The Great Debate UK
from Breakingviews:
Stampede of the oil bulls
Oil price bulls and bears have both had their triumphs in recent history. The price of crude rose to $147 a barrel in July of 2008 only to plummet to $33 a barrel a few months later. It swung past $82 a barrel this week because of a cold snap, and is up 18 percent since mid-December. But barring heightened tension in the Middle East, oil looks likely to slide in the short term.
Demand remains relatively subdued, in spite of the massive stimulus applied to the global economy. This is especially true in OECD countries and the United States, the largest consumer of energy. American crude oil inventories actually rose by 1.3 million barrels last week when temperatures plummeted, according to the latest figures by the Department of Energy. Elsewhere in the OECD, oil inventories have fallen, but only slightly, according to the International Energy Agency. They are still high, at nearly 60 days of demand.
Other factors could weigh on the price in the immediate future too. A combination of easy money from the world’s central banks and the weak dollar has made investing in commodities relatively attractive. But the central bankers' generosity could soon come to an end if inflation moves from a theoretical threat to a reality.
Oil bulls argue that global economic growth, in particular in China and other emerging markets, will be strong enough to sustain further gains. But the recovery remains too uncertain to call. China has just hiked interest rates on its three-month bills in an effort to slow bank lending, a move that could ultimately lead to a dampening of demand. That alone shaved a few cents off the oil price Thursday.
from Global Investing:
What worries the BRICs
Some fascinating data about the growing power of emerging markets, particularly the BRICs, was on display at the OECD's annual investment conference in Paris this week. Not the least of it came from MIGA, the World Bank's Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, which tries to help protect foreign direct investors from various forms of political risk.
MIGA has mainly focused on encouraging investment into developing countries, but a lot of its latest work is about investment from emerging economies.
