Asia / Pacific

Chevron's first-quarter earnings exceeded Wall Street expectations on Friday as higher oil prices related to the U.S./Israeli war against Iran helped boost its results in its upstream business. LSEG data show that the company's adjusted earnings per share were $1.41, which is well above the consensus estimate. Despite the big beat, overall profits were at their lowest levels in five years. This was partly due to timing effects related to financial derivatives. Chevron’s largest business unit upstream generated $3.9 billion, an increase of 4% on the previous year, as oil prices rose. In a press release, CEO Mike Wirth stated...

Exxon Mobil beat expectations for the first quarter adjusted earnings on a Friday. However, unadjusted 'profit' dropped to its lowest in five years because of disrupted shipments due to the U.S./Israeli war against?Iran. Also, a negative impact was caused by?timing issues related to financial derivatives. The adjusted earnings for the first 'three months' of the year came in at $1.16, which was above the consensus estimate by LSEG of $1.00. The adjusted figure excludes a $700m loss due to cargoes which were not delivered because of the war. Earnings per share were $2.09, excluding financial derivatives. Net income was $4.2...

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said that its drones struck an oil refinery near the Russian city of Perm on Thursday. This was the second attack in a row on oil facilities around the region as Kyiv tries to reduce the energy revenues Moscow uses to fund war. SBU: The Lukoil-owned refining plant, located over 1,500 km from Ukraine, is one of the largest refineries in Russia, with a capacity of 13 million metric tonnes per year. Lukoil did not respond immediately to a request for comment. The SBU reported that preliminary information indicated that the strike had hit a critical...

A UAE official said on Wednesday that the United Arab Emirates was reevaluating its role and contribution?across multilateral organizations but it is not considering further withdrawals 'at this time. The Emirati official who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the country was reviewing its membership in all multilateral organizations. After its unexpected decision to leave the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+) and OPEC+?effective May 1, Abu Dhabi's statement has fueled speculation that it could also exit other regional organizations, such as the Arab League or the Gulf Cooperation Council. The UAE's exit from OPEC, as one of its...

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company notified customers that two crude grades could be 'loaded outside of the Gulf next month, as the Strait of Hormuz was closed. ADNOC is moving the crude grades Das and Upper Zakum from the terminals on Das Island (and Zirku Island) located in the Gulf, to outside locations for loading. The exports of these terminals are down dramatically as there have been fewer ships willing to cross the strait after the U.S. - Iran?war began in late February. ADNOC informed clients that it would make cargoes available to be loaded outside the Arabian Gulf on...

Fertiglobe, a unit of the state oil giant ADNOC in Abu Dhabi, saw profits jump by 173% in the first quarter, as the fertiliser manufacturer benefited from the price spikes caused by the conflict in the Middle East. The Iran War, which began February 28, led to an effective closure of Strait of Hormuz. This is the route that carries a fifth of global oil and around a third of all seaborne fertiliser. This has caused a spike in the price of commodities such as energy and fertiliser. According to LSEG, Fertiglobe (which is 86.2% owned by ADNOC) reported an...

German semiconductor materials provider Siltronic reported lower-than expected quarterly sales on Tuesday, as the company continued to be affected by an?uncertain market environment. According to a LSEG poll, the average analyst's forecast was 317 million euro. The German company's EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization) was?65.1 million euros compared to 78.3 millions euros last year. This is below analysts' expectations of 67.4million euros. It is encouraging that the growth of AI-driven end market has continued to strengthen. But capacity constraints at our customers, particularly in the memory-chip sector, and persistently high inventories for 200 mm products are dampening...

Sinopec, a Chinese company, said that its refinery and petrochemical utilization rates fell in the first quarter due to the U.S./Israeli war on Iran which disrupted the feedstock supply. However its chemical exports will grow strongly this year. Sinopec is the world's largest refiner by capacity. The company announced that it had cut refinery utilisation by 7.6 percentages points annually between January and the end of March, to an average of around 83%. A company executive said that the ethylene usage rate was 89% for the first quarter of this year, which is 1.5 percentage points less than it was...

