|

Commodity prices post best start to year in over a century – What’s next? [Video]

As the first quarter comes to a close, there is no denying that Commodity prices have made an explosive start to 2024 – with a long-list of Metals, Energies and Agricultural markets notching up astronomical gains – firmly positioning the sector on track for its best start to the year in over a century! 

This month, we’ve seen Cocoa prices soar to the highest level in 50-years – racking up double digit gains on a consecutive weekly basis. 

Last week, Cocoa prices soared over 25% to reach a new all-time high of $8,900 per tonne. The uptick in prices continued on Monday with Cocoa breaching a new historic high of $9,300 per tonne. 

Cocoa prices are now up 125% from their opening price of sub $4,000 per tonne at start of this year and have more than doubled in the short space of two and half months. 

More impressively, Cocoa prices have now tallied up a staggering gain of over 260%, from this time last year, when prices were trading at $2,495 per tonne. 

Elsewhere this quarter, Uranium's "third bull market" has been on a blistering run with spot prices catapulting above $106 per pound to hit their highest level in 17 years. That's more than a 100% increase from their 2023 low. It is also a whopping gain of over 350% from their 2020 low. 

But there’s one Commodity that’s capturing everyone's attention right now – And that’s Gold. 

On Wednesday, a seemingly ordinary day for the markets turned into something extraordinary after Federal Reserve officials confirmed their outlook for three interest-rate cuts this year – sending Gold prices surging to a new all-time high of $2,222 an ounce. 

Gold prices flipped into supersonic mode, blasting through a new all-time high for the “third time” this month on comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell signalling that while underlying inflation will come in slightly hotter this year – that will not dissuade the committee from lowering interest rates from their current 23-year high. 

According to GSC Commodity Intelligence – what we’re seeing is nothing short of a perfect storm which could see Commodity prices not only reach new historic highs, but soar way beyond them! 

Interestingly, right now every price target Wall Street predicts is being exceeded in a matter of months, if not weeks – forcing strategists to bump up their forecasts on a regular basis. 

That in itself, is like nothing we have ever experienced before. 

To quote analysts at GSC Commodity Intelligence – “abnormal gains in abnormal times are now the new normal for the Commodity markets”. 

For traders, this is an opportunity to celebrate and capitalize on, which is why a long list of the world’s most powerful Wall Street institutions have dubbed the current economic climate “The Golden Age of Trading”. 

Where are prices heading next? Watch The Commodity Report now, for my latest price forecasts and predictions:

Author

Phil Carr

Phil Carr

The Gold & Silver Club

Phil is the co-founder and Head of Trading at The Gold & Silver Club, an international Commodities Trading Firm specializing in Metals, Energies and Soft Commodities.

More from Phil Carr
Share:

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD flirts with daily highs, retargets 1.1900

EUR/USD regains upside traction, returning to the 1.1880 zone and refocusing its attention to the key 1.1900 barrier. The pair’s slight gains comes against the backdrop of a humble decline in the US Dollar as investors continue to assess the latest US CPI readings and the potential Fed’s rate path.

GBP/USD remains well bid around 1.3650

GBP/USD maintains its upside momentum in place, hovering around daily highs near 1.3650 and setting aside part of the recent three-day drop. Cable’s improved sentiment comes on the back of the Greenback’s  irresolute price action, while recent hawkish comments from the BoE’s Pill also collaborate with the uptick.

Gold clings to gains just above $5,000/oz

Gold is reclaiming part of the ground lost on Wednesday’s marked decline, as bargain-hunters keep piling up and lifting prices past the key $5,000 per troy ounce. The precious metal’s move higher is also underpinned by the slight pullback in the US Dollar and declining US Treasury yields across the curve.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP in choppy price action, weighed down by falling institutional interest 

Bitcoin's upside remains largely constrained amid weak technicals and declining institutional interest. Ethereum trades sideways above $1,900 support with the upside capped below $2,000 amid ETF outflows.

Week ahead – Data blitz, Fed Minutes and RBNZ decision in the spotlight

US GDP and PCE inflation are main highlights, plus the Fed minutes. UK and Japan have busy calendars too with focus on CPI. Flash PMIs for February will also be doing the rounds. RBNZ meets, is unlikely to follow RBA’s hawkish path.

Ripple Price Forecast: XRP potential bottom could be in sight

Ripple edges up above the intraday low of $1.35 at the time of writing on Friday amid mixed price actions across the crypto market. The remittance token failed to hold support at $1.40 the previous day, reflecting risk-off sentiment amid a decline in retail and institutional sentiment.