Commodities

Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell has reported a rise in profits owing partly to strong demand for energy which is keeping oil prices high.

Artemis Global Energy fund managers John Dodd and Richard Hulf have shifted their portfolio more towards mid and large cap holdings as the fund gains assets faster than expected.

Commodity prices could rise by as much as 20% in the second half of 2012 while forecasts for falls in mining stocks are overdone, according to Credit Suisse.

COMMODITIES

The head of asset allocation at Schroders Private Bank has cut back clients' exposure to gold amid fears the price has further to drop.

BlackRock has broken its silence over the proposed merger of commodities giant Glencore and miner Xstrata, saying it will back the deal.

Miners are set to rally ‘strongly' in the second half of 2012, according to Barings' Clive Burstow, as Chinese growth will surprise and beat its annual growth target, boosting investor confidence.

Asian markets snapped gains made over the past week as renewed fears of a slowdown in China's economy weighed on investors.

Oil prices edged back slightly from a three-week high on hints the world's largest oil producer is poised to boost output.

Rising tensions between Iran and the rest of the world could prompt a sharp correction in equity markets, according to Lorne Baring, managing director of B Capital Wealth Management.