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 dollar fell due to disappointing US jobs data, with layoffs reaching more than 150,000 in October, the highest in over 20 years. Another factor: the market is now considering the possibility that the Federal Reserve (the Fed) could cut interest rates near the end of the year as US economic growth begins to slow. Furthermore, the partial US government shutdown has exacerbated uncertainty around official economic data, making investors less confident in the dollar as a safe-haven asset. The USD continues to experience pressure due to a combination of factors, including slowing US...
Gold rose on Friday (November 7) as expectations of further interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve and lingering concerns over the US economic outlook amid the prolonged government shutdown boosted demand. Spot gold rose 0.8% to $4,010.72 an ounce, as of 09:25 GMT. US gold futures for December delivery rose 0.7% to $4,019.50 an ounce. "The bullish current is still in play," said independent analyst Ross Norman. "The underlying themes associated with the strengthening gold price remain very relevant: central bank gold purchases and the prospect of interest rate cuts." The US economy...
Oil prices rose on Friday (November 7th), but remained on track for a second straight weekly loss after three days of declines on oversupply concerns and slowing US demand. Brent crude rose 60 cents, or 1%, to $63.98 per barrel at 09:04 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude rose 61 cents, or 1%, to $60.04. Both benchmarks are expected to post weekly declines of more than 1.5% as leading global producers increase output. "The market continues to price in the growing oil surplus against a mixed macro environment," said SEB analyst Ole Hvalbye. An unexpected increase in US inventories of 5.2...
The US Dollar trims losses on Friday with investors wary of risk following another sell-off on Wall Street, as concerns of an AI bubble remain alive. The USD Index, which measures the value of the Dollar against a basket of peers, is trading at 99.85 in the early European session, up from weekly lows around 99.65. The Greenback drew some support from risk aversion as Asian markets followed Wall Street and posted significant losses, with tech stocks leading the drawdown. Fears of a dotcom-like crash, coupled with downbeat employment data from the US, have triggered a rush for safety that is...
Silver is trading in a high range (the December COMEX contract is around $48–49/oz) as risk-off sentiment spreads and the US dollar weakened. The sharp rise in Challenger job losses in October boosted market confidence that the Fed could cut interest rates sooner, boosting interest in the precious metal. However, silver's rally has tended to be more subdued than gold's because silver is also highly dependent on the industrial cycle. From a fundamental perspective, the medium-term market balance remains tight: The Silver Institute expects a continued supply deficit into 2025, despite...
Gold strengthened in the Asian session as signs of a fragile US economy emerged. US companies reported plans to cut more than 150,000 jobs last month—nearly triple the number in September—according to consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas. This data added to market concerns and boosted interest in safe-haven assets. Meanwhile, the US government shutdown entered its 37th day. Its impact is becoming increasingly noticeable: the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a 10% reduction in traffic at 40 airports. This policy reinforced signals of slowing activity and dampened risk...
Oil prices edged higher but remained on track for a second weekly decline. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) briefly approached $60 per barrel, while Brent held steady around $63 on Thursday. However, both are still headed for a weekly decline of around 2%. The trigger is rising global supply. OPEC+ production rose slightly after several key members resumed supply, coupled with increased output from Brazil and the US. WTI has weakened by around 17% so far this year. Last month, the International Energy Agency (IEA) also predicted that next year's oversupply would reach a record, even greater...
Oil prices declined on Thursday as investors considered a potential supply glut, as well as weakened demand in the United States, the world's largest oil consumer. Brent crude futures settled down 14 cents, or 0.22%, to $63.38 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures settled down 17 cents, or 0.29%, to $59.43. Global oil prices fell for a third straight month in October on fears of oversupply as OPEC and its allies - known as OPEC+ - increase output while production from non-OPEC producers is also still growing. "The market keeps being haunted by the best-telegraphed supply glut in...
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....