protracted recovery in coking coal; iron ore supply overwhelms; and more oil is being pumped.

Analysts tip the price of bauxite will remain robust, with conditions triggering stronger prices for both alumina and aluminium.

The previous week’s sudden 10% jump in the uranium spot price brought out the sellers last week.

The outlook for metals and bulk commodity prices reveals few supply constraints in 2015. Broker views converge on iron ore and diverge on some of the base metals.

The gold market seems more balanced; broker observations on the Denver Gold Forum; lead is in surplus and zinc in deficit; and the outlook for alumina prices.

The safety valve blew on spot uranium prices last week as buyers became more anxious than sellers, leading to a 10% jump in price.