| Agri volumes jump on rise in position limits
MUMBAI: Volumes in spices and few other farm commodities increased on Wednesday on NCDEX with the commodities market regulator Forward Markets Commission (FMC) increasing the position limits in most of the agri commodities. Commodity analysts feel that the move will boost up the agri volumes.
FMC on Tuesday increased the open interest limits for 32 agriculture commodities. The position limits is the maximum level of a particular commodity that a member or a client can hold. Meanwhile the commission also reduced the daily price limits of 34 agriculture commodities.
The volume of most active pepper March contract that was on an average around 10,000 tonnes a week back on daily basis moved up to 17,000 tonnes on Wednesday, volume of jeera March contract doubled to 24,000 tonnes while volume of turmeric moved up to 45,000 tonnes from earlier levels of 35,000 tonnes.
Oil sets record at $100.01 a barrel
The petroleum world produced a record Tuesday, which was bad news for consumers. Frenzied trading sent crude oil surging above $100 a barrel to $100.01 — the highest closing price ever for oil on the New York commodities market, making it likely that gas prices soon will jump, too. In addition, prices for gold, copper and other commodities soared as investment funds sought places to park their money in the face of inflation concerns and a weaker dollar. Also Tuesday, the Energy Department confirmed what anyone who filled up recently already knows — that pump prices are on the rise, bringing the U.S. average back above the $3-a-gallon mark. The nationwide average cost of self-serve regular jumped 8.2 cents over the past week to $3.04 a gallon Monday, released a day late because of the Presidents Day holiday.
Std Bank, ICBC in $1bn resources fund
They did not ruling out a possibility of third party participating and investing in the fund. There is a huge demand for resources such as precious metals, oil and gas in China and this is also driving the commodities markets. Ridley said ICBC was interested in taking part in the resources sector and Standard Bank could provide access to over 250 professionals in commodities and resource financing worldwide. Standard Bank would also contribute to the fund by creating deal flow and fund investment opportunities. We will also leverage global franchise in resources industry, he said. ICBC could assist the fund by facilitating access to investment opportunities in China and contributing funding sources. We will complement each other, said Ridley.
Quarterly earnings surge again at Cargill
Profit for the second quarter was nearly $1 billion at Cargill, the Minnetonka-based agricultural giant, as capital investments helped the company move more commodities over longer distances, the company reported Monday. The earnings of $954 million for the quarter ended Nov. 30 were a 44 percent gain over the same quarter last year. "We are very pleased with today's results," Greg Page, the Cargill chairman and chief executive who took over the company last June, said in a prepared statement. "Today we are moving bigger volumes of commodities, through more facilities, at higher utilization rates and over longer distances. As we've grown, we've also strengthened our ability to measure and assess risk. That's been crucial, given the speed and magnitude of price movements in today's agricultural and energy markets." Earnings for the first six months of the company's fiscal year stand at $1.87 billion, a 61 percent increase from the previous year's first half.
Canadian dollar falls against U.S.
Canadian dollar falls against U.S.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007 OTTAWA (AP) - The Canadian dollar suffered one of its worst days on record in relation to the American greenback on Monday, tumbling almost three cents, amid a reversal of several forces that had pushed it to record highs last week.
With commodities, particularly oil and gold, losing their luster and the U.S. dollar suddenly flexing some muscle, the loonie's orderly retreat from last week's brief flirtation with US $1.10 turned into a rout in international markets on Monday.
Canada's banks were closed Monday for the Remembrance Day holiday, so there was no official trading of the dollar in Toronto. At late afternoon on international markets, the loonie was at 103.09 cents US, down from Friday's close of 106.7 cents.
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