COMMODITIES: Scotiabank sees strong finish to 2016

TORONTO – Scotiabank is putting the “happy” in the holidays with it upbeat look at commodity prices in 2016. Its Commodity Price Index is likely to finish the year up 25% overall and positive performance in all sub-indices. The metals and minerals index rallied “convincingly,” said Scotiabank. It was up 27% on the strength of coal and zinc. The oil and gas index rose 55%. There is more good news to come. "We expect oil, natural gas, zinc, nickel and gold to gain ground in 2017,” Said Rory Johnston, commodity economist at Scotiabank, “while copper, aluminium, coal and iron ore prices are expected to slide back from currently inflated levels." Read the full Scotiabank Commodity Price Index online at www.Scotiabank.com/ca/en/0,,3112,00.html.