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Cocoa Jumps as Unrest Continues in Top Producer Ivory Coast

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Cocoa
  • Cocoa Jumps as Unrest Continues in Top Producer Ivory Coast

Cocoa extended its biggest weekly gain in five years after talks between army commanders and mutinous soldiers in the world’s top producer Ivory Coast failed over the weekend.

The beans jumped as much as 4.4 percent in London as Ivory Coast’s military was said to have given soldiers an ultimatum on Sunday to drop their pay demands and end a revolt. Special forces will take action against the soldiers should the talks fail, a person familiar with the matter said.

There were reports of shooting early Monday at the main army barracks in Abidjan, the commercial capital, and the country’s second-biggest city of Bouake.

“There has been a slight pick-up in the price in the last few days and that may actually reflect people getting a bit nervous,” Edward George, head of research at Ecobank Transnational Inc., “Bouake is one of the centers of the cocoa trade so obviously people are worried.”

Cocoa for delivery in July rose 1.8 percent to 1,597 pounds ($2,065) a metric ton by 12:01 p.m. on ICE Futures Europe in London. Prices reached the highest since April 7, after rallying 7.4 percent last week, the biggest increase for the most-active contract since January 2012.

The unrest was sparked by an announcement from President Alassane Ouattara on Thursday that the government reached a compromise with troops who revolted earlier this year over unpaid bonuses. The nation last month revised its budget amid lower prices for cocoa, its main export, limiting its ability to pay soldiers.

Cocoa has fallen 27 percent in the past 12 months on expectations of bumper harvests in West Africa including record supplies from Ivory Coast. Money managers have held a net-bearish position in cocoa futures and options in New York since November though trimmed the wager last week. Any bullish news could prompt speculators to make purchases to cover their short positions, according to Marex Spectron Group.

“The dangerous thing is, there is a very big speculative short in New York and the situation in Ivory Coast — that’s a catalyst in the market to trigger short-covering,” Jonathan Parkman, the co-head of agriculture at Marex in London, said by phone. “It’s a political worry. Do I actually think it will restrict cocoa supplies? I seriously doubt that.”

All import and export operations at Ivory Coast’s biggest port in Abidjan are continuing as usual, spokesman Alexis Guie said by phone on Monday.

Soldiers have wounded civilians and blocked roads to the main border with Burkina Faso, while citizens opposed to the rebellion have organized protests across Ivory Coast. Special forces troops are moving toward Bouake in the center of the country, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because he’s not authorized to speak about it.

Meanwhile, in Cameroon, another top producer, stevedores called off a strike on Sunday after 200 members downed tools on May 12, stalling exports of cocoa and coffee.

“The thing is that there is ample cocoa out there,” Ecobank’s George said. “We’ve got a very good supply coming in in Ghana, so it’s going to take something pretty spectacular to turn the market.”

Is the CEO/Founder of Investors King Limited. A proven foreign exchange research analyst and a published author on Yahoo Finance, Businessinsider, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur.com, Investorplace, and many more. He has over two decades of experience in global financial markets.

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Crude Oil

Oil Prices Continue to Slide: Drops Over 1% Amid Surging U.S. Stockpiles

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Crude Oil

Amidst growing concerns over surging U.S. stockpiles and indications of static output policies from major oil-producing nations, oil prices declined for a second consecutive day by 1% on Wednesday.

Brent crude oil, against which the Nigerian oil price is measured, shed 97 cents or 1.12% to $85.28 per barrel.

Similarly, U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude slumped by 93 cents or a 1.14% fall to close at $80.69.

The recent downtrend in oil prices comes after they reached their highest level since October last week.

However, ongoing concerns regarding burgeoning U.S. crude inventories and uncertainties surrounding potential inaction by the OPEC+ group in their forthcoming technical meeting have exacerbated the downward momentum.

Market analysts attribute the decline to expectations of minimal adjustments to oil output policies by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, known collectively as OPEC+, until a full ministerial meeting scheduled for June.

In addition to concerns about excess supply, the market’s attention is also focused on the impending release of official government data on U.S. crude inventories, scheduled for Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT).

Analysts are keenly observing OPEC members for any signals of deviation from their production quotas, suggesting further volatility may lie ahead in the oil market.

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Energy

Nigeria Targets $5bn Investments in Oil and Gas Sector, Says Government

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Crude Oil - Investors King

Nigeria is setting its sights on attracting $5 billion worth of investments in its oil and gas sector, according to statements made by government officials during an oil and gas sector retreat in Abuja.

During the retreat organized by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, explained the importance of ramping up crude oil production and creating an environment conducive to attracting investments.

He highlighted the need to work closely with agencies like the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to achieve these goals.

Lokpobiri acknowledged the challenges posed by issues such as insecurity and pipeline vandalism but expressed confidence in the government’s ability to tackle them effectively.

He stressed the necessity of a globally competitive regulatory framework to encourage investment in the sector.

The minister’s remarks were echoed by Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, who spoke at the 2024 Strategic Women in Energy, Oil, and Gas Leadership Summit.

Kyari stressed the critical role of energy in driving economic growth and development and explained that Nigeria still faces challenges in providing stable electricity to its citizens.

Kyari outlined NNPCL’s vision for the future, which includes increasing crude oil production, expanding refining capacity, and growing the company’s retail network.

He highlighted the importance of leveraging Nigeria’s vast gas resources and optimizing dividend payouts to shareholders.

Overall, the government’s commitment to attracting $5 billion in investments reflects its determination to revitalize the oil and gas sector and drive economic growth in Nigeria.

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Commodities

Palm Oil Rebounds on Upbeat Malaysian Exports Amid Indonesian Supply Concerns

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Palm Oil - Investors King

Palm oil prices rebounded from a two-day decline on reports that Malaysian exports will be robust this month despite concerns over potential supply disruptions from Indonesia, the world’s largest palm oil exporter.

The market saw a significant surge as Malaysian export figures for the current month painted a promising picture.

Senior trader David Ng from IcebergX Sdn. in Kuala Lumpur attributed the morning’s gains to Malaysia’s strong export performance, with shipments climbing by a notable 14% during March 1-25 compared to the previous month.

Increased demand from key regions like Africa, India, and the Middle East contributed to this impressive growth, as reported by Intertek Testing Services.

However, amidst this positivity, investors are closely monitoring developments in Indonesia. The Indonesian government’s contemplation of revising its domestic market obligation policy, potentially linking it to production rather than exports, has stirred market concerns.

Edy Priyono, a deputy at the presidential staff office in Jakarta, indicated that this proposed shift aims to mitigate vulnerability to fluctuations in export demand.

Yet, it could potentially constrain supply availability from Indonesia in the future to stabilize domestic prices.

This uncertainty surrounding Indonesian policies has added a layer of complexity to palm oil market dynamics, prompting investors to react cautiously despite Malaysia’s promising export performance.

The prospect of Indonesian supply disruptions underscores the delicacy of global palm oil supply chains and their susceptibility to geopolitical and regulatory factors.

As the market navigates these developments, stakeholders remain attentive to both export data from Malaysia and policy shifts in Indonesia, recognizing their significant impact on palm oil prices and market stability.

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