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 dropped 3% to a more than one-week low on Monday after the U.S. and China said they have agreed to a deal to slash reciprocal tariffs, sending the dollar higher and denting the safe-haven metal's appeal. Spot gold was down 3% at $3,224.34 an ounce, as of 0812 GMT, its lowest since May 1. U.S. gold futures slipped 3.5% to $3,228.10. "The de-escalation of tensions between China and the U.S., with tariffs being reduced for 90 days, is reducing the demand for safe haven assets like gold," said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo. "Near-term prices are likely to stay volatile. But higher...
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback against a basket of currencies, catches aggressive bids at the start of a new week and rallies to over a one-month top, around the 101.35-101.40 region during the early European session. The latest leg of a sudden spike over the past hour or so followed the highly anticipated US-China joint statement on the first round of trade talks held over the weekend in Geneva, Switzerland. The US will modify the application of the rate of duty on articles of China for an initial period of 90 days, and now only a 10% base rate will be applied....
Brent crude oil futures surged more than 2% to above $65 per barrel on Monday, reaching a two-week high, after the US and China agreed to pause most tariffs on each other's goods. This major trade breakthrough signaled a cooling of tensions between the world's two largest oil consumers, reducing risks to oil demand. Reports indicated both nations agreed to a 90-day pause and a significant reduction in tariff levels, with each side cutting reciprocal tariffs by 115%. Meanwhile, exerting bearish pressure on oil, OPEC+ plans to accelerate output hikes in May and June. Also, a potential...
Silver (XAG/USD) prices extended their gains for the third straight session, trading around $32.90 a troy ounce during Asian trading hours on Monday (5/12). The precious metal was supported by news that Canadian miner Pan American Silver will acquire MAG Silver Corp in a deal that values the company at around $2.1 billion, according to Reuters. The acquisition gives Pan American Silver access to MAG's 44% stake in Mexico's high-grade Juanicipio Silver mine, which is operated by Fresnillo, which owns the remaining 56%. The deal, which was unanimously approved by both companies' boards, is...
The USD/CHF pair rose near 0.8340 during the early European session on Monday (5/12). The Swiss Franc (CHF) weakened against the Greenback amid easing fears of a trade war between the United States (US) and China, the world's two largest economies. China and the US have said that they have made progress in trade talks in Switzerland, weighing on safe-haven currencies such as the CHF and providing some fresh air for the pair. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the discussions as "productive and constructive," while Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng said trade talks with US officials...
Gold fell on Monday as positive US-China trade talks eased market concerns, prompting investors to shift from safe-haven assets to riskier investments. Spot gold fell 1.4% to $3,277.34 an ounce, as of 0432 GMT. US gold futures fell 1.9% to $3,281.70. "The dollar index has strengthened as the Trump administration touted progress in trade negotiations, with China joining talks over the weekend in Switzerland weighing on gold prices," said Jigar Trivedi, senior commodities analyst at Reliance Securities. The US and China ended high-stakes trade talks on a positive note on Sunday, with US...
Oil prices rose on Monday after both sides in U.S.-China trade talks over the weekend touted progress, lifting market sentiment that the world's two largest crude users may be moving toward resolving their trade dispute. Brent crude futures rose 43 cents, or 0.67%, to settle at $64.34 a barrel by 0500 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were trading at $61.50 a barrel, up 48 cents, or 0.79%, from Friday's close. Both benchmarks rose more than $1 on Friday and gained more than 4% last week for their first weekly gain since mid-April, after a U.S. trade deal with Britain...
The Japanese Yen (JPY) remained weaker against its American rival through the Asian session on Monday (May 12) as fresh optimism over a US-China trade deal continued to undermine the safe-haven asset. Moreover, concerns about Japan's growth outlook amid US tariff uncertainty seemed to weigh on the JPY. The US Dollar (USD), on the other hand, held steady near multi-week highs amid a hawkish Federal Reserve (Fed) pause and easing fears of a recession in the US, which further acted as a tailwind for the USD/JPY pair. Upbeat Japanese Household Spending data released on Friday boosted the case...
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....