Commodity prices surged to their highest level in six months, boosted by investors betting on economic “green shoots”, but the asset class finished the week on a sharply lower note under the weight of some profit taking and concerns that prices had moved ahead of their fundamentals.

The S&P GSCI commodity index rose to 419.9 points, its highest level since November, but on Friday it fell back to 404 points, losing 1.7 per cent over the week.