From Istockanalyst.com: With many major commodities looking to gain some traction, the oil market seems to have found a pretty solid support level near the $40 per barrel mark.

Despite our long-term bullish outlook, the natural gas market has yet to respond and continues to trade in a rather stubborn range…….Full Article: Source

From Cnbc.com: Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, said he is still “100 percent enormously optimistic” about the U.S. economy over long-term, but doesn’t see short-term signs of a pick-up.

“American economy is slow, and still getting slower, but that will turn,” he said. He said there are some signs of a turnaround in residential real estate……Full Article: Source

From Chinastakes.com: The outbreak of swine flu is delivering a severe blow to commodities markets, including those in the Far East.
On Monday, soybean meal at the Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) led the free fall of agricultural commodities, and dampened sentiment spilled over to base metals in Shanghai. Analysts believe that market’s panic will accelerate downward adjustment and magnify the volatility of commodities markets, especially with uncertainty ruling the world economy…….Full Article: Source

From Reuters: A wave of hedge funds are being launched this year by traders as the financial crisis fuels a shakeout of talent from Wall Street banks and big investment firms, an industry executive said.

Record redemptions last year prompted hundreds of hedge funds to shut down, and swooning markets have made it difficult to raise new capital. Still, one leading financial services technology firm said a growing number of managers are braving the tough environment to strike out on their own…….Full Article: Source

From Reuters: Oil prices rose to their highest close of the year on Monday as investors bet the economic recession would end soon, paving the way for a recovery of ailing world energy demand.

U.S. crude futures rose $1.27 to $54.47 a barrel — the highest settlement since November 24. London Brent rose $1.73 to $54.58…….Full Article: Source

From Telegraph: Record inventories of crude oil are building up around the world threatening to swamp storage space and belying optimism in the markets about an imminent economic recovery.
Rotterdam, Europe’s biggest port, is running out of room for more oil, US reserves are at a 19-year record and tankers are being used as floating storage off Britain’s south coast, even though OPEC is reducing production…….Full Article: Source

From AP: Energy companies are venturing deeper into the Gulf of Mexico as they explore for and produce new sources of crude and natural gas, a new government report shows.

The number of production projects operating in depths greater than 1,000 feet rose 8 percent last year to 141, according to the report released Monday by the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service, which oversees U.S. offshore activity…….Full Article: Source

From Tehrantimes.com: An abundant spare capacity of oil that has built up across the world will ensure that oil and gas prices will not rise till late in 2010.

A research team headed by Francisco Blanch, the London based analyst says that the prices “may” considerably rise in 2011…….Full Article: Source

From Guardian.co.uk: Russia’s oil wealth funds lost $13 billion in value over the last month, falling to around $193 billion, as Russia taps into the cash pot to cover its budget deficit, the finance ministry said on Monday.
The Reserve Fund, designated for plugging holes in the federal budget, is currently worth 3.6 billion roubles or $106.81 billion, down from 4.1 trillion roubles on April 1…….Full Article: Source

From Optionetics.com: One of the many, many benefits of becoming an option seller in commodities is that you don’t always have to be looking for the next “hot” market. You don’t have to analyze 1327 different stocks to find the one that will surely “take off” in the next quarter.

If you are in the business of looking for the next Google, you most likely discard dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of “dogs” in your quest for your diamond in the rough. By “dogs” I mean stocks with lackluster fundamentals, uninspiring price action and little reason to move more than marginally higher. In equities, you might toss these “dogs” aside by the handful…….Full Article: Source

From Ogj.com: Despite the emphasis on alternative energy sources in current and proposed government energy policies, the US cannot attain energy independence by 2030, said a large majority of oil and gas executives recently surveyed by KPMG LLP’s Global Energy Institute.

Most surveyed said mass production of alternative energy simply is not viable in the short term. And while there is a marked shift in their acknowledgement of global warming, the majority does not support proposed regulations to stem carbon dioxide emissions…….Full Article: Source

From Etaiwannews.com: When President Barack Obama stood in front of wind turbine towers in a Newton, Iowa, factory last week he was not only pushing his green energy policies but promoting an industry that has been growing rapidly and gaining favor with investors.

