Analys

Short term recovery due for platinum and palladium

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5 år sedan

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23 maj, 2020

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The green industrialised precious metals – platinum and palladium have started 2020 on a weak footing owing to the spread of the COVID–19 pandemic globally. The price decline for platinum, down-21.0%, has been more severe than palladium -6.83% since the start of 2020. Palladium and platinum are known to derive a large portion of their usage (accounting for nearly 34% and 84% respectively) from the auto industry.

Owing to their extensive use in vehicle auto catalysts, demand for platinum and palladium remains particularly sensitive to economic, industrial and market conditions. Falling demand from the global auto industry due to automotive shutdowns being imposed globally are denting sentiment towards both platinum and palladium. Platinum has a more diverse demand base compared to palladium. In addition to auto demand – jewellery, industrial and investment demand account for about 25%, 28% and 13% of platinum’s total usage, respectively.

However, amidst the COVID-19 crisis, both jewellery and industrial demand are expected to fall further but investment demand is likely to strength amidst the uncertainty. While the weakness on the demand side remains a key focus, we expect attention to increasingly start to shift to the supply side aiding a short-term price recovery.

Palladium versus platinum prices — Source: Bloomberg, WisdomTree, data available as of close 30 April 2020.

The slump in auto industry should start to recover in H2 as stringent lockdowns ease

The impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the global automobile industry has been severe as production and sales of motor vehicles have come to a sudden halt globally. In the first quarter of 2020, the EU commercial vehicle market contracted by 23.2% as a direct consequence of March’s substantial slowdown. In March 2020, demand for new commercial vehicles fell by 47.3% across the EU, as measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus led to the suspension of production at auto manufacturers.

Meanwhile in China, where the epidemic peaked in February, the market is slowly returning to normality. The Chinese automotive market recovered significantly from its prior slump in March. As the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) reported on 10 April 2020, car sales increased more than fourfold (compared to February) to 1.04mn units. According to reports from the CAAM, the Chinese auto industry regained around 75% of its normal operating level in March. The CAAM expects the vehicle market to continue its recovery in the second quarter although full capacity is only likely to be reached again in the second half of the year. In Europe, assembly lines are now restarting production and the same is expected in North America around mid-May.

As lockdown measures start to ease gradually across the rest of the globe, we expect to see a gradual recovery in demand for the green metals from the auto industry in the second half of the year. However, we remain cautious of end-consumer demand which is anticipated to stay weak as consumer’s propensity to purchase cars will be lower due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis on their purchasing power.

Global auto sales growth — Source: Bloomberg, WisdomTree, data available as of close 30 April 2020.

Supply side destruction is likely to have a bigger impact on platinum vs palladium

South Africa’s Platinum Group Metal (PGM) producers have been hit by severe disruptions since the lockdowns have been imposed in April. South Africa produces around 38% of palladium and 75% of platinum globally. In the past, the South African mining industry faced a range of health issues, including HIV infections, and such concerns have always posed a risk to supply. The five-week lockdown in South Africa ordered by President Ramaphosa is expected to come to an end in the coming days.

While producers are attempting to prepare themselves to restart production at the mines again, the police are preventing them due to the spread of COVID-19. This implies that the current market tightness will only last for short duration. However, the process of ramping operations back to normal is likely to take time even after the shutdown period. It is also hard to determine at this stage if a second wave of infections might trigger another round of shutdowns causing supply disruptions to linger for longer. Initially the mines are expected to be allowed to operate at 50% capacity.

Palladium normally occurs as a by-product of platinum mining (South Africa) or nickel mining (Russia). About 40% of palladium’s supply comes from Russia. Supply of palladium appears to be at less of a risk as the world’s largest palladium producer Nornickel from Russia expects the global palladium market to show a small supply surplus this year for the first time in eight years.

This is because demand for palladium has been impacted severely by the COVID-19 led crisis. Nornickel reduced its 2020 estimate of palladium consumption owing to weaker global car sales. Reflecting on 2011, Gokran, the Russian state reserve fund unexpectedly supplied about 750,000 ounces out of its own stockpile which was followed by three years of palladium’s price decline. The caveat is no one knows how big Gokran’s stockpile or whether they would use this current period of weak demand for palladium to build up stockpile.

