Salient to Investors: Lithium prices have tripled since 2000. Investors are investing in producers of lithium to take advantage of the demand for iPads and hybrid cars. Apple and Toyota Motor have few alternatives. Lithium-ion generates more electricity than competing cells such as lead-acid. Hybrid electric vehicles fitted with a lithium-ion battery contain about
READ MORE... →Salient to Investors: U.S. crude stockpiles rose to highest level since July 1990. Predictions: Todd Horwitz at Adam Mesh Trading Group sees below $80 in the next two weeks. Fifty-eight percent of economists polled expect the Fed to expand Operation Twist. Read the full article at http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-20/oil-declines-before-fed-decision-projected-supply-drop.html
READ MORE... →Salient to Investors: Rubber shortages to turn into a flood as China, the biggest consumer, grows at the slowest pace in three years. This quarter’s 22 percent decline is the worst since the global financial crisis in 2008 and exceeds a 16 percent retreat in commodities. China accounts for 33
READ MORE... →Salient to Investors: Bill Farren-Price of Petroleum Policy Intelligence says Saudi Arabia will continue to meet customer demand – if demand drops, then will cut. Olivier Jakob of Petromatrix said Saudi Arabia cannot at the same time commit to a supply cut to please OPEC and commit to replace Iranian barrels to please the G-20. Predictions:
READ MORE... →Salient to Investors: Phil Flynn of Price Futures Group says the markets are betting that the anti-austerity forces in Greece will lose, which would boost oil prices, bus a win would see a deflationary downdraft impacting all markets. Sees increasing likelihood that the central banks will increase stimulus – the Fed has a lot of cover
READ MORE... →Salient to Investors: Brazil holds the world’s biggest oil discoveries since Kazakhstan found the Kashagan field in 2000. Brazil has at least 50 billion barrels of recoverable reserves in an area the size of Florida in deep waters off the coast of Brazil. Read the full article at http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-15/petrobras-worst-big-oil-bet-on-deepwater-disappointments.html
READ MORE... →Salient to Investors: The plunge in global commodity supports further easing by the Fed. RBC Global Asset Management expects inflation will decelerate a little from here, but not massively. OECD reports inflation among its 34 member countries slowed to 2.5 percent in April from 3.3 percent in September. Predictions: Economists surveyed by Bloomberg
READ MORE... →Salient to Investors: Gold has advanced for 11 consecutive years, increasing about sixfold since the end of 2000. Speculators’ net-long position is 61 percent below the all-time high set in August. World Gold Council expects central banks to buy 400 tons of gold in 2012 versus 456.4 tons last year, the most in almost
READ MORE... →BP data show that at the end of 2011, Venezuela had proven oil reserves of 296.5 billion barrels, Saudi Arabia 265.4 billion barrels, Canada 175.2 billion barrels, Russia 88.2 billion barrels, Norway 6.9 billion barrels. Read the full article at http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-13/venezuela-overtakes-saudis-for-largest-oil-reserves-bp-says-1-.html
READ MORE... →Predictions: Industrial and Commercial Bank of China ‘s Zheng Zhiguang says the financial crisis has evolved into a sovereign crisis so expects gold-investment demand in China to grow more than 10 percent this year as buyers seek a haven from lackluster equity markets and property curbs. Individual, institutional or even government investors should own gold
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