The latest Market Talks covering Commodities. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires throughout the day.
0323 GMT - Sime Darby could see higher-margin after-sales activity picking up from 2H FY2027 as miners resume equipment rebuilds, CGS International analysts Ooi Siew Ern and Jacquelyn Yow say in a note. This could support a recovery in Sime Darby's industrial margins, they say. The company remains positive on Australia's mining outlook, driven by long-term demand for copper and critical minerals from electrification, AI and renewable energy investments. Sime Darby's medium to long-term industrial prospects look positive to CGS, given its exposure to industrial expansion and Malaysia's transition toward electric and more fuel-efficient vehicles. CGS keeps an add rating and 2.5 ringgit target price on the stock, which is 0.5% lower at 2.12 ringgit. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)
0319 GMT - Iron ore falls in Asian trade, with the most-traded iron ore contract on the Dalian Commodity Exchange down 0.4% at 756.5 yuan a ton. Chinese exports are likely to seasonally decline in July, easing iron ore supply pressures, Nanhua Futures writes in a note. Supply and demand are both weak, with limited short-term market drivers. Given the low valuation of ferrous metals, the rise in oil prices and the impact of the BHP strike, the market could face volatility, it adds. (kimberley.kao@wsj.com)
0245 GMT - Copper is lower in early Asian trading. China's mixed economic data has raised concerns about demand, according to ANZ research analysts in a commentary. China's economy slowed more than expected in the second quarter to its lowest pace in more than three years. However, there were some positive signs, with industrial production in June beating market expectations, the analysts note. The three-month LME copper contract is 0.1% lower at $13,566.50 a ton.(tracy.qu@wsj.com)
0240 GMT - Palm oil falls in trading, weighed by lower palm olein on the Dalian Commodity Exchange, says David Ng, a trader at Kuala Lumpur-based Iceberg X. Weaker soybean oil prices on the Chicago Board of Trade is also seen pressuring palm oil prices, as the two oils often move in tandem due to their use in similar products, he adds. Ng expects prices to face resistance at 4,680 ringgit a ton and support at 4,500 ringgit a ton. The Bursa Malaysia Derivatives contract for October delivery is down 22 ringgit at 4,579 ringgit a ton. (yingxian.wong@wsj.com)
0007 GMT - Gold edges lower in the early Asian trade. While weaker-than-expected U.S. inflation data provided some relief, a stabilizing dollar and bond yields, as well as continuing interest-rate hike expectations likely leave the metal under pressure, says Tickmill's Joseph Dahrieh in commentary. Developments in the Middle East could remain in focus, as a prolonged escalation could push oil prices higher, spurring inflation concerns and tighter monetary-policy expectations, he adds. A higher interest-rate environment typically weighs on non-interest-yielding assets like gold. Spot gold is down 0.1% at $4,057.13 an ounce.(megan.cheah@wsj.com)
2305 GMT - Evolution Mining's strong balance sheet and cash flow give it plenty of options, says Ord Minnett. Evolution was able to maintain a net cash position of A$18 million in 4Q, despite the payment of its interim dividend and major capex. Analyst Paul Kaner suggests Evolution could generate A$1 billion of free cash flow in FY27. Ord Minnett assumes Evolution increases its dividend by 5% half on half, unless the company makes a splash on M&A. It also sees improved evidence that organic growth projects at its existing Cowal, Ernest Henry and Northparkes mines will be brought forward. Ord Minnett cuts its price target by 6.6%, to A$12.80/share, and retains an "accumulate" call. Evolution ended Wednesday at A$11.34. (david.winning@wsj.com; @dwinningWSJ)
2031 GMT - Most-active live cattle futures have turned negative year-to-date, this after being as much as 10% higher for the year in late April. Today's close was the 13th straight lower close for cattle, and now pushes cattle prices into the negative, settling at $2.30325 a pound Wednesday. Weaker cattle prices have been seen in the aftermath of the Independence Day holiday, which is typically a strong holiday for cattle producers. Longer-term, cattle demand is still seen as strong in the U.S. "Fundamentally- nothing is changing," says Ross Baldwin of AgMarket.net in a note. "Supplies will remain tight and will support cash/beef markets." Lean hog futures settled up 1.9% to $1.0035 a pound. (kirk.maltais@wsj.com)
1942 GMT - Cecafe says in a release that Brazil exported 38.46 million 60-kg bags of coffee in the 2025/26 crop year, which is down nearly 16% from the prior marketing year. However, the Brazilian firm notes, the revenue from this coffee came in at $14.6 billion, which is slightly down from the prior year but still the second-highest level ever recorded, following last year's results. Cecafe also says that Brazilian coffee shipments were 17.83 million bags in the first half of 2026, which is down 8.3% from January to June in 2025. Brazil's coffee got snarled in outdated infrastructure that left hundreds of thousands of bags unsent, says Cecafe chairman Márcio Ferreira in a note. (kirk.maltais@wsj.com)
1915 GMT - Oil futures end the session a little higher as the U.S. reinstates its Iranian blockade after dropping a plan to charge a 20% fee to cover the cost of protecting ships from other countries moving through the Strait of Hormuz. The 20% proposal looked like the U.S. taking a draconian position on control of the strait to move the Iranians off theirdraconian position, says John Deal, managing director of capital markets at Post Oak Group. "I think both sides are getting pretty weary of this conflict," he says. "The problem now is that we have to find an out where we can say we win, and the Iranians have to have an out where they can also save face and pitch it as a win to their people." WTI settles up 0.3% at $79.60 a barrel and Brent rises 0.3% to $84.95.(anthony.harrup@wsj.com)
1913 GMT - U.S. natural gas futures post modest gains for a second straight session with help from a slight warming in the weather outlook. Tomorrow's weekly inventory report from the EIA is expected to show a 44 Bcf injection into storage, according to a Wall Street Journal survey of analysts. That would be the smallest weekly build since the end of March, leaving the inventory surplus over the five-year average at 184 Bcf, practically unchanged from 185 Bcf the week before. Nymex natural gas settles up 0.7% at $2.924/mmBtu. (anthony.harrup@wsj.com)
1820 GMT - Front-month silver futures settled trading down 2.8% to $57.11 a troy ounce. It's the lowest silver has traded at since Dec. 4, 2025--and the fifth decline into the close in the past seven trading sessions. With today's move, silver is now more than 50% off of an all-time record high set in January. It was the worst-performing commodity today, says Robert Yawger of Mizuho Securities USA in a note. Unlike other assets, precious metals have not benefited from the easing in the outlook for inflation, and haven't gotten a boost from the sentiment of lower odds for interest-rate hikes this year. Gold settled down 0.4% to $4,044/oz. (kirk.maltais@wsj.com)
1814 GMT - U.S. oil stock depletion starts to raise concerns with the U.S. and Iran engaged in renewed fighting that's again keeping oil trapped inside the Strait of Hormuz. The EIA reported a 1.7 million barrel decline in commercial crude stocks for last week, as well as a further 3 million barrels released from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. "The energy picture continues to tighten, with commercial inventories and the SPR falling again," TradeStation's David Russell says. "We're not in crisis territory, but there's less breathing room at a time of intense global uncertainty." WTI is down 0.3% at $79.11 a barrel and Brent is off 0.2% at $84.55. (anthony.harrup@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
July 16, 2026 00:15 ET (04:15 GMT)
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