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...
EUR/USD fell below 1.1300 during the North American session as the US Dollar (USD) remained firmer following the release of the Federal Reserve's (Fed) latest meeting minutes. High US bond yields and a slightly downbeat mood have pushed the greenback higher against most G7 currencies. On May 6-7, the Fed decided to keep interest rates unchanged, citing uncertainty about the impact of tariffs on the economy. The minutes revealed that policymakers were concerned that inflation could become more persistent, driven by the Trump administration's inflation-prone trade policies. The policymakers...
Oil prices rose more than 1% on Wednesday on supply concerns as OPEC+ agreed to leave its output policy unchanged and as the U.S. banned Chevron (CVX.N), opening up new opportunities to export Venezuelan crude. Investors had anticipated OPEC+ members would agree to increase output later this week. Brent crude futures settled up 81 cents, or 1.26%, at $64.90 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 95 cents, or 1.56%, to $61.84 a barrel. OPEC+, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, left output policy unchanged. They agreed to establish a mechanism...
Gold prices were little changed, trading around $3,300 an ounce on Wednesday as investors digested the minutes from the Federal Reserve's May meeting, which revealed growing concerns about inflation and a weakening labor market, in part due to trade tensions and proposed tariffs. The Fed maintained a cautious stance, opting to hold interest rates steady for a third straight meeting while acknowledging rising economic uncertainty and risks to inflation and employment. While the economy remains solid, officials have warned of lower growth forecasts and rising recession risks. Gold, up 26%...
Oil prices rose as markets weighed the risk of additional U.S. sanctions on Russia and the possibility that nuclear talks with Iran would fail to produce a deal. West Texas Intermediate crude rose more than 2% to $62 a barrel after President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin was "playing with fire" by escalating attacks on Ukraine. The U.S. is considering additional sanctions on the country after aggressive actions against Russia's oil industry earlier this year sent crude surging past $80 a barrel. Russia-Ukraine talks are set to be held in Istanbul on June 2, according to...
Gold fluctuated after a two-day decline as markets remained in wait-and-see mode despite data showing improving economic sentiment and signs of progress in trade talks. Bullion fell as much as 0.3% after earlier rising as much as 0.7%, while the dollar wavered and Treasury yields edged higher. Investors weighed improving trade relations between Washington and Brussels. The European Union's trade chief, Maros Sefcovic, said he planned to speak with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Thursday, as the EU has sought to speed up negotiations...
The U.S. dollar rose for a second day on Wednesday on optimism that a trade deal will brighten the U.S. economic outlook, while the Japanese yen weakened after the government saw weak demand for 40-year bonds. Pessimism about the U.S. economy has eased after Trump delayed plans to impose 50% tariffs on European Union imports over the weekend and following a deal with China earlier this month to reduce tariffs imposed on each other. "The quick reversal of tariff threats against Europe over the weekend has improved risk appetite and reduced negative perceptions about the U.S. growth...
The dollar index edged up to 99.7 on Wednesday, extending a nearly 0.4% gain from the previous session, as traders awaited fresh catalysts while continuing to monitor trade tensions and fiscal developments under the Trump administration. Despite the recent uptick, the greenback remains near its 2023 lows reached in April and is down more than 7% year-to-date. On Sunday, President Trump postponed the implementation of a planned 50% tariff on EU imports to July 9th, just days after announcing the sweeping measure. Meanwhile, his so-called "big beautiful bill" narrowly passed the House of...
Oil prices inched up on Wednesday, with the U.S. barring Chevron (CVX.N), opens new tab from exporting crude from Venezuela and production shut-ins from Canada, while markets eyed an expected production increase from OPEC+. Brent crude futures rose 54 cents, or 0.8%, to $64.63 a barrel by 1050 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained 64 cents, or 0.9%, to stand at $61.45 a barrel. The Trump administration has issued a new authorisation for U.S.-major Chevron (CVX.N), opens new tab that would let it keep assets in Venezuela but not export oil or expand activities, Reuters...
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....