MARKET DEVELOPMENT
VEGOILS-Palm Hits 17-month High as Dry Weather Stokes Supply Fears
VEGOILS-Palm Hits 17-month High as Dry Weather Stokes Supply Fears
08/03/2014 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures rose to a 17-month peak on Friday, with prices boosted by a combination of gains in comparative oils and expectations that dry weather may hurt production.
The benchmark May contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange ended 0.7 percent higher at 2,888 ringgit ($890) per tonne. Prices earlier hit a high of 2,896 ringgit, a level not seen since September 2012.
"The market is very firm," said a trader with a foreign commodities brokerage. "Chicago bean oil was up strongly yesterday and then the Dalian was also up."
"Also, the weather in Malaysia is still worrisome," he added. "Planters are worried that if the dry weather persists, the yields from fruit will be less and supply affected."
The next three weeks will be crucial for palm oil output, traders and analysts at a key industry conference in Kuala Lumpur said this week.
Fears of a prolonged dry spell tightening palm supplies have helped prices gain 8 percent so far this year, although some traders say the recent rally could be overdone.
Total traded volume was 35,499 lots of 25 tonnes, slightly above the average 35,000 lots.
"Dry weather and a lot of speculation," said a Jakarta-based palm trader. "We are going to see slower demand because prices are too high. Buyers are looking tired."
In competing vegetable oil markets, the U.S. soyoil contract for May added 0.4 percent in late Asian trade, while the most active May soybean oil contract on the Dalian Commodities Exchange climbed 1.5 percent.
In related markets, Brent crude climbed towards $108.50 per barrel, rising for a second straight session as worsening diplomatic relations between Ukraine and key oil producer Russia stoked supply fears.
Palm, soy and crude oil prices at 1016 GMT
Contract Month Last Change Low High Volume
MY PALM OIL MAR4 2890 +25.00 2880 2893 77
MY PALM OIL APR4 2891 +24.00 2875 2895 611
MY PALM OIL MAY4 2888 +21.00 2871 2896 19271
CHINA PALM OLEIN MAY4 6328 +110.00 6278 6330 125876
CHINA SOYOIL MAY4 7074 +102.00 7048 7090 152692
CBOT SOY OIL MAY4 44.67 +0.18 44.26 44.70 6549
NYMEX CRUDE APR4 101.65 +0.09 101.61 102.03 12134
Palm oil prices in Malaysian ringgit per tonne
CBOT soy oil in U.S. cents per pound
Dalian soy oil and RBD palm olein in Chinese yuan per tonne
Crude in U.S. dollars per barrel
($1 = 3.2605 Malaysian ringgit)
($1 = 6.1185 Chinese yuan)
The benchmark May contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange ended 0.7 percent higher at 2,888 ringgit ($890) per tonne. Prices earlier hit a high of 2,896 ringgit, a level not seen since September 2012.
"The market is very firm," said a trader with a foreign commodities brokerage. "Chicago bean oil was up strongly yesterday and then the Dalian was also up."
"Also, the weather in Malaysia is still worrisome," he added. "Planters are worried that if the dry weather persists, the yields from fruit will be less and supply affected."
The next three weeks will be crucial for palm oil output, traders and analysts at a key industry conference in Kuala Lumpur said this week.
Fears of a prolonged dry spell tightening palm supplies have helped prices gain 8 percent so far this year, although some traders say the recent rally could be overdone.
Total traded volume was 35,499 lots of 25 tonnes, slightly above the average 35,000 lots.
"Dry weather and a lot of speculation," said a Jakarta-based palm trader. "We are going to see slower demand because prices are too high. Buyers are looking tired."
In competing vegetable oil markets, the U.S. soyoil contract for May added 0.4 percent in late Asian trade, while the most active May soybean oil contract on the Dalian Commodities Exchange climbed 1.5 percent.
In related markets, Brent crude climbed towards $108.50 per barrel, rising for a second straight session as worsening diplomatic relations between Ukraine and key oil producer Russia stoked supply fears.
Palm, soy and crude oil prices at 1016 GMT
Contract Month Last Change Low High Volume
MY PALM OIL MAR4 2890 +25.00 2880 2893 77
MY PALM OIL APR4 2891 +24.00 2875 2895 611
MY PALM OIL MAY4 2888 +21.00 2871 2896 19271
CHINA PALM OLEIN MAY4 6328 +110.00 6278 6330 125876
CHINA SOYOIL MAY4 7074 +102.00 7048 7090 152692
CBOT SOY OIL MAY4 44.67 +0.18 44.26 44.70 6549
NYMEX CRUDE APR4 101.65 +0.09 101.61 102.03 12134
Palm oil prices in Malaysian ringgit per tonne
CBOT soy oil in U.S. cents per pound
Dalian soy oil and RBD palm olein in Chinese yuan per tonne
Crude in U.S. dollars per barrel
($1 = 3.2605 Malaysian ringgit)
($1 = 6.1185 Chinese yuan)