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...
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the US Dollar (USD) against a basket of six major currencies, extended its decline for the second straight day and traded lower around 98.70 at the time of writing. Traders are likely to gauge the Fed Monetary Policy Report, which is scheduled to be released on Friday. The Federal Reserve Board will submit a report to Congress containing a discussion of "the conduct of monetary policy and economic developments and prospects for the future." The US dollar may have strengthened again due to rising safe-haven demand, driven by growing concerns over...
The Australian dollar (AUD) retraced its recent decline on Friday (6/20). The AUD/USD pair remained firm after the release of the interest rate decision from China. However, the pair's gains could be limited due to weaker risk sentiment amid rising Middle East tensions. The People's Bank of China (PBOC) decided to leave the Loan Prime Rate (LPR) unchanged on Friday. The one-year and five-year LPRs were at 3.00% and 3.50%, respectively. US intelligence agencies believe that Iran has not yet decided whether to pursue nuclear weapons, despite having developed a large stockpile of enriched...
Gold prices held steady in holiday-thinned trade as markets digested the Federal Reserve meeting results and the Middle East conflict. Israel and Iran continued to trade barbs, with Trump saying he would decide on a US strike on Iran "within two weeks." The safe-haven metal traded in a tight range amid lower volumes, but underlying risks remain real, says Tammy Da Costa at FXStreet. Geopolitical tensions remain the main upside driver for gold, although it faces pressure from renewed USD strength after the Fed update, she writes. Powell's cautious tone suggests monetary policy may remain...
Oil prices jumped almost 3% on Thursday as a week-old air war between Israel and Iran escalated and uncertainty about potential U.S. involvement kept investors on edge. Brent crude futures settled up $2.15, or 2.8%, to $78.85 a barrel, its highest close since January 22. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude for July was up $2.06, or 2.7%, to $77.20 at 1330 EST (1730 GMT). Trading volumes were light on Thursday due to a U.S. federal holiday. Israel bombed nuclear targets in Iran on Thursday, and Iran fired missiles and drones at Israel after hitting an Israeli hospital overnight. There was...
WTI crude oil futures pared its early session rally to trade below $75 per barrel on Thursday, only marginally below a five-month high, after President Trump's announcement that he will decide on US involvement in the Israel–Iran conflict "within two weeks" defused the immediacy of a Middle East supply shock. Earlier, renewed missile exchanges between Israel and Iran after Tel Aviv claimed to have struck nuclear targets in Iran had stoked fears of an escalation severe enough to threaten tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, driving prices briefly above $77. Trump's initial "may...
Gold price registers modest gains on Thursday as geopolitical tensions rose due to increasing rumors that the United States (US) might become involved in the Israel–Iran conflict. Nevertheless, a slightly hawkish Federal Reserve (Fed) caps the golden metal's advance. At the time of writing, XAU/USD trades at $3,373, up 0.13%. Geopolitics continued to drive Gold's price action due to reports from several US news websites like The Wall Street Journal and CBS News revealing that plans of a US attack on Iran nuclear facilities had been approved by US President Donald Trump, who is weighing his...
Gold (XAU/USD) is trading within a tight range on Thursday, consolidating between $3,360 and $3,400. These levels have repeatedly served as key short-term support and resistance over recent sessions. With the United States (US) observing the Juneteenth holiday, lower trading volumes have resulted in subdued price movements, although underlying risks remain pronounced. Geopolitical tensions persist as significant drivers of Gold prices. Russia has issued a stark warning against potential US military involvement in Iran, describing it as an "extremely dangerous step" with "unpredictable...
The Silver (XAG/USD) edges lower for the second consecutive day on Thursday, retreating from a fresh multi-year high of $37.32 touched on Wednesday, as traders lock in profits following the Federal Reserve's (Fed) cautious policy pause. The Fed held rates steady but signaled that borrowing costs may remain elevated for longer, giving the US Dollar some breathing room and weighing slightly on precious metals. At the time of writing, XAG/USD is down about 1.10% on the day as the metal backs away from its highest level since 2012, drifting lower during the American session to trade near...
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....