Asia / Pacific

STOCKS: The benchmark BSE Sensex rose 0.16% to 75 318.39 while the broader NSE Nifty index grew 0.17% to 23,659, aided by a boost?from heavyweight Reliance Industries. Meanwhile, the Iran war-driven upswing of global borrowing costs weighed down on broader sentiment, and drove the rupee -to another record low. The Indian rupee fell 0.3% against the U.S. dollar to 96.82. Stalled U.S.-Iran peace?talks kept oil prices high, driving global bond yields higher?and hurting equities amid fears of 'further central bank?"rate hikes. Dollar to 96.82 as oil prices remain high due to the stalled U.S.Iran peace talks. This has pushed global...

Local officials reported that two people had been?killed? and 19 others injured overnight in Russia's attacks on Ukraine, while Ukraine sent drones into industrial areas of central Russia. Local authorities in Ukraine reported that two people died and six were injured when Russia attacked the city of Dnipro, located on the south-east coast, with artillery and missiles. Authorities?added that another 13 injuries were reported in the northern Sumy Region and the southern region of Zaporizhzhia. Three children included. We could not independently verify these reports. Russia and Ukraine deny targeting civilians. DRONES TARGET INDUSTRIAL AREA?IN RUSSIA According to Russian officials...

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called on allies on Tuesday to disrupt Iran's.financing network and said that the Treasury would clear its outdated sanctions list to.make it easier for the financial institutions to.root out the most sophisticated terrorist funding schemes. Bessent said that after the G7 finance leaders met at Paris, participants in an anti-terrorism funding conference should "stand in full measure with us" against Iran. Bessent stated that "this will require our European partners, for example to join the United States by taking action against Iran, including by designating its financiers and unmasking their shell and front company, closing its...

Sanjay Khanna, the chairman of India's Bharat Oil Corp. said that it is recalibrating its crude import strategy nearly daily and increasing?spot purchase after the U.S./Israeli conflict in Middle East disrupted Middle East supply. India, which is the third largest?oil?importer and?consumer in the world, has been affected by the rising crude prices as well as supply disruptions after the Strait of Hormuz was closed. South Asian nation raised retail petrol and diesel prices twice in one week. The refiner planned to purchase about 55% of its crude requirements for 2026/27 via annual contracts, mostly from Middle Eastern producers. Khanna stated...

Valdis Dombrovskis, EU Economy Commissioner, said that the extension of a waiver for Russian sanctions showed that 'G7 members are not always in agreement. Dombrovskis stated that the G7 was a forum to discuss and cooperate with like-minded allies. He said, "But, well... we're not always 100% in agreement on everything. This is unfortunately one of those topics." He praised, however, the joint statement after the G7 meeting. It was said to be a positive outcome of the meeting between the central bank governors and finance ministers. Dombrovskis stated that he was reassured by the United States, who said that...

Indian Oil Corp., the country's largest fuel retailer, has suffered a revenue loss on the sale of one cylinder of LPG of 617 rupees, compared to 171 rupees back in April after the Iran war pushed up the price, according to its finance chief. Anuj Jain, an analyst, said that the company lost 100 rupees on the sale of 14.2-kilogram LPG cylinders, which are mainly used for cooking. Indian state-run fuel retail outlets sell LPG to households at discounted prices. India, the second-largest LPG exporter in the world, is experiencing its worst gas shortages in decades. The government has cut...

A top government minister announced on Tuesday that Italy would extend a 'cut in fuel excise duty due to expire May 22 as part of efforts to curb the soaring energy prices caused by the Middle East conflict. Matteo Salvini, Deputy Prime minister and Transport & Infrastructure Minister, said during an interview with RTL 102.5 that "we will definitely have to extend the excise reduction." It has spent about?1 billion Euros ($1.16 billion), so far, to reduce?excise duty on?petrol or diesel pump prices. The measure was first introduced in March, and then extended for the first time in late April....

The Indian rupee will likely continue to weaken?on Tuesday and could even reach an all-time record low. This is due to high oil prices which have been a drag on the currency for several weeks. The currency is likely to be under pressure due to the weakness of Asian currencies amid low risk appetite and high U.S. rates. The rupee will open between 96.35 and 96.40, traders say, after it settled at 96.3450, where it reached a life-low?of 96.3875 on Monday. "Another Day, Another New High (on Dollar/Rupee). A currency trader from a bank said that for the moment it...

