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...
WTI crude oil futures advanced 3.6% to settle at $76.57 per barrel on Friday, levels not seen since October, as fresh U.S. sanctions on Russia's oil sector, sparked concerns about global supply disruptions. The U.S. Treasury's sanctions target Russian oil producers Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, as well as over 180 vessels, oil traders, and energy officials, aiming to restrict Russia's oil trade and escalate geopolitical risks. Additionally, colder U.S. weather has heightened demand for heating fuels, further supporting oil prices. Analysts from Goldman Sachs and UBS predict that supply...
The U.S. dollar rallied on Friday after data showed the world's largest economy created more jobs than expected last month, reinforcing expectations that the Federal Reserve will pause its rate-cutting cycle at its policy meeting later this month. The greenback also extended gains following a report that showed U.S. consumer inflation expectations for the next year and beyond jumped in January. The dollar rose to its highest since July against the yen after the data, before turning lower on the day. It was last down 0.1% at 157.845 yen . The euro, on the other hand, dropped to its lowest...
Gold price rebounded off daily lows on Friday, extending its rally for the fourth consecutive day as traders shrugged off a strong United States (US) Nonfarm Payrolls report. This tempered the Federal Reserve's (Fed) concerns about the labor market, but not so much inflation as some officials acknowledged. The XAU/USD trades at $2,687, up 0.69%. Bullion fell sharply after the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revealed that the economy added an outstanding number of people to the workforce, topping 200K. As a consequence, the Unemployment Rate dipped, while investors priced in fewer...
Oil prices jumped more than 4% on Friday to their highest since October as traders focused on potential supply disruptions from further sanctions on Russia. Brent crude futures rose $3.50, or 4.6%, to $80.42 a barrel by 1422 GMT, hitting $80 a barrel for the first time since Oct. 7. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose $3.57, or 4.8%, to $77.49. The United States is set to impose some of the toughest sanctions on Russia's oil industry to date, designating 180 vessels, dozens of traders, two major oil companies and several Russian oil executives, according to a document seen by...
Gold (XAU/USD) price is set to close the week on a high note as it trades for the fourth straight day of gains. The upbeat nonfarm payrolls figure came in at 256,000 jobs, which was very close to the maximum expected gain of 260,000. The figure was enough to stoke further inflation concerns, with markets pricing in a Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cut as early as October 2025, compared to July earlier this week. Source: FXStreet
Silver (XAG/USD) prices rose near $31.30 during the European session on Friday. The white metal strengthened ahead of the United States (US) Nonfarm Payroll (NFP) data for December, due to be released at 13:30 GMT. The labor market data will influence market expectations on whether the Federal Reserve (Fed) will continue its cautious stance on further policy easing. The NFP report is expected to show that the US economy added 160,000 new jobs in December, down from 227,000 in November. The Unemployment Rate is expected to remain steady at 4.2%. Investors will also be watching the Average...
Brent crude rose more than 2% to above $78.50 a barrel on Friday, hitting its highest since October, boosted by a draw in U.S. crude stockpiles. Cold weather in the U.S. reduced inventory levels at Cushing, Oklahoma, to the lowest since 2014. Global oil markets are tight due to reduced supplies from major exporters such as Russia and Iran, as well as a surge in demand for heating fuel. The rise in oil prices is also linked to concerns about U.S. policy under President-elect Donald Trump, including potential sanctions on Iran and a trade conflict that could disrupt energy flows. Trump's...
The U.S. dollar rose on Friday, holding onto recent gains ahead of the highly influential monthly jobs report, while the pound continued to weaken. At 4 AM ET (0900 GMT), the Dollar Index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six other currencies, was trading 0.1% higher at 109.040, heading for a weekly gain of 0.3%. That would be its sixth straight weekly gain, the longest winning streak since an 11-week streak in 2023. Dollar holds strength ahead of payrolls announcement The dollar was trading near its strongest level since November 2022, holding onto recent gains as the U.S....
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....