Fiona Boal
Head of Commodities and Real Assets, S&P Dow Jones Indices
Commodities Outperform for the Second Year in a Row
The market standard commodities benchmark, the S&P GSCI, performed admirably in 2022, rising 26%, outpacing other commodities indices and asset classes, as well as defying higher interest rates and growing fears of a prolonged global economic slowdown, while high inflation provided a solid backdrop for one of the most inflation-sensitive asset classes. Commodities has been…
Commodities Challenged by Slowing Global Growth in November
Commodities, represented by the broad-based S&P GSCI, fell 1.7% in November on the back of weakness in the petroleum and grains complexes. Global commodities markets were particularly hit this month by worries over rare demonstrations in China against COVID-19 curbs, with oil and grains falling to multi-month lows and safe-haven gold rising. After 11 months,…
U.S. Dollar Strength Catches Up with Commodities
U.S. dollar strength caught up with commodities in September, with the benchmark S&P GSCI falling 7.8%. Almost all physical commodities are priced in USD, and a stronger USD has historically correlated to weaker commodity demand and lower commodity prices. But the S&P GSCI is holding onto a 21.8% YTD gain despite the USD strength, energy…
- Categories Commodities
- Tags commodities, electricity, energy, energy prices, fuels, grains, industrial metals, inflation, natural gas, oil, precious metals, S&P GSCI, S&P GSCI Agriculture, S&P GSCI Cotton, S&P GSCI German Power, S&P GSCI Gold, S&P GSCI Industrial Metals, S&P GSCI Natural Gas, S&P GSCI Petroleum, S&P GSCI Silver, supply chain
- Categories
- Commodities
- Tags
- commodities, electricity, energy, energy prices, fuels, grains, industrial metals, inflation, natural gas, oil, precious metals, S&P GSCI, S&P GSCI Agriculture, S&P GSCI Cotton, S&P GSCI German Power, S&P GSCI Gold, S&P GSCI Industrial Metals, S&P GSCI Natural Gas, S&P GSCI Petroleum, S&P GSCI Silver, supply chain
Commodities Take a Break over the Northern Hemisphere Summer
The S&P GSCI fell 2.7% in August; renewed strength in agricultural commodities and the continued rally in natural gas were not sufficient to overcome a late-month decline in oil prices. After eight months, the benchmark commodities index is 32% higher YTD, defying higher interest rates and growing fears of a prolonged global economic slowdown. The…
Ship Ahoy: Introducing the S&P GSCI Freight Indices
On Aug. 1, 2022, S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI) launched a series of S&P GSCI Freight Indices, the first of their kind in the market and an expansion of the single-commodity offering of indices based on the S&P GSCI. The S&P GSCI Freight Indices are designed to provide reliable and publicly available performance benchmarks…
Commodities Hit the Brakes in June
The prospect of higher interest rates, fears of a prolonged global economic slowdown and a strong U.S. dollar put the brakes on commodities prices in June. The S&P GSCI, the broad commodities benchmark, ended the month down 7.6%, taking YTD performance to 35.8%, still the best first half performance since 2008. The deteriorating economic outlook…
Food and Energy Inflation Concerns Drive Commodities Higher in May
Record inflation prints, export embargos and import bans helped the S&P GSCI, the broad commodities benchmark, to post another monthly gain in May, ending the month up 5.1% and bringing its YTD performance to 47.0%. The ongoing disruptions to the flow of energy and agricultural commodities out of Ukraine and Russia pushed energy and grain…
- Categories Commodities
- Tags agriculture, commodities, energy, May Commodities Performance, nickel, S&P GSCI, wheat
- Categories
- Commodities
Going Electric: Introducing the S&P GSCI Electric Vehicle Metals
As the world has begun to focus on new technology to aid in the global energy transition, electric vehicles (EV) are becoming more a part of everyday life. S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI) has collaborated with S&P Global Commodity Insights (SPGCI) to launch the S&P GSCI Electric Vehicle Metals, which seeks to track the…
Commodities React to Conflict
Military and economic warfare rocked the financial markets in late February. Beyond the unthinkable human impact, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has had sizeable short- and long-term implications for commodities markets. The S&P GSCI ended the month up 8.8%, driven higher by fears over the continuity of energy supplies in Europe, the dominance of Russia as a…
- Categories Commodities
- Tags agriculture, brent crude, commodities, gold, industrial metals, nickel, Palladium, S&P GSCI
- Categories
- Commodities
Commodities on the Front Foot in January
The strong inflation tailwind that supported commodities in 2021 has bled into 2022, as the S&P GSCI started the year on the front foot, up 11.6% in January. In contrast, the S&P 500® fell 5.2% over the same period. Inflation has traditionally helped commodity markets. Commodities have also historically been a good hedge against inflation….