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...
Greenland is not only a strategic location, but also a world-class mineral repository. The island holds vast reserves of rare earth elements (REEs), essential for modern technology. These minerals are used in electric vehicle batteries, cell phones, wind turbines, and even advanced weapons systems. Currently, the global supply of rare earth elements remains heavily dependent on China, making Greenland extremely valuable to the United States. In addition to rare earth elements, Greenland also has substantial, but largely unexploited, reserves of uranium, zinc, nickel, copper, and iron....
US President Donald Trump delivered a major speech last night, highlighting several of his administration's key agendas and warning his supporters ahead of the 2026 elections. In his speech to House Republicans, Trump emphasized that a Republican victory in the upcoming elections is key to avoiding a possible re-impeachment if their party loses in Congress. Trump also portrayed himself as a resilient figure in the face of criticism from the opposition and the media. He called for unity within the Republican Party and raised issues such as controlling drug prices, combating crime, and the...
The world community must make clear that U.S. intervention in Venezuela is a violation of international law that makes the world less safe, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Tuesday. U.S. forces ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in a surprise operation at the weekend. He faces four criminal charges in the U.S., including narco-terrorism, and Maduro's vice president has been sworn in as interim president. "It is clear that the operation undermined a fundamental principle of international law, that states must not threaten or use force against...
US President Donald Trump threatened on Friday to come to the aid of protesters in Iran if security forces open fire on them, days after unrest that has killed several people and posed the biggest internal threat to Iranian authorities in years. "We are ready and prepared to act," he said in a social media post. The United States attacked Iran's nuclear facilities in June, joining an Israeli air campaign targeting Tehran's atomic program and military leadership. Top Iranian official Ali Larijani responded to Trump's comments, warning that US interference in Iran's domestic affairs would...
Global markets in 2026 are expected to remain uncertain, with the primary focus being on the direction of interest rates and global economic conditions. Major central banks such as the Fed, the ECB, and the Bank of England (BoE) are expected to begin loosening their monetary policies after inflationary pressures subside, although their actions will tend to be cautious. The global economic slowdown is still felt, particularly in Europe and China, but has not yet led to a major crisis. In financial markets, the US dollar has the potential to weaken further if interest rate cuts are actually...
Iran warns of a strong response to new threats of attack from US President Donald Trump, who has expressed readiness to support attacks on Iran if it rebuilds its nuclear or missile programs. Iran has said it will respond "severely" if attacked again.The president also issued a stern warning to Iran and Hamas after his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, signaling strong US support for military action if Iran continues to instigate conflict. Israel's Concerns Israel is now on alert for a possible attack from Iran and is ready to take tactical action in case of a...
Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of attacking civilians during New Year's celebrations. Moscow said a Ukrainian drone strike hit hotels and cafes in the Russian-controlled Kherson region of southern Ukraine, killing many people. Meanwhile, Kyiv said Russia launched a massive attack that damaged power supplies and critical infrastructure across Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated that Russia deliberately escalated attacks during the holidays. He claimed that more than 200 attack drones were launched by Russia on New Year's Eve, targeting energy infrastructure in...
Initial jobless claims in the US fell by 16,000 to 199,000 in the week ending December 27, a typically volatile period due to the holiday season, and well below market expectations of 220,000. The reading marked the lowest level since January, excluding the seasonally volatile Thanksgiving week, when claims briefly dipped to a three-year low of 192,000. Continuing claims also declined, falling to 1.89 million in the week ending December 20 from a downwardly revised 1.91 million in the prior period. Source: Tradingeconomics.com
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....