By Maria Hazel Macadangdang and John Baffes
The energy price index remained largely unchanged in December, as a 43.6 percent increase in natural gas US prices was offset by an 8.7 percent decline in coal prices, the World Bank’s Pink Sheet reported. Non-energy prices increased by 1.9 percent.
Agricultural prices inched up by 1.8 percent in December. Food prices eased by 1 percent , raw materials held steady, while beverages surged by 18.4 percent . Fertilizer prices changed little.
Metal prices declined by 1.1 percent in December, led by a 2.7 percent drop in tin. Precious metals edged down by 0.3 percent , led by platinum (-2.9%).
For the year, the energy index fell by 5.1percent , while the non-energy index rose by nearly 2 percent . Within the non-energy category, agriculture commodities increased by 3.5 percent, metals by 2.6 percent, while fertilizers dropped almost 25 percent . Notable price movements included significant gains for cocoa (+123%) and robusta coffee (+68%), contrasted with declines in maize (-24.6%) and potassium chloride (-23%).
The Pink Sheet is a monthly report that monitors commodity price movements.
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