1. Precious Metals: Precious metals were boosted by heightened concerns about inflation and financial repression. Gold prices rose 9.7% in August to $4,437 per ounce, while silver rose 15.6% to $66.58 per ounce.
2. Agricultural Commodities: With the Strait of Hormuz remaining closed and the effects of El Niño persisting, food prices surged. Wheat prices jumped 18.3% in August, corn rose 16.8%, and sugar prices rose 21.5%.
3. Oil and Gas: Oil prices rose slightly in August, after a sharp rebound in July. Brent crude rose 0.4% this month to $90.49 per barrel, while WTI crude rose 1.3% to $85.76 per barrel. Meanwhile, European natural gas futures rose 18.2%, and US natural gas futures rose 6.8%.
4. Stocks: Strong global data and earnings reports contributed to a good performance for stocks this month. The S&P 500 rose 2.7% in August, the Stoxx Europe 600 rose 0.5%, and the MSCI Emerging Markets Index rose 3.4%.
(Data from Deutsche Bank's latest monthly review)