South Africa said on Tuesday it would extend the fuel tax cut 'for two more months' to cushion the impact of the iran war on household budgets. However, the relief will end after this period and the country will recoup lost revenue through other means. According to the?International Energy Agency, the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran has led to the largest oil supply disruptions in history. This has hurt countries like South Africa, which import most of their fuel, as global energy prices are rising. The government announced a reduction of one month in the general fuel tax for...

Contemporary?Amperex Tech Co (CATL), the world's biggest EV battery manufacturer, launched a $5 billion share sale on Monday in Hong Kong. The company is looking to capitalize on its shares which are nearing record highs. According to a termsheet seen by, CATL will be?offering HK$628.20 - HK$651.80 for new H shares, a discount ranging from 3.5% - 7.0% on Monday's closing price HK$675.50. The fundraising is part of CATL's efforts to lock in capital as its share price continues to rise. It also faces an EV market in China that is fiercely competitive and where it has been difficult for...

The Indian rupee finished modestly stronger on Monday as the dollar sales made by state-run banks helped to ease the pressure of higher oil prices after the U.S.-Iran negotiations stalled. The rupee closed at 94.19 compared to its previous closing of 94.2475. Traders said that state-run banks, likely acting on behalf of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), offered dollars to limit the fall of the currency early in the session. A trader from a Mumbai bank stated that this was what triggered a broader interest in selling dollars, giving the rupee breathing space. As shipments of oil through the Strait...

The Indian rupee will continue to be under pressure on Monday due to importer hedging and a demand spurred by high oil prices. After settling at 94.2475 last Friday, traders expect the rupee to open between 94.26 and 94.30. Last week, the currency fell by 1.42%. This was its worst performance in over three and a half years. The fall was caused by a number of factors including the sharp rise in oil price amid the?absence of any sign of a solution to the disruptions around Strait of Hormuz? and the partial rollback of the central bank's measures that supported...

The Danish FLSmidth, a supplier of mining equipment and cement technologies, said in a Friday statement that it was investigating whether or not it had violated'sanctions' after discovering it had supplied certain pre-contract materials to Russia. As part of a continuing internal investigation, the company found that it provided materials to Russians in connection with limited potential projects in Kazakhstan. It added that the company had ceased to pursue tenders. When asked about the sanctions FLSmidth may have violated, the company replied that it had sent an email to both the U.S. authorities and the Danish ones. The company stated...

Aluminum?prices rose on Friday as a result of fears that supply would be limited due to the ongoing standoff between Iran and the U.S., which has impacted shipments from the Gulf, where there are large smelters. Iran warned on Thursday that it would respond to any new attacks by the United States with "long, painful strikes". In official open-outcry trade, benchmark three-month aluminum on the London Metal Exchange increased 1.4% to $3.522 per metric ton, ending five sessions of losses. Metal used for construction, transportation and packaging reached $3,672 per?ton, its highest level in four years on April 16. This...

Gold prices dropped more than 1% on Friday, and are expected to drop a similar amount each week as high oil prices continue to fuel inflation fears that could discourage central banks from reducing interest rates. At 1149 GMT spot gold was down by 1.1%, at $4,573.33 an ounce, and is on course for a loss of 2.8% per week. U.S. Gold Futures for June delivery dropped 1% to $4585.20. UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said that gold remains negatively correlated with oil in the short-term, because it impacts interest rate expectations. Iran warned on Thursday that it would respond to...

Industry and government sources claim that India's gold imports in April are likely to drop to a low of 15 metric tonnes, a level not seen for 30 years, as banks were allegedly hit with an unexpected tax demand. Surendra Mehta is the secretary of the India Bullion and Jewellers Association. He said that since Indian customs started requiring a 3% integrated good and service?tax? on the metal, the banks have stopped importing it. When India introduced the IGST in 2017, gold-importing banks weren't required to pay the 3% levy. Tax demands are now being made on banks following a...