The U.S. Department of Energy reported on Monday that a'record 9.9 millions barrels of oil were shipped from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in the United States last week. This pushed the total volume of the U.S. Government's emergency stockpile to 374 million barils, the lowest level since July 2024. The Trump administration wants to?release 172 million barrels of oil from the reserve, as?part a global deal to calm down the oil markets after prices?spiked due to the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran which began almost three months ago. In April, the?Energy Department offered approximately?92.5 millions barrels of?sweet crudes and...

Santos, Australia’s No.2 oil &?gas producer said on Monday that it had?reached first oil in its Pikka project, located in Alaska, U.S.A. Shares of the Adelaide-headquartered company rose as much as 3.1% to A$8.12, their highest ?since April 13, while the broader S&P/ASX 200 benchmark index ?was down 1.4% by 0450 GMT. Stocks of the Adelaide-based company rose as much as 3.1% to A$8.12, their highest level?since April 13, while the broader S&P/ASX 200 benchmark index?was down 1.4% by 0450 GMT. Craig Sidney is a senior investment advisor at Shaw and Partners. He said, "This announcement is positive in light...

S&P, the credit rating agency, upgraded Nigeria's long term sovereign rating from "B-" to "B" on Friday citing improved creditworthiness. The agency stated that higher oil prices and production, an increase in domestic refining capacity, and the decision to liberalize exchange rates by 2023 will boost Nigeria's economy and improve the balance of payments. It also revised Nigeria's outlook from "positive" to "stable". The World Bank said in April that it expected Nigeria's economic growth to be about 4.2% in 2026, despite the Iran War, and encouraged authorities to conserve windfalls from higher oil prices, to maintain a tight monetary...

Energy Minister said that Serbia will present its final offer to MOL, the Hungarian oil company, on Friday, in response to the Hungarian bid for NIS, the operator of the Balkan nation’s only refinery. Gazprom and Gazprom, two Russian companies, agreed in January to sell their 56% stake in NIS majority to MOL after the U.S. demanded that Russian shares be divested due to sanctions imposed by the U.S. over Moscow's involvement in the war in Ukraine. We had intensive discussions yesterday and the previous day with representatives of MOL. "We agreed on certain topics," Energy Minister Dubravka Handanovic, was...

Bernd Schaefer, an industry expert at the EIT, said on Wednesday that Europe needs to develop its own pricing system for "specialty metals" and "rare earths" in order to lessen reliance on China and increase investment in mining and manufacturing. China controls the critical mineral supply chains and sets prices on its own markets. This leaves Western developers with no benchmarks for their investment decisions, which can delay projects already costing more in Europe. The EU has set a goal to mine 10% of its strategic raw material requirements annually by 2030, and rely no more than 65% on one...

The recovery process of PT Freeport Indonesia’s Grasberg copper and gold mine has taken longer than expected. However, the company anticipates that?operations will "approach" their full capacity by the end of 2027. In September of last year, seven workers died when 800,000 metric tonnes of wet material flooded Grasberg Block Cave. The Grasberg Complex is the second largest copper mine in the world and the largest gold mine. Global copper prices rose due to a disruption in production caused by the?mine. Freeport Indonesia CEO Tony Wenas stated in an interview with the company's headquarters in Jakarta that "we found out...

Two sources with knowledge of the issue said that Indonesia is planning to create a 'body' that will oversee the exports of certain commodities. This move is intended to?combat under-invoicing?and increase state revenue. The market has been spooked by the news, as Jakarta's main index fell 3.5% on Tuesday. Sources said that all exports of coal and palm oil will be handled by the state agency. Other strategic commodities are expected to follow. Indonesia is the largest exporter of palm oil and thermal coal in the world. They declined to be named as they weren't authorised by the government to...

The Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, told the 'Izvestia' newspaper that Russia is worried by U.S. efforts to secure access to rare earths and vital minerals in Central Asia. The?G7 nations including the U.S., EU and Canada have been exploring alternative markets to help reduce their reliance on Beijing. Russia is interested in the Central Asian countries - Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Turkmenistan, and 'Uzbekistan. This is at a time when China has been increasing its focus on the region. Galuzin, in an interview with?Izvestia published on Wednesday, said: "We are worried by the intensity of Washington's push for agreements on...