No substitution so far, despite palladium’s price premium over platinum

The recent price correction has driven the palladium to platinum ratio down from its peak of 3.1x to 2.4x. Despite palladium’s price premium to platinum it is less likely for platinum to be substituted for palladium in auto catalysts. The chief reason for this is platinum’s lower thermal durability which curtails its use in the widespread adoption of three-way catalysts.

The implementation of Real-Driving Emissions (RDE) testing involves stricter test cycles with faster driving speeds and higher engine temperatures which poses technical hurdles to platinum’s adoption in the three-way catalysts. At high operating temperatures experienced in a gasoline car, platinum particles may sinter, resulting in loss of surface area and hence of catalytic activity according to Johnson Matthey. Compared to palladium-rhodium formulations, the effectiveness of platinum-containing catalysts tends to deteriorate more rapidly as they age. While there might be some near-term potential for platinum to substitute some of the palladium used in diesel catalyst, we do not see a substitution effect in gasoline catalysts this year.

Platinum and palladium have witnessed a sharp downward price correction in 2020 owing to weak sentiment emanating from dwindling demand in the auto industry. Intermediate supply disruptions should aid a short-term price recovery for the green metals. The roll out of more stringent emissions standards globally are also likely to require higher content of platinum and palladium per unit of vehicle which should help offset the impact of weaker demand from the auto industry. Platinum’s supply is more concentrated in South Africa due to which platinum appears more exposed to supply disruptions versus palladium. In addition, palladium derives most of its use from the auto industry in comparison to platinum has a more diversified demand base. Platinum stands to benefit more than palladium owing to the prospect of having a more diversified demand base coupled with the exposure to higher supply risks.

Relaterade ämnen:palladium platium wisdomtree

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Analys

Crude inventories builds, diesel remain low

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15 timmar sedan

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15 augusti, 2025

Redaktionen

U.S. commercial crude inventories posted a 3-million-barrel build last week, according to the DOE, bringing total stocks to 426.7 million barrels – now 6% below the five-year seasonal average. The official figure came in above Tuesday’s API estimate of a 1.5-million-barrel increase.

Ole R. Hvalbye, Analyst Commodities, SEB

Gasoline inventories fell by 0.8 million barrels, bringing levels roughly in line with the five-year norm. The composition was mixed, with finished gasoline stocks rising, while blending components declined.

Diesel inventories rose by 0.7 million barrels, broadly in line with the API’s earlier reading of a 0.3-million-barrel increase. Despite the weekly build, distillate stocks remain 15% below the five-year average, highlighting continued tightness in diesel supply.

Total commercial petroleum inventories (crude and products combined, excluding SPR) rose by 7.5 million barrels on the week, bringing total stocks to 1,267 million barrels. While inventories are improving, they remain below historical norms – especially in distillates, where the market remains structurally tight.

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Analys

OPEC+ will have to make cuts before year end to stay credible

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2 dagar sedan

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14 augusti, 2025

Redaktionen

Falling 8 out of the last 10 days with some rebound this morning. Brent crude fell 0.7% yesterday to USD 65.63/b and traded in an intraday range of USD 65.01 – 66.33/b. Brent has now declined eight out of the last ten days. It is now trading on par with USD 65/b where it on average traded from early April (after ’Liberation day’) to early June (before Israel-Iran hostilities). This morning it is rebounding a little to USD 66/b.

Bjarne Schieldrop, Chief analyst commodities, SEB

Russia lifting production a bit slower, but still faster than it should. News that Russia will not hike production by more than 85 kb/d per month from July to November in order to pay back its ’production debt’ due to previous production breaches is helping to stem the decline in Brent crude a little. While this kind of restraint from Russia (and also Iraq) has been widely expected, it carries more weight when Russia states it explicitly. It still amounts to a total Russian increase of 425 kb/d which would bring Russian production from 9.1 mb/d in June to 9.5 mb/d in November. To pay back its production debt it shouldn’t increase its production at all before January next year. So some kind of in-between path which probably won’t please Saudi Arabia fully. It could stir some discontent in Saudi Arabia leading it to stay the course on elevated production through the autumn with acceptance for lower prices with ’Russia getting what it is asking for’ for not properly paying down its production debt.

