GOLDMAN Sachs21 Feb 2020 11:39
Commodities are poised for a sell-off once they price in the disruption to global supply chains due to the corona virus, Goldman Sachs has said.
The virus has created the “largest disruption to commodity-related activity” since the financial crisis yet commodity prices have risen on hopes of stimulus, according to the bank’s analysts.
“The promise of stimulus has led to commodities acting like equity markets, in our view, ignoring the physical realities of the disruption today,” said analyst Jeff Currie.
Goldman said supply and demand is “out of balance in nearly every market” and it expects “significant downside risks to commodity prices” before Chinese stimulus later this year.
"The recent rally however, is overdone," it said.
In contrast, gold is likely to rise to $1,750 a troy ounce as investors look for portfolio diversification, Goldman said. If the disruption from the virus stretches on into the second quarter, it could go even higher to $1,850, the bank said.
Mr Currie added:
The bottom line is we still see gold as a strategic allocation to protect a portfolio from geopolitical risks such as the current outbreak, de-dollarization and negative real yields.