Raw Sugar May Gain, Refined Will Be Little Changed, Survey Says

By M. Shankar and Shruti Date Singh

June 8 (Bloomberg) -- Raw-sugar futures may advance while refined-sugar contracts may be little changed, according to a Bloomberg News survey.

Four of eight traders, analysts and brokers surveyed last week forecast that raw sugar traded in New York will gain this week. Three said it will decline. Raw sugar fell 0.3 percent to 15.53 cents a pound last week.

Four of eight said white sugar traded in London will be little changed. One said it will decline and three said it will advance. White sugar fell 1.4 percent last week to $446.90 a metric ton.

Two of eight said the premium of refined sugar over raw would widen. Four said the spread would be unchanged and two said it will narrow.

Bullish on raw sugar: 4       Bearish: 3     Neutral: 1
Bullish on white sugar: 3     Bearish: 1     Neutral: 4
Widening white premium: 2     Narrow:  2    Neutral: 4

To contact the reporters on this story: M. Shankar in London at mshankar@bloomberg.net;