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Morgan Downey's Commodity News
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61 issues
Friday, August 14, 2026
Wheat up $13 (+1.9%) on Black Sea supply disruptions from Ukrainian drone strikes halting operations at Russia's Novorossiysk port. Cocoa down $96 (-1.7%). Dutch TTF up $0.70 (+1…
Thursday, August 13, 2026
Platinum down $39 (-2.2%) on subdued US inflation report. Crude down $1.77 (-2.1%) on US crude inventories build. Palladium down $28 (-2.1%) on broad precious metals selloff.…
Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Silver up $1.95 (+3.0%) on safe-haven buying and industrial demand amid Middle East tensions and softer dollar. Wheat up $19 (+3.0%) on August USDA WASDE report tightening global…
Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Crude up over $2 (+3%) to $84 (WTI) and $90 (Brent) on hopes for a US-Iran Hormuz deal fading after Trump demands compensation from Tehran. Refined product margins (spread above…
Monday, August 10, 2026
Dutch TTF up $2.62 (+4.7%) on persistent Strait of Hormuz LNG supply disruptions tightening European balances. Nat Gas up $0.098 (+3.7%) on ongoing Strait of Hormuz LNG supply sho…
Saturday, August 8, 2026 Week in Review
Week in Review · research, podcasts and the week’s biggest moves
Friday, August 7, 2026
Crude Oil recovers to $78 (WTI) and $84 (Brent). Technical traders analyze WTI completing a morning star reversal and potential contracting triangle setups driven by Hormuz develop…
Thursday, August 6, 2026
Cocoa down $269 (-4.5%) on softer industrial demand and lower grindings. Dutch TTF up $2.11 (+4.0%) on Middle East supply disruption concerns. Iron Ore up $1.7 (+1.8%). Zinc…
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Oil market sideways this morning as it awaits details on Iran peace deal. China loosens crisis export controls in a nod toward a return to “normal”. Cocoa up $167 (+2.8%) on West A…
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Dutch TTF up $2.55 (+4.4%) on Europe entering storage season with levels at 18-year low for the date amid stalled refill and LNG supply risks. Crude up $1.84 (+2.5%) on Iran deny…
Monday, August 3, 2026
Crude down $4.91 (-5.3%) on Trump announcing peace talks with Iran will resume after canceling planned strike. Iron Ore down $2.2 (-2.3%). HRC down $7 (-1.8%). Sugar up $0.24…
Saturday, August 1, 2026 Week in Review
Week in Review · research, podcasts and the week’s biggest moves
Friday, July 31, 2026
Hormuz tanker ship-to-ship transfers rebound after slowdown keeping a lid on crude prices. Refining margins are down this morning also. Both flat price crude (recovery in Hormuz fl…
Thursday, July 30, 2026
Oil stable this morning following a volatile start to the week. The big movers today are wheat and the iron ore complex. Wheat up $22 (+3.4%) on Black Sea grain export risks from…
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Crude up $2.55 (+3.3%) on renewed Middle East hostilities. US base in Jordan intercepted an Iranian ballistic missile attack at about 5:45 ET yesterday evening, Tuesday, July 28, 2…
Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Major 6.8 earthquake in Japan at 3:27am ET (4:27pm Japan) this morning. Even with the large magnitude, early reports indicate the damage seems to be relatively manageable. Crude…
Monday, July 27, 2026
Crude down around (Brent) -$8 (-8%) to $88.88 (WTI $83) on U.S.-Iran fighting pause amid China finally entering peace negotiations (first reported after the close Friday evening by…
Saturday, July 25, 2026 Week in Review
Week in Review · research, podcasts and the week’s biggest moves
Friday, July 24, 2026
Crude down $3.28 (-3.8%) to $89 (WTI) and $97 (Brent) following a 7:43pm ET (Wed Jul 24, 2026) NYT story mentioning mediation, and in this case via Iraq. Ongoing backchannel negoti…
Thursday, July 23, 2026
Crude up overnight by $4 to $98 (Brent) after following two Saudi tankers being hit in the Red Sea 70 miles off Saudi by Iran-backed Houthi drones/missiles at 4pm ET yesterday (Wed…
Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Crude up $3.80 (+5%) to its highest level in 5 weeks (WTI $88, Brent $95) primarily on US’s Rubio (2am ET this morning during ASEAN summit in Manila) saying Iran 'not serious' abou…
Tuesday, July 21, 2026
Silver up $2.34 (+4.1%) on potential resumption of US-Iran peace negotiations easing energy inflation and rate-hike concerns. Coffee up $10.3 (+3.2%). Copper up $0.18 (+2.9%). Plat…
Monday, July 20, 2026
Oil price (WTI was up almost $3 to $85 and Brent over $90) was up over the weekend on US strikes in Iran watching highest prices in a month. However at 3am NY time this (Monday J…
Saturday, July 18, 2026 Week in Review
Week in Review · research, podcasts and the week’s biggest moves
Friday, July 17, 2026
The Hormuz Chokepoint removal has begun: Chevron explores Hormuz bypass pipeline across Syria for Iraqi oil. Iran directs Houthis to prepare Red Sea closure if US strikes power gri…
Thursday, July 16, 2026
Crude (WTI $79, Brent $84) relatively quiet this morning, but refinery margins continue to rally. Hormuz tanker traffic has fallen Thursday to multi-week lows following renewed US…
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Crude oil (WTI $80, Brent $85) stable today following the price rally since the weekend. Brent backwardation (down sloping curve) is hitting a one-month high on the renewed Hormuz…
Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Oil Tanker market soars: Baltic Exchange West Africa-China VLCC tanker rate rose to $188,957 per day Monday, up 92% week-on-week to the highest since March 10. Cotton up $4.69 (+6…
Monday, July 13, 2026
Cocoa down $435 (-7.0%) on improved West African supply outlook and softer industrial demand. Cotton up $4.01 (+5.2%) on adverse weather in key growing regions. Crude up $1.29…
Saturday, July 11, 2026 Week in Review
Week in Review · research, podcasts and the week’s biggest moves
Friday, July 10, 2026
US Nat Gas (Henry Hub) drops almost 10% between today and yesterday to now under $3 following larger than expected weekly inventory builds and Freeport LNG export maintenance annou…
Thursday, July 9, 2026
Oil (crude) rallied yesterday (Wednesday) following the skirmishes in the Strait of Hormuz and the US response. Meanwhile no relief at the retail pump as sky high refining margins…
Wednesday, July 8, 2026
Crude up $4.70 (+6.6%) on US revoking Iran's oil export license and fresh strikes amid Strait of Hormuz attacks. Dutch TTF up $2.69 (+5.8%) on Qatari LNG tanker attack in Strait o…
Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Oil up $1 to $69.50 (WTI) as Iran (IRGC) fired missiles at two commercial ships overnight July 6 (Monday night ET). One of the vessels was a Qatari LNG tanker. Both ships damaged b…
Monday, July 6, 2026
Oil sideways in crude markets, but the main show in oil is the refining margins for gasoline and diesel which are rallying again up to $55/barrel (321 NY crack) from pre-crisis sub…
Saturday, July 4, 2026 Week in Review
Week in Review · research, podcasts and the week’s biggest moves
Friday, July 3, 2026
US equities closed Friday July 3 for the Independence Day holiday. However, CME futures are trading until the afternoon of Friday July 3. So commodity markets are currently open. O…
Thursday, July 2, 2026
Platinum up $25 (+1.5%) on weaker dollar overnight. Crude down $1.08 (-1.5%) on rising shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and progress in US-Iran talks. Distillate cracks (di…
Wednesday, July 1, 2026
Silver down $1.63 (-2.7%) on strong US economic data reinforcing Fed rate hike expectations. Sugar up $0.39 (+2.6%) on below-average Indian monsoon rains cutting supply prospects…
Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Nickel (SHFE $/mt) down $326 (-1.9%) on SHFE metals weakness with nickel and aluminium leading declines. JKM up $0.30 (+1.9%). Aluminium (SHFE $/mt) down $54 (-1.8%) on SHFE me…
Monday, June 29, 2026
