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...
Gold continues to be supported by expectations of dovish monetary policy from the Federal Reserve, economic uncertainty, and geopolitical tensions, said ActivTrades analyst Ricardo Evangelista. Although non-farm payrolls increased by 64,000 jobs, the US unemployment rate rose to 4.6% in November, its highest level since September 2021. The market is awaiting key US inflation data this week, with the Consumer Price Index due on Thursday and Personal Consumption Expenditures on Friday. Last week, the Federal Reserve delivered its third and final quarter-point interest rate cut of the year,...
Oil prices rebounded from their lowest close in nearly half a decade, as the US prepared new measures against Russia if Moscow rejects a peace deal and blocks sanctioned tankers off the coast of Venezuela. Brent futures rose as much as 2.5% to above $60 per barrel. Washington is considering options such as targeting a so-called shadow fleet of Russian oil tankers and the traders who facilitate their exports, if President Vladimir Putin rejects a proposed deal with Ukraine, highlighting the risk that a deal to end the conflict is far from over. President Donald Trump also said Venezuela is...
Gold prices strengthened as we entered the European session today, Wednesday (December 17th), holding around $4,320 per ounce and remaining close to October's record high of $4,381. This strengthening occurred after the market returned to seeking safe haven assets while awaiting the next major data from the US. The main drivers came from the US agenda: market participants were focused on Thursday's CPI inflation release and a series of comments from central bank officials. After the latest mixed employment data, the market didn't feel there was enough reason to aggressively increase...
Oil prices hit session highs as the US is reportedly preparing new sanctions against Russia if Moscow rejects a plan to end the war in Ukraine. Brent crude futures rose 2.4% to above $60 a barrel. Prices had previously risen after President Donald Trump increased pressure on Venezuela by ordering a blockade of sanctioned tankers. The US is considering options such as targeting vessels in a so-called shadow fleet of tankers used to transport Russian oil, as well as traders who facilitate those transactions, according to people who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private...
The US dollar strengthened slightly and US Treasury bonds pared earlier gains after disappointing US jobs data proved insufficient to convince the market that the Fed would soon cut interest rates again. The dollar strengthened against G10 currencies, most notably against the yen, while the yield on the 10-year US Treasury note rose to around 4.17%. In commodity markets, the movement was much more violent. Oil prices rose about 1.3% after President Donald Trump ordered a blockade of tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, sparking supply concerns from the OPEC member. At the same time,...
The Japanese yen weakened slightly during the Asian session on Wednesday, as investors remained cautious while awaiting the Bank of Japan (BoJ) policy update. Market focus now turns to the two-day BoJ meeting next Friday, which is expected to provide clues regarding the interest rate path through 2026. Expectations for a BoJ interest rate hike this week are believed to be a supportive factor for the JPY. Investors anticipate a hawkish BoJ stance could boost the yen or at least prevent further depreciation, although more cautious market sentiment has limited the currency's...
The EUR/USD pair moved steadily around 1.1750 during Wednesday's Asian session. Its movement appeared to be holding up after a sharp drop the previous day from its highest level since September 24th. Despite the correction, the overall direction of EUR/USD remains bullish. Market sentiment suggests that selling pressure on the dollar is weakening, giving the euro room to hold its ground. From the US side, the dollar's recovery following the release of the Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) data is starting to run out of steam. The mixed labor data hasn't been strong enough to change market confidence...
Silver prices moved steadily with a downward trend as investors weighed weak US employment data. The data was not strong enough to fuel speculation of further interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, so buying interest in the precious metal remained limited. The lower number of US jobs added and the rising unemployment rate indicate the labor market is starting to slow. However, market participants believe the Fed will be cautious in responding to this data due to the disruption caused by the government shutdown. This situation means that silver, like gold, has not yet received a strong...
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....