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...
US President Donald Trump announced a new trade deal with South Korea, stating that the United States (US) would charge a 15% tariff on imports from South Korea, Reuters reported on Wednesday. The agreement includes a $350 billion commitment from South Korea toward US-owned and controlled investments. Key quotes The United States and South Korea have reached a full and complete trade deal. South Korea will provide $350 billion for U.S.-owned and controlled investments, selected by the U.S. President. South Korea will purchase $100 billion in LNG or other energy products from the U.S. An...
The United States has agreed a trade deal with South Korea that will subject South Korean imports to a 15% tariff rate, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday.South Korea will also invest $350 billion in the United States and purchase $100 billion in U.S. energy products, Trump said on Truth Social. "It is also agreed that South Korea will be completely OPEN TO TRADE with the United States, and that they will accept American product including Cars and Trucks, Agriculture, etc," Trump added
President Donald Trump said he would impose 25% tariffs on India starting August 1 and hinted at adding additional penalties on the country's energy purchases from Russia. In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump said India has tariffs that are "among the highest in the world, and they have the most onerous and obnoxious non-monetary trade barriers of any country." "Furthermore, they have always purchased the majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia's largest energy buyer, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE,"...
The United States Gross Domestic Product grew at a 3% Annual Rate in the second quarter, according to the preliminary estimate from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) on Wednesday. This figure follows a 0.5% contraction in the first quarter and is better than market expectations for a 2.4% expansion. Other details from the report show that the Core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index rose 2.5% quarter-on-quarter in the second quarter, compared to market expectations of 2.4%. Furthermore, the Gross Domestic Product Price Index rose 2% in Q2, down from the 3.8% increase...
US companies increased hiring in July after a sharp decline the previous month, although the pace remained consistent with weakening labor demand. Private-sector jobs increased by 104,000, according to ADP Research data released Wednesday. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists was for a gain of 76,000. (alg) Source: Bloomberg
The Federal Reserve is expected to hold interest rates on hold on Wednesday (July 30), six days after President Donald Trump renewed his demand that the US central bank cut borrowing costs during a rare presidential visit to its Washington headquarters. The sharp rate cut Trump is seeking he has suggested cutting it from the current 4.25%-4.50% range to as low as 1% is highly inconsistent with economic conditions that have largely stabilized in the six weeks since the Fed's last meeting. Such a dramatic rate cut would likely increase inflation, according to many economists, and is more in...
The Australian monthly Consumer Price Index is foreseen stable at 2.1%. Quarterly CPI inflation is expected to have modestly decreased in Q2. The Reserve Bank of Australia kept the OCR at 3.85% at its May meeting. The Australian Dollar is set to post lower lows vs its American rival. Australia will release inflation updates on Wednesday, two weeks ahead of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) monetary policy meeting, scheduled for August 11-12. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) will publish two different inflation gauges: the quarterly Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the second...
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that India will likely face trade tariffs of 20% to 25%, although a deal is yet to be finalized. The tariff level is far greater than the 15% duties recently imposed on Japan and the European Union, and comes despite earlier signaling from Trump that talks with India were progressing well. "I think so," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One when asked if 20% to 25% was a possible tariff rate against India. A Reuters report earlier in the day suggested that India was likely to face the tariffs on some exports as a temporary measure. The...
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....