Q4 Outlook: Entering the final stretch
The Ivy Investments team discusses the global economy outlook as we head into the close of 2018.
Raw Materials & Resources
Reconsidering rare earths
Straw prices hurting EU farmers
Livestock and dairy farmers across northern Europe are paying soaring prices for straw used in food and bedding for cattle, as hot, dry weather takes a toll on regional crops, reports Reuters.
LNG not on tariff list
China’s omission of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from its vast list of U.S. products that face hefty import duties has preserved a potential weapon should the trade war with Washington deepen, reports Reuters.
Pushing for oil production
The U.S. government has quietly asked Saudi Arabia and some other producers in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to increase oil production by about 1 million barrels a day, reports Bloomberg.
Wild for wild salmon
Prices for Norwegian salmon have surged as faltering supply combines with booming global demand, according to Bloomberg.
Technology fuels growing demand for cobalt
Cobalt is rapidly rising in price and could face possible shortages in the future, reports CNBC. Why? The once little-known element is a key ingredient in lithium-ion batteries, which are in high demand because of their use in a wide array of technological devices, including mobile phones and electrified vehicles.
Plant soybeans or corn?
Planting season, a critical time for farmers, just became more nerve-wracking for U.S. growers of soybeans and corn, reports Bloomberg. In a move that caught many in U.S. agriculture by surprise, China, on April 4, announced planned tariffs on American shipments of the two crops.
Shale, Propane and Fleets
Sales of propane-powered vehicles are on the rise in the U.S., according to Bloomberg. The increase is especially noticeable among companies that operate fleet vehicles that would normally be powered by diesel.