OPEC(+) will have to make cuts before year end to stay credible if IEA’s massive surplus unfolds. In its latest oil market report the IEA estimated a need for oil from OPEC of 27 mb/d in Q3-25, falling to 25.7 mb/d in Q4-25 and averaging 25.7 mb/d in 2026. OPEC produced 28.3 mb/d in July. With its ongoing quota unwind it will likely hit 29 mb/d later this autumn. Staying on that level would imply a running surplus of 3 mb/d or more. A massive surplus which would crush the oil price totally. Saudi Arabia has repeatedly stated that OPEC+ it may cut production again. That this is not a one way street of higher production. If IEA’s projected surplus starts to unfold, then OPEC+ in general and Saudi Arabia specifically must make cuts in order to stay credible versus what it has now repeatedly stated. Credibility is the core currency of Saudi Arabia and OPEC(+). Without credibility it can no longer properly control the oil market as it whishes.

Reactive or proactive cuts? An important question is whether OPEC(+) will be reactive or proactive with respect to likely coming production cuts. If reactive, then the oil price will crash first and then the cuts will be announced.

H2 has a historical tendency for oil price weakness. Worth remembering is that the oil price has a historical tendency of weakening in the second half of the year with OPEC(+) announcing fresh cuts towards the end of the year in order to prevent too much surplus in the first quarter.

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Analys

What OPEC+ is doing, what it is saying and what we are hearing

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5 dagar sedan

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11 augusti, 2025

Redaktionen

Down 4.4% last week with more from OPEC+, a possible truce in Ukraine and weak US data. Brent crude fell 4.4% last week with a close of the week of USD 66.59/b and a range of USD 65.53-69.98/b. Three bearish drivers were at work. One was the decision by OPEC+ V8 to lift its quotas by 547 kb/d in September and thus a full unwind of the 2.2 mb/d of voluntary cuts. The second was the announcement that Trump and Putin will meet on Friday 15 August to discuss the potential for cease fire in Ukraine (without Ukraine). I.e. no immediate new sanctions towards Russia and no secondary sanctions on buyers of Russian oil to any degree that matters for the oil price. The third was the latest disappointing US macro data which indicates that Trump’s tariffs are starting to bite. Brent is down another 1% this morning trading close to USD 66/b. Hopes for a truce on the horizon in Ukraine as Putin meets with Trump in Alaska in Friday 15, is inching oil lower this morning.

Trump – Putin meets in Alaska. The potential start of a process. No disruption of Russian oil in sight. Trump has invited Putin to Alaska on 15 August to discuss Ukraine. The first such invitation since 2007. Ukraine not being present is bad news for Ukraine. Trump has already suggested ”swapping of territory”. This is not a deal which will be closed on Friday. But rather a start of a process. But Trump is very, very unlikely to slap sanctions on Russian oil while this process is ongoing. I.e. no disruption of Russian oil in sight.

What OPEC+ is doing, what it is saying and what we are hearing. OPEC+ V8 is done unwinding its 2.2 mb/d in September. It doesn’t mean production will increase equally much. Since it started the unwind and up to July (to when we have production data), the increase in quotas has gone up by 1.4 mb/d, while actual production has gone up by less than 0.7 mb/d. Some in the V8 group are unable to increase while others, like Russia and Iraq are paying down previous excess production debt. Russia and Iraq shouldn’t increase production before Jan and Mar next year respectively.

We know that OPEC+ has spare capacity which it will deploy back into the market at some point in time. And with the accelerated time-line for the redeployment of the 2.2 mb/d voluntary cuts it looks like it is happening fast. Faster than we had expected and faster than OPEC+ V8 previously announced.

As bystanders and watchers of the oil market we naturally combine our knowledge of their surplus spare capacity with their accelerated quota unwind and the combination of that is naturally bearish. Amid this we are not really able to hear or believe OPEC+ when they say that they are ready to cut again if needed. Instead we are kind of drowning our selves out in a combo of ”surplus spare capacity” and ”rapid unwind” to conclude that we are now on a highway to a bear market where OPEC+ closes its eyes to price and blindly takes back market share whatever it costs. But that is not what the group is saying. Maybe we should listen a little.

That doesn’t mean we are bullish for oil in 2026. But we may not be on a ”highway to bear market” either where OPEC+ is blind to the price.

Saudi OSPs to Asia in September at third highest since Feb 2024. Saudi Arabia lifted its official selling prices to Asia for September to the third highest since February 2024. That is not a sign that Saudi Arabia is pushing oil out the door at any cost.

Saudi Arabia OSPs to Asia in September at third highest since Feb 2024