What are your views about the industrial metals’ demand and supply scenario for the rest of the year? Do you think Chinese demand and inventory built-up would continue this year for copper and other metals? With low inventories across the commodity complex, industrials are more susceptible to supply shocks than demand drops. Opposite from the impact on gold price from India’s import restriction is the positive price impact of the Indonesian export ban of nickel on nickel price, which is up 38.1% in the S&P GSCI in 2014.
What kind of movement in demand and prices do you expect in overall commodities market during this year? The Chinese demand is having less of an impact on prices than the supply shocks since the inventories are low. The storage situations turned to shortages with diminished cushions to soften the blows of the shocks. This is a favourable environment for commodities from the combination of possible inflation and interest rate rises in conjunction with low inventories driving down correlations and up returns, again from supply shocks. We also may be at a turning point in the equity/commodity cycle that can be reflected through higher commodity performance than equity performance for the first time after six years.
How much importance does Indian commodities market hold in global markets? Is the new government formation in India going to affect commodities market globally? How? India is an important consumer of commodities, though the futures market is not yet developed enough to have contracts included from local exchanges in major indices. If the new government creates growth that may help the economically sensitive commodities like energy and industrial metals, but if there is turmoil, then gold may get a boost.
Several foreign investors and trade participants have shown lack of confidence in India’s commodity exchanges, as the largest exchange in India, Multi-Commodity Exchange (MCX) is facing legal issues with its promoter getting arrested for allegations of financial scam. Has it affected the confidence of market participants and investors overseas? The market impact of investor confidence is difficult to attribute to isolated factors, especially on less developed exchanges. Again, generally, if investors feel fear, they may flee to gold as a safe haven rather than economically sensitive commodities.
This article was written by Jodie Gunzberg, global head of commodities, S&P Dow Jones Indices.
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