Revenue from solar, wind power, ethanol and biodiesel fuel grew 50 percent to about $116 billion last year, according to Clean Edge Inc., a research and publishing firm. The spike in green revenue, and the backing of the federal government to explore these energy sources has excited investors…….Full Article: Source

From Monstersandcritics.com: Australia postponed by a year the introduction of its proposed emissions-trading scheme, citing the slowing world economy for the delay.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd also slashed by one-third the proposed starting price of carbon to 10 Australian dollars (7 US dollars) a ton - a move that effectively delays the creation of a carbon market by another year…….Full Article: Source

From Timesonline.co.uk: Senior figures from aviation and other interested groups will gather tomorrow in London to explain how the industry can work effectively at the heart of a global low-carbon economy.
No doubt loud voices will claim that the two are not compatible and will try to force a choice between aviation and a cooler climate. The truth is that we can have both…….Full Article: Source

From IANS: Gold sales across the country zoomed 14 percent in value terms April 27, this year’s Akshaya Tritiya, compared to the auspicious day last year, the World Gold Council (WGC) announced here Thursday.

Akshaya Tritiya is an auspicious day according to the Hindu calendar for buying long-term assets like gold and silver, including ornaments made of the same, diamond and other precious stones, and real estate…….Full Article: Source

From Mineweb.com: When the U.S. Treasury made the decision to attack the nation’s current economic meltdown with massive rate slashes and huge infusions of liquidity as it bailed out many of the country’s largest financial institutions and major corporations, financial analysts began predicting that inflation would follow.

Although the U.S. economy is still in a deflationary recession, at some point, the winds will change and the U.S. will see an increase in inflation. When? That is the million dollar question - but few can argue against the inevitability of the final result…….Full Article: Source

From Mineweb.com: While silver enjoyed a strong run during the first quarter of this year, hitting a six-month high of $14.30/oz, a recently published analysis by Fortis Bank/VM Group asserts the precious metal’s price “still appears to be hovering in something of a no-man’s land.”

Meanwhile, in a recently published analysis, metals analysts Carl Firman and Matthew Turner noted aggregate silver output for VM Group’s top 20 miners declined almost 5% to 10,797t in the fourth quarter…….Full Article: Source

From Indiatimes.com: Surprise improvement in the US consumer confidence index for April 2009 and a less severe contraction in its manufacturing sector, have recharged bullish investors to scale up their holdings in base metals.

After remaining weak for the past five days, all major base metals ended the weak on a strong note…….Full Article: Source

From Telegraph.co.uk: The Americans call it Dr Copper because it is regarded as a leading indicator of economic activity. With prices showing large gains this year, could price rises in the metal portent the start of another bull market?
Copper is used in all sorts of manufacturing and construction. The average hybrid car uses twice as much copper as traditional petrol or diesel vehicles and it is used in wiring and piping in homes and commercial buildings…….Full Article: Source

From Yourmetalnews.com: The refined copper market balance is projected to develop a higher surplus of at least 3,45,000 tonnes and 4,00,000 tonnes for 2009 and 2010 respectively, higher than the surplus of 2,50,000 tonnes for 2008, according to a recent forecast for 2009-2010 from the International Copper Study Group (ICSG).

Recognising that the current global economic crisis has created a large degree of uncertainty in the global market, and its impact on both supply and demand for refined copper are not fully known, ICSG has cautioned that market developments in future could significantly alter forward-looking market balances…….Full Article: Source

From Mineweb.com: S&P predicts mining companies will “face a period of low prices and reduced production” this year leading to sharp decline in profitability and cash flow generation.
The persistent pressure on the credit quality of metals and mining companies based in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) will cause the credit metrics of many Standard & Poor’s rated metals and mining companies to materially weaken this year…….Full Article: Source

From Commodityonline.com: Metal stocks witnessed heavy buoyancy as metal prices kept surging on the commexes, following increased global metal consumption.