The copper price rose on Thursday, and was poised to 'crack a five-day decline after positive factory data from China. Nickel prices were 'heading towards their biggest monthly jump in two years due to tighter supply coming out of Indonesia. In official open outcry, the benchmark three-month copper price on London Metal Exchange rose 0.6% to $13,085 per metric tonne. Metal used in construction, manufacturing and power was expected to rise by 6% in April. This would be the best month in?2026, based on the hope that the Middle East conflict will be contained. A private survey revealed that China's...

Gold prices jumped Thursday as the dollar eased, and oil prices fell. Some analysts also cited an increase in demand for safe-haven assets due to growing fears that the U.S. - Iran war could escalate. As of 1158 GMT spot gold rose 1.9%, to $4,629.83 an ounce, after dropping to its lowest level since March 31, in the previous session. Bullion has fallen by about 0.9% this month. U.S. Gold Futures for June Delivery rose by 1.8% to $4642.90. Dollar fell sharply against yen after Bank of Japan officials gave firm signals about possible intervention to help the Japanese currency....

Gold prices jumped Thursday as oil prices slid and the 'dollar' eased. Some analysts also cited an increase in demand for safe-haven assets due to growing fears that the U.S. - Iran war could escalate. As of 1017 GMT spot gold rose 1.9%, to $4,630.03 an ounce. It had fallen to its lowest level since March 31, in the previous session. Bullion has fallen by about 0.9% this month. U.S. Gold Futures for June delivery increased 1.8% to $4642.90. Dollars fell by 0.3% making greenback bullion cheaper for holders of other currencies. Gold is recovering because of the uncertainty that...

China has exported large quantities of a rare earth used in chip-making and aerospace to the United States. Customs data showed that in March, tight controls, which caused shortages and record-high prices, could be loosening. The 60-ton shipment is 50 percent larger than the total yttrium shipped to the U.S. from China since April, when China implemented export controls on several rare earths at the height of the trade war. While rare earth exports were mostly resumed following a 'trade truce' late last year, the yttrium shipment was largely stuck. This caused shortages and production stops for aerospace and semiconductor...

The demand for gold in India slowed this week due to volatile global prices and the weaker rupee. Meanwhile, premiums from China rose as they stocked up ahead of May Day. Indian dealers quoted discounts This week, premiums up to $9 per ounce, including 6% import duties and 3% sales taxes, are down to as low as $5, compared to the $15 premium last week. Chanda Venkatesh is the managing director of CapsGold, a bullion dealer based in Hyderabad. She said that after Akshaya Tritiya, jewellers have seen a drop in footfall and retail demand. On Thursday, domestic gold prices...

Dalian iron-ore futures posted their third weekly gain in a row on Thursday as positive factory activity data from China boosted demand prospects for the second largest economy. The September Iron Ore Contract, the most traded on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange(DCE), closed daytime trading 1.6% higher. It had reached a monthly peak of 802.5 Yuan earlier in session. The contract gained 0.95% per week and 0.44% per month. The Chinese markets will be closed from May 1 to 5, for holiday. As of 0711 GMT, the benchmark June iron ore traded on Singapore Exchange was 0.88% higher. It cost $107.35...

Major fund managers have predicted a sustained rally for mining and metals, as money pours in at the fastest rate in years. This is due to a robust AI infrastructure, increased defence spending, and a move away from expensive technology stocks. The assets under management of mining exchange-traded funds grew by more than twofold to $87.4 Billion by March 31 compared with $37 Billion a year ago, according to data compiled for ETFGI by the research firm. shows. Oil and gas?and agriculture also saw significant inflows. This marks one of the sharpest shifts in investment towards hard assets ever. Investors...

The London Metal Exchange's Asia Week conference, which takes place next week in Hong Kong, will be dominated by geopolitics. The U.S. and Israeli war against Iran has caused a shock to the energy market, which is affecting the outlook for demand of most metals. The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz?has?trapped?large quantities of aluminium, sulphur and sulphuric acids that are used to produce copper and nickel. In the meantime, governments in Indonesia and Guinea tighten their grip on production through export quotas as well as tax changes. This is a new type of resource nationalism. Here is a summary...