Oil prices stabilized on Thursday (February 12th), as the market reassigned a risk premium to US-Iran tensions despite US inventory data showing swelling domestic supplies. This movement confirms one thing: geopolitical headlines are still more "noise" than signals of a short-term surplus. As of 3:50 PM WIB, Brent was at $69.60/barrel (+0.29%) and WTI was at $64.83/barrel (+0.31%). The gains were moderate, but enough to keep prices near the psychological $70 level for Brent. From a geopolitical perspective, market focus is on the potential for escalation in the Middle East. Recent reports...
Australia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 4.2% in August 2025, unchanged from the previous month and in line with market expectations. The number of unemployed people fell by 900, bringing the total to 647,400. Among them, those seeking part-time jobs declined by 3,600 to 204,400, while those looking for full-time jobs increased by 3,000 to 443,000. Meanwhile, employment unexpectedly declined by 5,400 to 14.63 million, missing forecasts of a 22,000 increase, following an upwardly revised gain of 26,500 in July. Full-time employment decreased by 40,900 to 10.08 million,...
The United States Federal Reserve (Fed) will announce its monetary policy decision and publish its revised Summary of Economic Projections (SEP), known as the dot plot, after its September policy meeting on Wednesday. Market participants widely anticipate the US central bank will cut its benchmark interest rate for the first time since last December, lowering it to a range of 4%-4.25%. The CME FedWatch Tool shows that investors see only about a 6% chance of a larger rate cut, while pricing in about an 80% chance of a 75 basis point (bps) cut for the remainder of the year. This means the...
The United States has rejected India's request for consultations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding Washington's 50% tariffs on copper and copper derivative products, arguing that the tariffs are not safeguard measures, as claimed by New Delhi. According to The Economic Times, the US told the WTO that there is "no basis" for India to seek consultations. Earlier this month, India had initiated the request under the WTO Agreement on Safeguards. This marks the third instance of India seeking WTO consultations with the US and Washington refusing, following previous disputes over...
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the US and China have reached a deal on TikTok. The deal will transfer the assets of the ByteDance-owned short-video app to its US owner so it can continue operating in the country. The deal potentially resolves a saga that has dragged on for nearly a year. The deal for the popular social media app, which has 170 million users in the US, represents a breakthrough in months of negotiations between the world's two largest economies in an effort to defuse a trade war that has roiled global markets. "We've reached a deal with TikTok. We have a group...
Both President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will speak on Friday to discuss the terms. Trump also said in a Truth Social post Monday that a deal was reached "on a ‘certain' company that young people in our Country very much wanted to save." Bessent indicated the framework could pivot the platform to U.S.-controlled ownership. TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China's lead trade negotiator, Li Chenggang, confirmed the framework deal was in place and said the U.S. should not continue to suppress Chinese companies, according to Reuters. The...
The European Union is falling further behind global rivals on growth and governments are failing to grasp the urgency to act, former European Central Bank president and Italian prime minister Mario Draghi said on Tuesday. Draghi, who delivered a far-reaching report on EU competitiveness at the European Commission's request 12 months ago, said the EU's growth model was "fading fast", vulnerabilities were mounting and there was no clear path to financing necessary investments. Draghi said the bloc had come up with ambitious plans, but it was moving ahead too slowly and governments had "not...
The U.S. and China on Monday reached a commercial agreement that would place short-video app TikTok under U.S. ownership, with final approval expected during a Friday call between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, after a meeting with Chinese negotiators in Madrid, declined to disclose details, including whether TikTok's algorithm would be included. Chinese negotiator Li Chenggang confirmed a framework deal after "candid, in-depth" exchanges, adding the U.S. showed willingness to reduce investment barriers. Trump extended the deadline for...
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would not rule out further attacks on Hamas leaders "wherever they are," as Arab and Muslim leaders held a summit to show support for Qatar following Israel's attack on the Gulf state last week. The September 9 attack targeting leaders of the Palestinian militant group in Doha marked a significant escalation of Israeli military action in a region rocked by conflict since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that sparked the Gaza war. As the gathered Arab and Muslim leaders expressed solidarity with Qatar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio...
Gold rises in the early Asian trade. There's a broad commodities uptrend, driven by macro uncertainty, a weaker dollar, and persistent demand for "hard" assets, says Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst...
Oil extended declines after OPEC+ agreed to a bigger-than-expected production increase next month, raising concerns about oversupply just as US tariffs fan fears about the demand outlook.
Brent...
The Japanese Yen (JPY) weakened against its US counterpart and reversed part of Friday's recovery from the lowest level since July 23 following Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda's remarks....