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...
Silver (XAG/USD) oscillates in a narrow band during the Asian session on Friday and currently trades above mid-$32.00s, near its highest level in over a week touched the previous day. Moreover, the near-term bias seems tilted in favor of bullish traders and supports prospects for an extension of the weekly uptrend. The recent bounce from sub-$31.00 levels, nearing the 100-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA), and the fact that oscillators on the daily chart have just started gaining positive traction validate the constructive outlook for the XAG/USD. Hence, some follow-through strength...
The Japanese Yen (JPY) retains its positive bias for the third straight day against a broadly weaker US Dollar (USD) and keeps the USD/JPY pair close to its lowest level since early October during the Asian session on Friday. The growing acceptance that the Bank of Japan (BoJ) will continue to raise interest rates has been exerting upward pressure on Japanese government bond (JGB) yields. The resultant narrowing of the rate differential between Japan and other countries continues to act as a tailwind for the lower-yielding JPY. Moreover, the uncertainty surrounding US President Donald...
Gold traded around $2,900 per ounce on Friday, heading for a weekly gain, supported by its safe-haven appeal amid shifting global trade policies. While President Donald Trump paused the 25% tariffs imposed this week on most goods from Canada and Mexico, Canada's initial retaliatory tariffs remain, and China's measures take effect next week. Meanwhile, US jobs data painted a mixed picture, with the Challenger report showing layoffs surged to a 2020 high, while jobless claims dropped more than expected last week. These reports precede today's non-farm payrolls release, which could offer a...
Hong Kong stocks fell by 51 points or 0.2% to 24,324 in early trading on Friday, breaking a three-day winning streak amid losses mainly from financials. Markets pulled back from their highest in over three years following an overnight slump on Wall Street, due to uncertainty over US trade policy. This was particularly driven by President Donald Trump's decision to delay levies on Mexican and Canadian goods covered by the North American trade agreement. Also, caution grew ahead of key data from China, including January-February trade data later today, alongside CPI and PPI readings over the...
The dollar index stabilized above 104 on Friday as investors looked ahead to the highly anticipated monthly jobs report for further insights into the economy's health. The dollar also found support after President Donald Trump temporarily exempted certain Canadian and Mexican goods from the 25% tariffs imposed earlier in the week, raising hopes for additional concessions. However, the index remains on track to lose more than 3% for the week, as the escalating trade war stoked concerns about the potential negative impact on the US economy, particularly given the heavy reliance of many US...
WTI crude futures traded around $66 per barrel on Friday, heading for its worst week since October and the longest weekly losing streak since December 2023. Prices came under pressure from the potential fallout of global trade shifts. While President Donald Trump eased some tariffs on Mexico and Canada until April 2, Canada's retaliatory tariffs remain, and China's measures take effect next week. Adding to bearish sentiment, OPEC+ plans to revive output in April, coinciding with prospects of a restart of the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline and increased production at Kazakhstan's Tengiz field,...
The Australian Dollar (AUD) remains subdued against the US Dollar (USD) for the second consecutive day on Friday. The AUD/USD pair faces modest headwinds as the USD steadies ahead of the upcoming Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report in the North American session. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) maintains its outlook for economic growth to slow toward 2% by 2025. While its stance has previously bolstered AUD strength, investors remain cautious about potential policy shifts in response to inflation and labor market dynamics. The AUD could find support from easing concerns after US President...
Gold is steady in the early Asian trade. Prices are largely unchanged given the rising macroeconomic uncertainty, the ANZ Research team writes in a note. The move by the U.S. to delay tariffs on Mexico saw yields on U.S. Treasurys push toward their lowest levels this year, as markets price in the possibility of several U.S. Fed rate cuts this year, given the tariffs' potential impact on growth, they add. The precious metal is consolidating its upward trend, and there might be room for prices to rise further given its value as a safe-haven asset, Antonio Di Giacomo of trading platform...
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....