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...
Gold price rises during the North American session on Friday amid an escalation of the trade war between the US and China. This, the US government shutdown and expectation for further easing by the Federal Reserve (Fed) keep the yellow metal bid. XAU/USD trades at $3,997, up 0.60%, at the time of writing. Bullion's boosted by escalating tariff threats and prolonged Washington deadlock reigniting risk aversion Risk aversion is the name of the game after US President Donald Trump warned of possible fresh duties on China, as the latter threatens to impose export controls on rare earths. Trump...
Silver surged toward an all-time high above $50 an ounce as a historic squeeze deepened in the London market. Spot prices rose as much as 3.7% to above $51 an ounce before paring some gains, while one-month borrowing costs for the precious metal in London hit a year-to-date record of 35%. Gold and palladium also rose. Silver is up more than 70% this year, far outpacing gold, as investors seek safety amid US fiscal uncertainty, concerns over an overheated equity market, and threats to the Federal Reserve's independence. Earlier this year, concerns that the US could impose tariffs on silver...
Gold rebounded from earlier losses on Friday (October 10th) and is on track for its eighth consecutive weekly gain, driven by widespread political and economic uncertainty and expectations of further US interest rate cuts, while silver is nearing a record high. Spot gold, which hit a record high of $4,059.05 on Wednesday, rose 0.6% to $3,998.02 an ounce by 11:12 GMT – a gain of 2.9% so far this week. US gold futures for December delivery rose 1% to $4,012.30. Non-yielding bullion is traditionally considered a hedge during times of broader uncertainty. "Gold is no longer just a defensive...
Oil extended the biggest decline in a week on cautious optimism about easing tensions in the Middle East and the outlook for supply. Brent traded below $65 a barrel after closing 1.6% lower on Thursday. Israel approved a framework that would see Hamas release hostages in exchange for prisoners, a major step toward a peace agreement to end the bloody conflict in Gaza which has destabilized the Middle East. Meanwhile, traders were on alert after the US sanctioned more than 50 individuals, firms and vessels involved in the Iranian energy trade, including a key crude-import terminal and a...
The Australian dollar strengthened to around $0.657 on Friday (October 10), rebounding from a nearly two-week low. This gain came after RBA Governor Michele Bullock struck a cautious tone: services inflation remains sticky, second-quarter inflation was slightly above forecasts but trending upwards. She also emphasized the volatile monthly CPI data and said the labor market remains tight but is approaching equilibrium. The market also expects the RBA to hold interest rates (after keeping them at 3.6% in September). Despite today's strength, the AUD is still headed for a slight weekly decline...
Gold rose slightly in the early Asian session, up 0.3% to $3,986.90/oz, recovering from a sharp overnight decline. This gain is seen as a technical recovery, and according to Fadi Al Kurdi (FFA Kings), gold's bullish momentum still has the potential to continue. On the sentiment side, the US government shutdown delayed the release of important data and added fiscal uncertainty, thus maintaining interest in safe assets. Furthermore, the September FOMC minutes showed that the Fed sees significant labor market risks for further interest rate cuts, although it remains cautious due to...
Oil held the biggest decline in a week on cautious optimism about easing tensions in the Middle East and the outlook for supply. West Texas Intermediate traded below $62 a barrel after closing 1.7% lower on Thursday. Brent settled near $65. A peace agreement between Israel and Hamas took another major step forward following Israel's approval of a framework that would see hostages and prisoners released. OPEC+ agreed to raise production quotas again at a gathering on Sunday, exacerbating concerns of an oversupplied market in the coming months. Still, the...
Oil prices settled lower on Thursday after Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas signed an agreement to cease fire in Gaza. Brent crude futures closed down $1.03, or 1.6%, at $65.22 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was down $1.04, or 1.7%, at $61.51. Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas signed an agreement on Thursday to cease fire and free Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, in the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's initiative to end the war in Gaza. Under the ceasefire deal, fighting will cease, Israel will partially...
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....