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Prices of copper rose on Monday as oil prices dropped after the U.S. & Iran ended hostilities. This eased 'concerns over price pressures and global economic growth. Benchmark copper on the London Metal Exchange was up 0.9% at $13,770 per metric ton of official rings. The Pentagon suspended its campaign against Iran on Friday after 13 nights of increasing airstrikes by the United States. Iran has been holding fire for the past two days after it had responded to each night's U.S. airstrikes with its own strikes on neighbouring countries which host U.S. base. The oil prices fell as the...

The stock and bond markets around the world staged a relief rally Monday, as easing Middle East conflict sent oil prices down and eased inflation concerns ahead of an upcoming week packed with central bank meetings and earnings announcements. U.S. president?Donald?Trump has halted the two-week long bombing campaign that was launched against Iran. According to reports, U.S. officials were concerned about the depletion in air defence weapons. Iran has said that it will halt its attacks as long as U.S. officials continue to fire. Brent crude fell 7.8% to $89.41 per barrel during the lull of fighting in the Strait...

As tensions in the Middle East eased, oil prices fell sharply and inflation fears were reduced. This was ahead of a busy week of central bank meetings and earnings reports. Iran announced on Sunday that it would cease?its? own attacks if the United States also did so. The U.S. Military was reportedly worried about the dwindling supply of ammunition. Brent crude fell 6.3% to $90.70 a barrel during the lull of fighting in the Strait of Hormuz, while U.S. Crude dropped 5.7% to $74.12. On Monday, stock markets around the world staged a relief rally after fighting in the Middle...

Prices of copper rose on Monday as oil prices fell following the U.S.-Iran pause in their two-week long conflict, which eased concerns about inflationary risks for?global growth. The benchmark three-month 'copper' on the London Metal Exchange gained 0.32% to $13,688.5 per metric tonne by 0700 GMT. The Shanghai Futures Exchange's most traded copper contract was up 0.31% to 105,050 Yuan ($15.523.64) per metric ton. The U.S. announced that it was halting its airstrikes against Iran after 13 nights of attacks. Tehran also said it would cease its attacks. Brent crude dropped more than 6% on Monday, after reaching $100 per...

Prices of copper rose on Monday as a result of a tentative?halt to fighting between the U.S.A. and Iran, and relief in the oil market. Benchmark three-month Copper on the London Metal Exchange gained 0.26% to $13,681 per metric ton at 0300 GMT. The most traded copper contract at the Shanghai Futures Exchange rose 0.27% to 105,010 Yuan ($15.515.43) per metric ton. After 13 nights of airstrikes, the U.S. announced that it was stopping its attacks on Iran. Tehran also said that it would cease its retaliatory strikes. Oil prices were able to recover a little from the?tentative ceasefire. Brent...

Mike Dolan, Editor at Large, Finance and Markets, explains what matters today in U.S. markets. Alphabet's capital expenditure increase and earnings beat triggered a familiar response - the stock of Alphabet fell, while chip stocks rose. The hyperscaler beat the Street by posting more than 80% in its cloud business. However, it raised its capex expectations yet again, with AI-related investments now expected to exceed $200 billion this year. Below, I'll delve deeper into that and much more. Check out my most recent column about how the U.S. economy's K-shaped scale explains its resilience. Listen to the Morning Bid podcast...

Can India do for Asia's refined-fuels market what China did? China drastically cut its crude imports to a decade low in June in response to the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran. This freed up oil for buyers who were struggling to find cargoes due to the 'effective closure of Strait of Hormuz. India has taken a different approach, purchasing Russian crude oil and increasing?exports?of refined products in order to offset the lower shipments of refineries from the Middle East and Russia. According to commodity analysts Kpler, India's light and middle distillates exports are expected to hit 1.55 million barrels...

Ankur Banerjee gives a look at what the day will bring for European and global markets. After five months of observing events in the Strait of Hormuz investors are now focusing on the Arabian Peninsula, where the Iranian-aligned Houthis who control the area near the 'Bab el-Mandeb strait, in the 'Red Sea open a new rift in the Middle East crisis. Brent futures have reached $96 a barrel, their highest level since early June. Investors are worried about stockpiles being depleted after Houthis announced a naval blocade against Saudi Arabia this week. Ship-tracking data revealed that the threat caused tankers...

The stock market made a few gains on Wednesday, but the positive impact of a strong Wall Street session was offset by caution as investors waited for earnings reports from Big Tech. Meanwhile, the oil price rose due to threats from Houthi "rebels" to escalate the Middle East conflict. The broadest MSCI index of Asia-Pacific stocks outside Japan rose 0.2%, while the South Korean Kospi's gains were reduced to just 1.5% from an earlier gain of over 6%. The Nikkei225 in Japan fluctuated between gains and losses. Meanwhile, S&P 500 futures fell 0.2% along with a 1.2% drop for Hong...

The Nasdaq, chipmaker shares and major stock indexes all rose on Tuesday amid the rising tensions over the Iran conflict. Oil prices also reached a five-week high. Benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury Yields hit a two-month peak as traders pondered whether the new spike in oil prices would affect consumer prices, and increase the likelihood of Federal Reserve rate hikes. Two oil tankers transporting Saudi crude from the Red Sea to Asia have reversed their course after being threatened by Yemen's Iran aligned Houthis. U.S. Crude?rose by 2.32%, to $85.16, and Brent rose by 2.08% to $91.08 a barrel. Bruce Zaro...

