Natural Resources
U.S. – China Tensions Boost Rare Earth Stocks, but is the Current Rally Sustainable?
The rare earth elements (REEs), or Lanthanoid series in the periodic table, are a group of heavy metals that are widely used in modern technologies. Smartphones, electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energies are some of the modern products that depend on the unique magnetic and electrical properties of REEs to function. Each F-35 fighter jet,…
Read MoreBreaking Down ExxonMobil Stock – A Veteran of Oil & Gas
ExxonMobil has long been a market leader in oil & gas. The direct descendent of Standard Oil Co., Rockefeller’s oil empire, which was the largest refiner in the world at its height, ExxonMobil remains the company with the sixth largest net revenue in the world. However, after several bleak years beginning in 2015, the company’s…
Read MoreSynthetic Diamonds: An Intimidating Competitor for Mined Diamond Companies
First synthesised successfully in 1954, synthetic diamonds have become ever easier and efficient to produce, especially over the last 20 years, aided by growing technology. Synthetic diamonds, not just aesthetically but chemically and physically identical to their naturally formed counterparts, are increasingly posing a threat to the mined diamond industry. According to a report commissioned…
Read MoreCommodities Analysts Predict New ‘super cycle’ Amid Global Green Energy Transition and Anticipated COVID-19 Recovery
Researchers at J.P. Morgan, Bank of America and Goldman Sachs have forecasted a major incoming commodities ‘super cycle’ as prices of metals, oils and grains have all surged to multi-year highs on a bull run that started in the summer of 2020. The term ‘super cycle’ refers to the observable price fluctuations of resources…
Read MoreRussia Struggles to Shake its Hydrocarbon Addiction
In 2019, President Vladimir Putin endorsed the Paris Agreement, joining 196 other countries, pledging to eventually reduce hydrocarbon-based emissions in Russia to levels 33% lower than in 1990. This pledge, however, does not see Russia shifting away from the production of energy from non-renewable sources; rather, their proposed long term energy strategy seeks to further…
Read MoreWhy Coal Remains a Major Fuel Source in 2021
Coal has been the target of considerable acrimony from climate activists petitioning governments and energy providers to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. The sedimentary rock even graced a front cover of The Economist in December of last year, posing inside an antiquated museum display case above the headline “Making Coal History” – the West…
Read MoreLiquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) – A Steppingstone for Poorer Regions Towards a Greener Future
Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) has emerged over the past ten years as a cleaner and more environmentally friendly substitute to conventional fuelling commodities, such as coal and heating oil. As pre-eminent global climate change agreements and the catalysed green energy sector place greater importance on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, natural gas (NG in…
Read MoreEurope’s Materials Shortage Stands in the Way of Innovation
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted Europe’s dependency on certain products, critical materials and supply chains. Materials encompass everything involved in the discovery, development, and processing of raw materials. There are currently 30 materials on the bloc’s critical resources list, an increase from only 4 years ago when the list consisted of only 3. Although countries such…
Read MoreBig Oil – A Year in Review & Tomorrow’s Corporate Strategy
The climate change crisis has increasingly found its way into the boardrooms of the world’s largest oil companies, perpetuated recently by the most turbulent year in decades for producers, highlighting the need for the creation of new operational strategies. After years of environmentalist action, blaming these corporations not only for alarming levels of global emissions…
Read MoreWhy Ultra-Rare Rhodium Ended-Up as the Top Performing Commodity of 2020
As of the beginning of this year, the price of the rare transition metal rhodium has risen from 6000 USD to 20,000 USD per troy ounce (circa 31g, slightly heavier than the traditional empirical ounce). This gain of over 300% surpasses every individual company on the S&P 500 index and well outstrips other top performing…
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