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...
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for solidarity among OPEC members in response to potential U.S. sanctions that could target the country's oil exports. This appeal came after U.S. President Donald Trump announced intentions to renew his "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran, which could significantly impact global oil supply. At a meeting with OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais, Pezeshkian stressed the importance of unity within the organization to withstand possible U.S. sanctions. The Iranian president highlighted that collaborative efforts could prevent the U.S. from...
EUR/USD struggles to extend its upside move above 1.0430 in Wednesday's North American session. The upside move in the major currency pair appears to be stalling as the US Dollar (USD) strives to gain ground after the release of upbeat United States (US) ADP Employment Change for January. The ADP Research Institute reported that the private sector hired 183K workers in January, higher than estimates of 150K and the prior release of 176K, revised significantly higher from 122K. Upbeat private employment is expected to boost market expectations that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will keep...
Gold rose to a new record high, as trade war concerns boosted haven demand and there were signs of continued short-term tightness in the market. Bullion rose as much as 1.2% to above $2,877 an ounce on Wednesday. Prices have been supported by concerns about the impact of trade tensions, particularly between the U.S. and China. The market is also waiting to see if there will be a ripple effect for U.S. monetary policy if tariffs rekindle inflation. There are signs of rising demand for gold as primary dealers look to shift the metal to the U.S. before any tariffs are imposed. So-called...
Oil prices plunged more than 1% on Wednesday as rising US inventories and concerns about a renewed Sino-US trade war stoked fears of weaker economic growth, offsetting a renewed push by US President Donald Trump to eliminate Iranian crude exports. Brent crude futures fell 92 cents, or 1.21%, to $75.28 a barrel by 1210 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 86 cents, or 1.18%, to $71.84. Crude prices traded in a wide range on Tuesday, with WTI falling at one point as much as 3% to its lowest since December 31 after China announced tariffs on US oil, liquefied natural gas...
The US dollar weakened against most major currencies as traders continued to assess the risk of an imminent trade war. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell 0.4% to its lowest in more than a week, with the greenback continuing to weaken from its strongest level in more than two years hit on Monday. Traders recalibrated their outlook for the world's reserve currency after US President Donald Trump delayed the imposition of levies on Mexico and Canada. That returned the focus to market fundamentals, with weaker US jobs data on Tuesday leading to increased bets on interest rate cuts. "The...
The pound (GBP) strengthened near 1.2500 against the US dollar in the European session on Wednesday (5/2). The GBP/USD pair strengthened as the US dollar gave up its initial weekly gains due to the loss of risk premium after US President Donald Trump suspended tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Market participants have interpreted this scenario as a negotiating tactic by President Trump to close a better deal with its major trading partners. Trump called for an immediate suspension of the 25% tariff order on his North American counterparts after they agreed to cooperate on criminal law...
The AUD/USD pair surged near the key 0.6300 level in the European session on Wednesday (February 5). The Australian currency pair strengthened as investors' risk appetite improved amid expectations that the trade war would not be global and would be confined to the United States (US) and China. S&P 500 futures fell slightly during European trading hours but have recovered their losses significantly. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, fell sharply to near 107.50, its lowest level in more than a week. Market participants are...
EUR/USD strengthened above 1.0400 in the European session on Wednesday (5/2). The major currency pair strengthened as the US Dollar (USD) extended its decline for the third trading day. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback against six major currencies, fell near 107.50 as it lost some risk premium, with investors assuming that the scope of the trade war will not widen. Market participants expect the trade war to be mainly between the United States (US) and China because China has retaliated with 10% tariffs on various US exports, including farm equipment, some cars, and...
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....