Natixis Metals Review - Q1 2012
Natixis is a key player in the banking sector in France and Europe, offering services centered around three core businesses: Corporate & Investment Banking, Investment Solutions and Specialised Financial Services.
2011 proved to be a difficult year for the global economy, as well as for metal markets. In Europe, after strong growth in the first half of the year, euro-zone countries spent much of the second half of the year drifting towards an economic crisis. In the developing world, monetary tightening gradually helped to rein in inflation, but in combination with worries about Europe, growth rates slowed sharply towards the end of the year. In the US, politicians demonstrated that budgetary crises weren’t a uniquely European phenomenon, while Asia suffered from the after effects of a huge Japanese earthquake and tsunami, as well as extensive flooding in Thailand. Base metal prices suffered a series of sharp drops from Q2 onwards, finishing the year close to their lows. Even precious metals found conditions difficult, with gold and silver prices dropping sharply from their mid-year highs.
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