James Hardie Industries reported a lower-than expected annual 'profit' on Wednesday as bad weather disrupted?construction?activity in its key -markets, while affordability and inflationary pressures continue to hamper housing activity. The lower full-year profits underscore the pressure on building materials companies as a result of high mortgage rates, house price, and stretched affordability, which is weighing down?on new construction, repair and remodel activity. The U.S.-Israeli War with Iran has also increased energy costs, which are causing house owners to postpone large-ticket renovations. AZEK Exteriors contributed to the 25% increase in net sales, which drove a 3% rise in Siding & Trim....

A deputy finance minister said that Russia will introduce diamond export duties this year to help the struggling domestic industry. Alexei Moiseev, the Finance Minister, said that the ministry is discussing the proposed "lenient export tariff scheme" with Russian diamond exporter and miner Alrosa. Alrosa is the largest diamond producer in the world by carat. He said that tariffs will only be applied to stones that can be cut cost-effectively in Russia. Moiseev stated that the ministry did not see the need to purchase diamonds from Alrosa for the state owned repository Gokhran, even though the company is facing a...

Nickel prices increased on Tuesday as concerns about Indonesian supplies resurfaced. China's Tsingshan group asked its Weda Bay Industrial Park smelters to divert their power to aluminum production. Benchmark nickel prices were?up?1.8% at $18,900 per metric ton as of 0946 GMT. The price of nickel hit a two-year high earlier this month at around $20,000, with the buying being sparked by a sulphur scarcity caused by the war in Iran and lower ore quotas. Tsingshan asked producers of nickel-pig iron used to produce stainless steel to "curb" output, according to reports on Monday. The group is now focusing more on...

Adani, Vedanta, and Hindalco are among the top copper producers in India. They oppose plans to make copper wire produced by secondary refiners meet government standards. A dispute over copper rods with high conductivity that are fire-refined has led to a standoff lasting months between primary producers and refiners. These rods are used primarily in electrical applications, such as transformers and power cables. Copper rods produced by smaller refiners that mainly use scrap as a raw material are not subject to the same standards, because they may not meet the required purity levels for electrical applications. The?large producers claimed that...

Iron ore prices fell a further 5% on Tuesday, to their lowest level in more than two months. The reason was China's new stricter plan to curb overcapacity?in the steel sector. This dampened the prospects for demand?for feedstocks. However, near-term consumption has capped these losses. Iron ore, the most traded contract at China's Dalian Commodity Exchange(DCE), closed daytime trading down 0.87% to 798.5 Yuan ($117.38) per metric ton. This was a decline for a 4th consecutive session. The contract hit its lowest?level since the 30th of April at 794 Yuan during the daytime session. By 0814 GMT?the benchmark July iron...

Sources said that several major Chinese copper smelters met in Beijing on Tuesday to?discuss with government officials. The?industry is preparing for mid-year discussions with global miners about processing fees for the year beginning in July. According to anonymous sources, the meeting included representatives from the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association and a number of'major' smelters. The processing fees are also called treatment and refining costs. They are paid by the miners to the smelters in order to refine concentrate. National Development and Reform Commission and the industry association did not immediately respond to our requests for comments. Smelters prepare for...

Iron ore prices fell on Tuesday, reaching their lowest level in over two weeks. China's new plan to curb the steel industry's overcapacity dampened demand prospects, but a firm near-term consumer base capped losses. Iron ore, the most traded contract on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange DCE, fell by 0.87% at 0313 GMT to 798.5 Yuan ($117.50), a metric tonne. This was the fourth consecutive session of declines. The price of iron ore fell to its lowest level since April 30 at 796 Yuan during the morning session. By 0303 GMT the benchmark 'June iron ore' on the Singapore Exchange had...

A senior official said that Ghana had asked large-scale miners to sell 30 percent of their annual output to the central bank as part of an overhauled reserve building?drive. This is up from 20 percent, but miners claim key commercial terms are still unresolved. Globally, central banks are stockpiling more bullion due to the soaring price of this asset. Ghana, Africa's largest gold producer, began its bullion purchasing programme in 2022. The Ghana Chamber of mines later secured an agreement with the miners to supply 20% of the annual production to the central banks. Bank of Ghana data revealed that...