Base Metals and Minerals

After falling in January Baltic Freight rates have risen more than 45% and TD Securities suggests this implies stong commodities demand and as a result global economic activity remains solid.

The S&P 500 closed below its January low last night and the Dow came closer, falling 215 points.

Just when you thought perhaps the parabolic rise in commodity prices might have stalled, last night oil posted the biggest ever one-day gain in its history. The Dow was choppy once more.

While some arguments suggest it isn’t demand that is driving commodity prices but a weak US dollar SVB shows there has been no re-pricing of commodity costs away from the greenback.

The Dow bounced back from the depths of more financial sector woes last night as commodity prices went the other way – finally reaching a blow-off top that saw a profit-taking scramble.

While essentially a merger of equals brokers see Oxiana shareholders as gaining more from the proposed “merger” with Zinifex.

The flight to commodities continues a-pace as the US dollar weakened further last night on more poor economic data. The Dow recovered earlier losses.

Municipal bonds became the latest domino to fall in the credit crisis on Friday, and a raft of bad economic and corporate news conspired to send the Dow down 300 points.

Perilya has delivered another disappointing earnings result and brokers have slashed earnings forecasts as a result, with Citi and Macquarie also downgrading the stock from Buy to Hold.

More downbeat comments from the Fed, a weak GDP, soaring oil and gold as the greenback slides, and a down day for the Dow.