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), a measure of the value of the US Dollar (USD) against a basket of six major currencies, attracted some buyers around 103.50 during the early European session on Wednesday (3/19). Traders are preparing for the Federal Reserve's (Fed) interest rate decision later on Wednesday, with no change in interest rates expected. Fed officials' fresh economic projections will be closely watched as they could provide some clues on how policymakers view the possible impact of US President Donald Trump's administration's policies. Technically, the bearish outlook for the DXY...
Gold (XAU/USD) prices continued its consolidative price movement near record highs through the first half of the European session (3/19) on Wednesday as investors braced ahead of the FOMC policy update. The Federal Reserve (Fed) will announce its decision later during the US session and is widely expected to keep the federal funds rate unchanged in the current range of 4.25% to 4.50%. Hence, the focus will remain on the accompanying policy statement and the latest economic projections, which include the so-called dot plot. Apart from this, Fed Chair Jerome Powell's comments at the...
Oil prices fell on Wednesday after Russia agreed to US President Donald Trump's proposal that Moscow and Kyiv temporarily stop attacking each other's energy infrastructure, which could allow more Russian oil to enter the global market. Brent crude was down 23 cents, or 0.3%, at $70.33 a barrel by 0730 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was down 25 cents, or 0.4%, at $66.65. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday agreed to stop attacking Ukrainian energy facilities but stopped short of a full 30-day truce that Trump had hoped for. "The agreement marks a positive step...
The Japanese Yen (JPY) moved little after the Bank of Japan's (BoJ) decision to leave the short-term interest rate target unchanged and remains depressed in the wake of weaker-than-expected domestic data released earlier this Wednesday. Apart from this, a modest US Dollar (USD) bounce, from a multi-month low touched on Tuesday, lifts the USD/JPY pair above mid-149.00s during the Asian session. The JPY bears, however, seem reluctant to place aggressive bets and opt to wait for BoJ Governor Kazuo Ueda's comments at the post-meeting press conference. Investors will look for cues about the...
Gold price (XAU/USD) touches a fresh all-time peak, around the $3,039 region during the Asian session on Wednesday, though it lacks follow-through as traders opt to wait for the outcome of a two-day FOMC policy meeting. The Federal Reserve (Fed) is scheduled to announce its decision later today and is expected to keep the federal funds rate unchanged at the current range of 4.25% to 4.50%. Hence, the focus will be on updated economic projections and Fed Chair Jerome Powell's comments at the post-meeting press conference. Investors will look for cues about the future rate-cut path, which, in...
Oil prices fell on Wednesday after Russia agreed to U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal that Moscow and Kyiv stop attacking each other's energy infrastructure temporarily, which could lead to more Russian oil entering global markets. Brent crude futures fell 19 cents, or 0.3%, to $70.37 a barrel by 0420 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) was down 20 cents, or 0.3%, to $66.70. Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Tuesday to stop attacking Ukrainian energy facilities but stopped short of endorsing a full 30-day ceasefire that Trump hoped for. Russia is one of the world's...
The dollar index hovered around 103.3 on Wednesday as investors awaited the Federal Reserve's latest policy decision, with the central bank widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged. Market focus will be on the Fed's quarterly updates on rate projections and its outlook for growth, inflation, and unemployment. Meanwhile, the dollar remained near five-month lows as President Donald Trump's aggressive tariff policies fueled economic uncertainty. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News that while the US economy remains fundamentally strong, he could not rule out the possibility...
The Japanese Yen (JPY) edges lower during the Asian session on Wednesday in reaction to weaker-than-expected domestic data, though it lacks follow-through selling as traders seem reluctant ahead of the Bank of Japan (BoJ) decision. The Japanese central bank is widely anticipated to keep the short-term interest rate steady at 0.50% amid the uncertainty over US President Donald Trump's trade policies and their impact on the economy. Hence, investors will look for signals on the timing and the scope of future rate hikes by the BoJ. The focus will then shift to the outcome of a two-day FOMC...
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....