Global economies indicated signs of recovery with larger consumption of base metals in industrial activities. The sectoral BSE Metals index has recorded a rise of close to 41% over past one quarter, giving hints of recovery in the industrial consumption…….Full Article: Source

From Agmetalminer.com: Though it’s too early to call “growth,” a few more data points from the latest Institute of Supply Management’s April 2009 Report on Business indicate a line has started to form.
April’s report appears to support the notion that the economy has neared a bottom. The rate of decline has continued to slow and several key measures have turned positive…….Full Article: Source

From Theherald.co.uk: Currency analysts at Bank of America Securities-Merrill Lynch have turned bullish on sterling, predicting it will gain strength because the global recession has passed its lowest point.

The investment bank said that it had revised its forecasts for the dollar, yen, euro and pound to take account of a change in economic conditions…….Full Article: Source

From Bloomberg: The dollar traded near a one-month low against the euro before a U.S. report that may show demand for services is improving in the world’s largest economy, reducing demand for the relative safety of the greenback.

The yen was near a three-week low versus the euro and a six-month low against Australia’s dollar as speculation the global slump is easing spurred investors to buy higher-yielding assets…….Full Article: Source

From Nasdaq.com: Exchange traded funds (ETFs) are a great versatile tool for all types of investors and offer many advantages that no other investment tool does, but there are things to be mindful of.

Those who advocate the use of ETFs note that they offer low expense ratios, diversification, tax efficiency, exposure to sectors and markets that traditionally can’t be accessed through an index and transparency. One of the greatest things they offer investors is a vast array of choices that can satisfy any appetite…….Full Article: Source

From Indiatimes.com: The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has been asked to prepare a blueprint for a pan-African stock exchange in a move that would help deepen India’s economic engagement with the continent, a finance ministry official said.

NSE may partner stock exchanges in 53 African Union countries to enable local companies and investors to participate in a larger equity market. The NSE would provide technological support in the proposed project…….Full Article: Source

From Indiatimes.com: The spat between National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) and commodity markets regulator Forward Markets Commission (FMC) has intensified.

Two commodity market persons said that the exchange has filed a petition in the Supreme Court after the Bombay High Court disposed of its petition against the regulator on the issue of transaction charges at the admission stage itself…….Full Article: Source

From Reuters: Africa’s largest sesame exporter Ethiopia traded the seed through a new electronic system at its commodity exchange for the first time on Monday.

The government says trading sesame through the exchange will help small farmers get a better price for their seed and will also improve the quality of exported sesame…….Full Article: Source

From Easybourse.com: Trading volume at CME Group Inc. (CME) fell 23% in April compared to the same time a year ago, even as the world’s largest futures exchange reported increased activity in its most popular stock index product.
An average 9.2 million contracts were traded each day in April, said CME - which operates the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Chicago Board of Trade, and the energy-dominated New York Mercantile Exchange…….Full Article: Source

From FT: Soyabean and vegetable oil prices hit fresh seven-month highs on Monday, reflecting tightness due to falling supplies from Argentina, the third-largest exporter, which has been hit by drought, and strong buying from top importer China.

The surge in oilseed prices has lifted vegetable oil and animal feeding costs to the same levels of late 2007 and early 2008, when the food crisis was already hitting some developing countries…….Full Article (Registration required): Source

From FT: Corn drives the ag bus. It’s the largest crop in the U.S., worth approximately $47.4 billion in 2008. At this point in the season, farmers across the nation are desperately trying to plant some 85 million acres of corn.

At least, that’s what they’d like to be doing. Mostly though, farmers are scanning the skies and weather reports for signs that they might be able to close up their umbrellas…….Full Article: Source

From Commoditytrader.com: For the last year and half we have gotten bad news about the economy and we are now starting to see more favorable news trickle in, the key is to be objective and to look at everything.
It seems that all the markets are interconnected as the metals trade with the currencies, energies with equities and all agriculture seems to move together. Observe relationships and follow the flow of money…….Full Article: Source