Global| Sep 21 2018FIBER: Industrial Commodity Prices Weaken
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
Summary
The Industrial Materials Price Index from the Foundation for International Business and Economic Research (FIBER) eased 0.3% during the last four weeks and extended the decline in prices since the peak in the middle of June. The [...]
The Industrial Materials Price Index from the Foundation for International Business and Economic Research (FIBER) eased 0.3% during the last four weeks and extended the decline in prices since the peak in the middle of June. The decline left the index down 2.6% during the last twelve months.
Recent weakness continued to be led by a 1.0% m/m decline (-9.4% y/y) in prices in the metals group. Leading the decline were steel scrap prices which fell 5.8% m/m (+5.6% y/y). Zinc prices were down 2.2% m/m and fell by roughly one-quarter y/y. The cost of aluminum declined 1.2% m/m and 5.2% y/y. Copper scrap prices nudged 0.6% higher (-7.5% y/y) in the last four weeks, and lead prices improved 1.9% m/m (-15.2% y/y). In the textile group, prices eased 0.5% last month (+1.1% y/y). Cotton prices declined 3.3% over the last four weeks (+12.4% y/y) while burlap prices held steady m/m, down 2.7% y/y. To the upside, prices in the crude oil & benzene group increased 0.7% during the last four weeks (13.8% y/y). Crude oil prices gained 4.5% during the last four weeks and 39.4% y/y to an average $70.00 per barrel. Accompanying the rise were lower benzene prices which fell 4.7% m/m (+2.5% y/y). Prices in the miscellaneous sector nudged 0.2% higher during the last four weeks, but fell 6.7% y/y. Natural rubber prices gained 1.2% during the last four weeks but fell 11.1% y/y. Structural panel costs rose 2.4% m/m (-5.4% y/y). Framing lumber prices held steady m/m (+4.8% y/y).
Improvement in prices overall may be coming. The consensus forecast from the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) calls for a 3.8% rise in industrial output during all of 2018 and 2.8% growth in 2019. During the last ten years, there has been a 66% correlation between the y/y change in industrial commodity prices and the y/y change in factory sector output. In addition, factory sector production in the European Union and Japan continues to improve.
Commodity price data can be found in Haver's DAILY, WEEKLY, USECON and CMDTY databases. The NABE forecast is in the SURVEYS database.
| FIBER Industrial Materials Price Index (%) | 1-Mth | 3-Mth | 6-Mth | 12-Mth | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Items | -0.3 | -7.7 | -6.6 | -2.6 | 6.7 | 19.2 | -16.3 |
| Textiles | -0.5 | -1.3 | -1.5 | 1.1 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 2.2 |
| Cotton (cents per pound) | -3.3 | -8.7 | -3.9 | 12.4 | 9.8 | 10.2 | 2.6 |
| Metals | -1.0 | -13.4 | -12.8 | -9.4 | 18.6 | 32.9 | -27.8 |
| Aluminum ($ per metric ton) | -1.2 | -8.9 | -3.0 | -5.2 | 26.0 | 13.0 | -19.2 |
| Copper Scrap (cents per pound) | 0.6 | -13.4 | -11.8 | -7.5 | 29.3 | 17.3 | -27.0 |
| Steel Scrap ($ per ton) | -5.8 | -10.5 | -10.4 | 5.6 | 16.8 | 74.5 | -53.8 |
| Crude Oil & Benzene | 0.7 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 13.8 | 8.1 | 20.4 | -19.4 |
| Crude Oil (WTI, $ per Barrel) | 4.5 | 6.7 | 9.6 | 39.4 | 10.9 | 44.3 | -35.8 |
| Miscellaneous | 0.2 | -11.7 | -9.2 | -6.7 | -0.5 | 21.7 | -18.0 |
| Framing Lumber ($ per 1000 board ft.) | 0.0 | -22.8 | -12.8 | 4.8 | 20.0 | 12.9 | -16.4 |
| Natural Rubber (cents per pound) | 1.2 | -2.2 | -7.8 | -11.1 | -29.6 | 89.4 | -22.5 |
Tom Moeller
AuthorMore in Author Profile »Prior to joining Haver Analytics in 2000, Mr. Moeller worked as the Economist at Chancellor Capital Management from 1985 to 1999. There, he developed comprehensive economic forecasts and interpreted economic data for equity and fixed income portfolio managers. Also at Chancellor, Mr. Moeller worked as an equity analyst and was responsible for researching and rating companies in the economically sensitive automobile and housing industries for investment in Chancellor’s equity portfolio. Prior to joining Chancellor, Mr. Moeller was an Economist at Citibank from 1979 to 1984. He also analyzed pricing behavior in the metals industry for the Council on Wage and Price Stability in Washington, D.C. In 1999, Mr. Moeller received the award for most accurate forecast from the Forecasters' Club of New York. From 1990 to 1992 he was President of the New York Association for Business Economists. Mr. Moeller earned an M.B.A. in Finance from Fordham University, where he graduated in 1987. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from George Washington University.
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