China’s appetite for cereals lifts corn prices

Submitted by Eric Sprott, Etienne Bordeleau, and David Franklin of Sprott Group,

Chinese food inflation was up 2.7 percent year-over-year in March, down from six percent the previous month. This decline was led by a 5.5 percent decline in pork prices. China is the world's largest pork consumer, and pork accounts for a significant chunk of the consumer basket.

LONDON – Following a half-decade-long boom in demand from China, the price of iron ore dropped sharply in 2012. While it bounced back a bit toward the end of the year, the price remains far below its February 2011 peak, and analysts say it is unlikely to return to those heights in the foreseeable future.   The price of iron ore, the raw material used to make steel, is a bellwether for manufacturing and construction and its price fluctuations, much like the price of crude, reflect the health of the global economy.  

On the outskirts of Beijing, couture designer Guo Pei presides over a studio that stretches more than 1,000 square meters and rises nearly four stories high. Inside, an army of employees is drafting, cutting, and sewing – all working to bring the designer’s latest creative visions to life.   Guo Pei is the woman credited with inventing Chinese haute couture, and one of the first to build a luxury brand in a country better known for cheap ersatz copies than authenticity and quality.  

Investment U submits: By Tony D’Altorio The rapidly growing Chinese consumer class certainly has more spending power these days. But they also have less and less time to cook at home. Grueling work hours, long commutes in heavy traffic, a later marriage age and smaller families combined give the average Chinese citizen fewer incentives to make their own meals.

If you’re looking for a way to play China's insatiable appetite for raw materials, without the headaches of owning Chinese companies, look no further than our own domestic metallurgical coal producers Walter Energy (WLT) and Alpha Natural Resources (ANR). Why?

China’s export growth unexpectedly accelerated in April even as shipments to the U.S. and Europe fell, spurring Bank of America Corp. and Mizuho Securities Co. analysts to say the figures were inflated by fake reports.