KUALA LUMPUR: The crude palm oil (CPO) futures contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives (BMD) is likely to trade within a narrow band amid profit-taking following sharp gains recorded in the previous week.
Singapore-based Palm Oil Analytics owner and co-founder Dr Sathia Varqa said, nevertheless, CPO futures were expected to still have stamina to climb higher next week.
"The most active month (July) is likely to test RM2,800 per tonne before scaling back. The sharp rise in the futures and cash market has made palm less competitive to its nearest rival, soybean oil,” he told Bernama.
The palm oil prices must fall to reclaim the US$70 discount to soybean oil or the latter's prices must rise at a faster pace to palm, he said.
Sathia said CPO price movements have been, and will, likely continue to be influenced by the general trend in major commodities particularly crude oil and soybean oil.
For the week just ended, the CPO futures contract traded firmer for a third consecutive day, tracking the surge in rival oils.
On Friday’s closing, August 2020 rose RM285 to RM2,890 per tonne -- the highest since Feb 5.
Meanwhile, BMD continued its growth path in trading activity for two days when the total daily trading volume for CPO futures contract (FCPO) touched a new record exceeding 70,000 lots, compared with the average total trading volume for FCPO of 50,000 lots.
On a Friday-to-Friday basis, the CPO futures contract for August 2020 rose RM285 to RM2,890 per tonne, September 2020 surged RM300 to RM2,854 per tonne, October 2020 added RM258 to RM2,778 per tonne, and November 2020 jumped RM213 to RM2,713 per tonne.
Weekly volume increased to 311,950 lots from last Friday’s 278,651 lots while open interest widened to 259,670 contracts from 246,199 contracts.
On the physical market, August South advanced RM180 to RM2,880 per tonne. - Bernama
Already a subscriber? Log in
Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Unlimited access with perks.
