Coronavirus Infects Commodity Markets

Nothing demonstrates the volatility of commodity markets better than the title of this blog. In just a few days, the virus went from a serious problem in China to a global health emergency impacting more than a dozen countries. As the coronavirus spreads, there is a cascading effect that runs through commodity markets, disrupting commodity trading across the globe. 

• Oil prices slumped to 3-month lows in response to the widening spread of the virus in China, the world’s top oil importer.
• OPEC may extend current oil output cuts until at least June and consider deeper cuts if oil demand is badly hit.
• Flights in and out of China were cancelled this week, depressing jet fuel prices and production margins in Asia and hurting refiners and fuel exporters.
• Palm oil prices slumped as traders reacted to China closing offices, malls and factories. China is the second largest palm importer in the world.
• Base metals slumped as Toyota and other manufacturers announced extended plant shutdowns.
• Grain markets slid sharply.    

Commodity markets are volatile, and extreme weather, fast-spreading viruses, geopolitics, and trade wars can dramatically swing markets in just a few hours. Commodity trading companies cannot afford to wait days or weeks to analyze shifting markets – they need to analyze the situation now so they can create a plan to capitalize on opportunities, minimize losses, or mitigate risk.

That’s why we created our Cloud Platform, to deliver real-time access to all your data – market feeds, weather reports, inventory positions, etc. – so you can run analyses at any time and from any place – via computer, tablet or phone. 

If your contracts with China are in jeopardy, you can quickly evaluate selling to other markets and determine if you should reallocate your products or wait until prices recover. Having access to the data now, combined with the ability to analyze that data quickly and effectively, enables you to moveaji fast, so you make the best possible choices for your business.