Cocoa down $155 (-3.0%) on signs of larger global supplies sparking long liquidation. Platinum down $35 (-2.1%) on higher US interest rate expectations weighing on precious metal…
Saturday, June 27, 2026 Week in Review
Week in Review · research, podcasts and the week’s biggest moves
Friday, June 26, 2026
Cotton down $3.18 (-4.0%) on a firmer dollar and cheaper synthetics as weak oil drags polyester costs lower. Crude down $2.63 (-3.6%) on easing supply concerns as tankers resume tr…
Thursday, June 25, 2026
Cotton down $3.08 (-3.9%) on US cotton futures posting midweek losses amid broader commodity weakness. Cocoa up $138 (+2.7%) on heavy rains in Ivory Coast flooding roads and thre…
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Cocoa up $329 (+7.1%) on short-covering amid heavy rains in Ivory Coast flooding roads and raising brown rot disease risks. Palladium down $65 (-5.3%) on easing geopolitical risk…
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Silver down $3.16 (-4.8%) on stronger US dollar and Fed rate-hike bets outweighing Iran ceasefire progress. JKM up $0.55 (+3.6%) on supply concerns from Australian strikes and Mid…
Monday, June 22, 2026
Dutch TTF up $1.90 (+4.7%) on signs of progress in US-Iran talks fading and renewed concerns over Europe’s low storage and winter refill needs. Cocoa up $160 (+3.7%) on El Niño ri…
Saturday, June 20, 2026 Week in Review
Week in Review · research, podcasts and the week’s biggest moves
Friday, June 19, 2026
JKM down $0.51 (-3.2%) on easing Middle East supply risks after US-Iran interim ceasefire and Strait of Hormuz reopening. Dutch TTF up $1.13 (+2.8%) on technical rebound after pri…
Thursday, June 18, 2026
Palladium down $63 (-4.6%) on easing Middle East tensions unwinding risk premium. Platinum down $73 (-4.1%) on easing Middle East tensions unwinding risk premium. Silver down $…
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
JKM down $2.84 (-15.1%) on increased LNG supply normalizing flows to Asia. Dutch TTF down $0.97 (-2.3%) on mild weather and ample LNG arrivals easing European balances. Cotton…
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Crude down $1.79 (-2.2%) on US-Iran peace deal reopening Strait of Hormuz. Cocoa up $88 (+2.2%) on short-covering amid El Nino supply risks. Platinum up $30 (+1.7%) on safe-hav…
Monday, June 15, 2026
Dutch TTF down $2.73 (-5.8%) on US-Iran peace deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz. Cocoa up $210 (+5.3%) on robust Ivory Coast mid-crop arrivals and rising inventories. Crude down $4…
Saturday, June 13, 2026 Week in Review
Week in Review · research, podcasts and the week’s biggest moves
Friday, June 12, 2026
Palladium up $69 (+5.5%) on tariff fears and physically-backed futures launch boosting buying. Dutch TTF down $2.69 (-5.4%) on surging inventories and milder weather forecasts ea…
Thursday, June 11, 2026
Nat Gas down $0.059 (-1.9%) on cooler US temperature forecasts curbing near-term cooling demand. Cotton down $1.27 (-1.6%) on improved US Cotton Belt rainfall boosting crop prosp…
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Cotton down $1.97 (-2.5%) on improved weather boosting crop prospects and firm dollar. Platinum down $41 (-2.4%) on broad precious metals weakness amid renewed Middle East tensions…
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
Silver down $3.06 (-4.5%) on de-escalation of Iran-Israel hostilities easing safe-haven demand. Crude down $3.24 (-3.3%) on Iran and Israel agreeing to halt attacks boosting hope…
Monday, June 8, 2026
Oil prices jumped more than $4 a barrel on Israeli strikes hitting Iran and Lebanon, yet OPEC+ still approved another output increase after the Hormuz closure, showing supply disci…
Sunday, June 7, 2026 Week in Review
Week in Review · research, podcasts and the week’s biggest moves
Saturday, June 6, 2026
US crude exports are stripping inventories to the bone while global stocks sit depleted, setting up the next oil spike just as natural gas futures wobble after their recent run and…
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