Lang
Crude palm oil (CPO) futures on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives are expected to trade higher next week, supported by strong expectations of increased demand, according to one trader.
David Ng, a trader at Iceberg X Sdn Bhd, said current tensions between the United States and Iran have raised expectations of stronger palm oil demand. Speaking to Bernama, Ng forecast prices next week in a range between 4,500 and 4,680 Malaysian ringgit per tonne.
On a weekly basis, contracts showed a notably mixed performance. The April 2026 contract fell 40 ringgit to 4,540 ringgit per tonne, and the May 2026 contract slipped 8 ringgit to settle at 4,611 ringgit per tonne. The June 2026 contract, by contrast, rose 20 ringgit to 4,631 ringgit per tonne.
Contracts further out posted clearer gains: July 2026 added around 40 ringgit to close at 4,620 ringgit per tonne, August 2026 climbed 55 ringgit to 4,597 ringgit per tonne, and September 2026 gained 66 ringgit to settle at 4,570 ringgit per tonne. In the spot market, the physical price of crude palm oil for the southern region for March fell 40 ringgit to 4,560 ringgit per tonne.
On market activity, weekly trading volume jumped sharply to 363,166 lots, compared with 136,763 lots the previous week. Open interest edged slightly lower to 236,911 contracts, against 237,306 contracts in the preceding period.