Commodity Reports

Report Items > Managing the European Energy Equation

London, April 2013

Power and gas markets in the European Union are undergoing a period of substantial change due to political intervention, expansion of market reach, and uncertain supply and demand dynamics. Power and gas companies now require advanced technology to overcome challenges that threaten to remove unprepared participants from the market.

Legacy systems that have remained unchanged over the past five years, or have only had minor maintenance-related updates, will struggle to support the minimum requirements for power and gas market participants. These outdated applications will ultimately fail. Regulators have made it clear to companies that placing blame on a susceptible system will not be an acceptable defence to elude severe penalties for non-compliance. The intricacies of today’s market therefore mandate a complete overhaul of processes and technology to survive.

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Environmental Markets & Commodities Reports > EU emissions down 1.4% as double dip bites

London, 3 April 2013

Last year, some 1,876 million tonnes (Mt) of greenhouse gases were emitted from stationary installations by the 27 countries that participate in the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), plus Norway in line with predictions from Thomson Reuters Point Carbon, a leading provider of market intelligence, news, analysis, forecasting and advisory services for the energy and environmental markets.  

Read more: EU emissions down 1.4% as double dip bites

Commodity Portfolio Management Research & Reports > EDHEC European ETF Survey 2012

London, 28 March 2013

EDHEC-Risk Institute has announced the results of the EDHEC European ETF Survey 2012, which represents a comprehensive survey of 212 European ETF investors. The survey was conducted as part of the Amundi ETF research chair at EDHEC-Risk Institute on “Core-Satellite and ETF Investment.”

Read more: EDHEC European ETF Survey 2012

Metals & Mining Commodity Reports > China’s steel sector restructuring should include distribution: Meps

London, 26 March 2013

China’s steel sector restructuring should not be confined to capacity reductions. An overhaul of the distribution mechanism is also needed. The current model of using traders as the main source of distributing steel has significant drawbacks. Inventories through the supply chain can become excessive. The producers of steel are one stage removed from the users of the product.

Read more: China’s steel sector restructuring should include distribution: Meps

Metals & Mining Commodity Reports > A challenging year ahead for miners: PwC report

London, March 2013

Cautiously optimistic: After a slow and cautious 2012, mining M&A activity is expected to continue at a moderate and equally cautious pace in 2013 as metal prices stabilise and companies bet on a continued rise in commodity demand from countries such as China, according to the latest Mining Deals report by PwC. It is also expected that this year, mega-mergers will be placed on the shelf while mining companies seek to prove that they are being prudent with shareholder dollars and are able to realise positive results on significant acquisitions made in the past few years.

Read more: A challenging year ahead for miners: PwC report

Environmental Markets & Commodities Reports > EU ETS increasingly irrelevant: investors exit CDM market

London, 25 March 2013

The EU Emissions Trading Scheme “no longer has a significant impact on emission reductions”, according to one in five respondents to Thomson Reuters Point Carbon’s annual carbon market survey. The results of the survey – Carbon 2013 – reveal that 20% of respondents said the EU ETS caused emission reductions in the past but has little impact on emissions today. “We attribute this to the weak price signal currently generated by the EU ETS, which saw prices fall to historic lows in 2012” said Emil Dimantchev, Thomson Reuters Point Carbon analyst and author of the report.

Read more: EU ETS increasingly irrelevant: investors exit CDM market

Power & Energy Commodity Reports > China's power utilities exposed to water disruption

Hong Kong, 25 March 2013

China’s “Big Five” power utilities own and operate more than 500 gigawatts of thermal power plants, largely coal-fired, in the world’s second-largest electrical system. Every one of the Big Five – Huaneng, Datang, Huadian, Guodian, and China Power Investment – is heavily exposed to water supply disruptions due to the concentration of their portfolios in moderately to severely water-scarce regions, in particular the dry and industrial northeast.

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Environmental Markets & Commodities Reports > Small Wind Power installations to double by 2018

London, March 2013

The small wind turbine (SWT) industry is maturing, signaled by the expanded role of SWT certification, the existence of hundreds of manufacturers located around the world, the expansion of dealer networks, and the growing number of national and regional industry associations.  The number of applications is also growing, including applications in telecommunications, defense, and other sectors that involve producing power in remote locations.  According to a new report from Navigant Research, annual global installations of SWTs will roughly double in the next five years, growing from 86 megawatts (MW) in 2012 to 172 MW in 2018 and representing $3.3 billion in revenues.

Read more: Small Wind Power installations to double by 2018

Power & Energy Commodity Reports > As Cyprus Collapses, It's a Race to the Mediterranean Gas Finish Line

London, 23 March 2013

Cyprus is preparing for total financial collapse as the European Central Bank turns its back on the island after its parliament rejected a scheme to make Cypriot citizens pay a levy on savings deposits in return for a share in potential gas futures to fund a bailout. On Wednesday, the Greek-Cypriot government voted against asking its citizens to bank on the future of gas exports by paying a 3-15% levy on bank deposits in return for a stake in potential gas sales. The scheme would have partly funded a $13 billion EU bailout.

Read more: As Cyprus Collapses, It's a Race to the Mediterranean Gas Finish Line

Agriculture & Softs Reports > Czarnikow Sugar Review

London, 20 March 2013

Czarnikow Sugar Review: Consumption Statistics, the Production Surplus and the Market - The surprising thing about the sugar market today is that all analysts are in consensus: The sugar balance sheet is in surplus and stock levels are rising.

Read more: Czarnikow Sugar Review