All Natural Resources Articles
  • Boutique fuels and America’s gas supply

    Lucy Wallwork Natural Resources

    In this new ear of cheap fuel, resistance to the EPA's "boutique fuel" requirements — which stipulate a unique recipe for fuel sold in a particular state — has quieted. The regulators can breathe a sigh of relief for now. But what are these "boutique fuel" requirements? What is their purpose? And are they more hassle than they are worth?

  • Metal Thoughts: Double rainbow

    Brad Yates Natural Resources

    Last week saw oil, gold, long duration treasuries, the U.S. dollar and most U.S. equities all higher (show in Chart 2, below). As best I can tell, that hasn't happened in at least a year. All of those asset classes benefit in some way from lower interest rates, so much of it was due to weak GDP and perceived dovishness from the FOMC. You would not normally expect the U.S. dollar to rally as well, but much of that was driven by new levels of Bank of Japan (BoJ) aggression. Still, it's a bit of an anomaly.

  • Metals Thoughts: A new hope

    Brad Yates Retail

    Gold has broken through its heretofore stubborn resistance at the 100 DMA and also made a new high above its prior January highs of 1,113. The higher highs, higher lows, trend is still in place from the Dec. 3 lows.

  • Low cost of oil brings positive effects to tourism industry

    Rebecca Ryan Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

    ​Enjoying low prices at the pump? So is the tourism industry. With recent substantial dips in the price of oil, hospitality and tourism are adding jobs at rapid rates. Though oil at less than $30 a barrel raises concern for the energy industry, consumers and businesses are predicted to see an upswing.

  • Oil-dependent Saudi Arabia forced into reform

    Lucy Wallwork Natural Resources

    Starting this year, Saudi Arabian citizens will have to get used to paying more at the pump, signaling the end of an era. As 2015 closed out, the Saudi government started putting into action a raft of apparent reforms, chief among them a 40 percent hike in retail fuel prices.

  • How to achieve industrial marketing success in 2016

    Joe Sullivan Engineering

    IHS Engineering360 recently published a fantastic study called "2015 Digital Media Use in the Industrial Sector." Based on a survey of more than 1,400 technical professionals, the prevailing message for marketers is this: As industrial professionals spend more of their time gathering information online, those of us who sell our products and services to industrial professionals must begin shifting our marketing spend online accordingly.

  • Metals Thoughts: Space oddity

    Brad Yates Retail

    ​Gold started the year with a $45 rally from $1,065 basis, but for the last few days has seemed bound and determined to give much of it back. Silver has already achieved that feat, having been up as much as 4 percent on the year as recently as Jan. 8 and has now given all of that back.

  • No end to volatility in oil markets at the outset of 2016

    Lucy Wallwork Natural Resources

    The market may have become the new "swing producer" since the shale revolution. But the 3 percent jump in oil prices in the opening days of the new year — on the back of an execution in Saudi Arabia that inflamed sectarian tensions — reminded us of the repercussions that instability in the Middle East continues to have for global oil markets.

  • Metals Thoughts: 2016 outlook

    Brad Yates Natural Resources

    Welcome to 2016. In many ways, gold was the dog that didn't bark after the Fed hiked rates and so our desk has turned bullish for 2016. There are a lot of interesting short-term developments, but the gist is: CFTC positions show that long liquidations have continued. Net spec longs are the lowest level since 2008, and shorts are at elevated levels as well. Beginning-of-the-year hedging could weigh us down for a few trading days, but our broader outlook is neutral to higher.

  • Post-Paris picture: How gloomy is the outlook for oil majors?

    Lucy Wallwork Natural Resources

    I reported in my last piece on how Barack Obama was preparing the ground for the United Nations climate change talks in Paris with his symbolic decision to reject the Keystone XL pipeline. The bold move seems to have worked — the deal struck Dec. 12 by the 195 nations was recognized as a major feat of diplomacy, albeit lacking on specifics and legally binding commitments.