Commodity prices are rising, quite dramatically for copper, tin and steel scrap. That would not happen if there was an expectation of a slowdown.

Plastics are being used instead of copper tube, aluminum is replacing copper conductors, steel/tin, plastics and glass are being used instead of aluminum packaging and plastics and different types of coated steel are being used instead of galvanized steel.

We have some inflation at the pipeline level, rising commodity prices, crude, material prices, things of that nature, but that inflation doesn't always get passed on to the consumer level.

If the Fed ceases hiking, against the backdrop of still rising commodity prices, then the Australian dollar will have few reasons for resisting any topside advances.

The downgrade reflects our concerns about Wolverine's exposure to rapidly rising copper prices, which have risen by about 50 cents per pound since the end of the third quarter of 2005 and about 20 cents per pound in January 2006 alone. We expect that higher copper prices would result in a continued drain of Wolverine's liquidity and that Wolverine's credit metrics will remain very poor over the near term as the company continues to face high copper prices.

Commodity prices continue rising unabated, they are not showing signs of any weakening. Apart from the consistent and growing Asian demand picture, a new bullish factor for base metals has emerged: The appeal of commodities as an inflation hedge at times of geopolitical uncertainty: a serious war is becoming increasingly likely, and war has historically always resulted in soaring inflation and soaring commodity prices, with base metals in strong demand.