Wayne Cole gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. While Spain hoisted the World Cup in celebration, the U.S. Military began?its ninth day of attacks against Iran. Iran was also?hitting targets throughout the region. On Sunday, only a few ships crossed the 'Strait of Hormuz. One was on fire. Brent crude oil rose above $90 per barrel for the very first time since June. Treasury bond futures fell as investors lowered the odds of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike in September. The implied probability was around 65%. The rise in 30-year Treasury...

Want some inspiration? Weekend Reads is a weekly roundup of what the Open Interest team has read, watched and listened to. This week, the Open?Interest team has chosen to focus on the 'race to reinvent critical mineral resources,'?oil benchmarks that are under pressure and great-power geopolitics. This weekend, we are reading... MIKE DOLAN is a columnist for ROI Finance & Markets. The Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Survey found that China was viewed as more favorable than the United States in 36 countries. The U.S. Department of Energy released this release by ROI Metals columnist ANDY HOME. It details five...

Data?from Hong Kong’s Census and Statistics Department revealed?on a Monday that China’s net gold imports through Hong 'Kong had more than doubled in the past year, but dropped over 5% compared to last month. Data showed that the?world's largest gold consumer imported 50.679 tons of gold through Hong Kong via Hong Kong, compared to 53.674 tons from May and 19 366 tons by June 2025. Hong Kong data may not be a complete view of Chinese gold purchases because it is also imported via Shanghai and Beijing. China's total imports of gold via Hong Kong reached 78.147 tonnes in June,...

Prices of copper rose on Monday as oil prices dropped after the U.S. & Iran suspended their 'hostilities', alleviating concerns over price pressures and global growth. Benchmark 'copper' on the London Metal Exchange rose 0.32% to $13,688.5 per metric ton by 0700 GMT. The Pentagon suspended its campaign against Iran on Friday after 13 nights of increasing airstrikes by the United States. Iran has been holding a 'fire' for two days after it had responded to each night’s U.S. airstrikes with its own attacks on countries in the region that house U.S. bases. The oil prices fell as the ceasefire...

Iron ore prices fell on Monday as a result of a seasonal decline in demand for the commodity and shrinking steel margins. This was despite hopes that Beijing would announce stimulus measures later this week to boost the economy. The daytime trading price of the most traded iron ore contract at China's Dalian Commodity Exchange was 741 yuan (109.50 dollars) per metric ton. As of 0800 GMT, the benchmark August iron ore price on Singapore Exchange was $97.6 per ton - a 0.56% decrease. After steel demand slowed down and margins shrank sharply, several Chinese steelmakers started equipment maintenance. The...

Chief Executive Albert Hu, of the Hong Kong listed Chinese mining equipment manufacturer CiDi, said that it expects overseas deployments to grow this year, as it expands "beyond China". Hu stated that CiDi had equipped semi-automated autonomous excavators with the company in Australia. The company is now preparing to roll out a more extensive program in Australia this year. It will also be working on securing contracts in South America, Europe and the Middle East. CiDi, along with rivals such as Fujian's EACON, are competing to supply self-driving mining equipment and trucks. This will reduce labour costs and fuel consumption...

The Japanese government announced on Friday that an analysis of rare-earth-rich mud recovered from the deep seabed of a remote Pacific Island in early 'this year revealed that medium and heavy rare elements made up about 54% of the total rare earth content. The company did not reveal the exact size or deposit of the sand, claiming that the sampling was too limited and geographically restricted to provide sufficient data. Chikyu is a Japanese scientific drilling ship that completed a one-month mission near Minamitori Island in February, located about 1,900 kilometers (1,200 miles), southeast of Tokyo. This was the first...

The price of copper is expected to rise despite the fact that it has fallen from its mid-week peak. An escalation in the Middle East conflict will increase inflation concerns and weigh on the macroeconomic outlook for the global economy. Benchmark?copper for three months on the London Metal Exchange remained stable, adding 0.11% to $13,609.5 per metric tonne by 0300 GMT. The Shanghai Futures Exchange's most traded copper contract fell 1.4% to 104,530 Yuan ($15,426.51) per metric ton. Prices have risen 0.63% at the LME, and by 1.39% at the SHFE, since the beginning of the week. However, they are...

Sweden declared the mining of critical metals,?rare earths, and other minerals to be a national interest on Thursday. The government said a new strategy for mining was required to 'counter China's dependence. China is the dominant producer of rare earth minerals, which are essential to clean energy production, defence, and electric vehicle manufacturing. Export controls have been a powerful tool in Beijing's trade war with Washington, as well as other disputes. The Per Geijer discovery, near LKAB’s?existing Kiruna Mine, is also one of the European Union’s flagship projects to reduce reliance upon China. Per 'Geijer' is crucial to Europe because...

Oil prices have risen to their highest level in more than seven weeks, causing a spike in copper. Benchmark three-month Copper on the London Metal Exchange fell 0.6% to $13,725.50 per metric ton, after rising as high as 0.5% in the previous session due concerns about dwindling stocks. Oil prices rose for the fifth day, rising as high as 5% at $98.75 per barrel. Yemen's Iran aligned Houthis claimed that they had attacked two oil tanks as part of Saudi Arabia's blockade. Copper is considered to be a bellwether for the global economy. Higher energy prices are affecting the outlook...

Guinea's bauxite exports rose 15% in the first half if?2026 to a new record high, according to official data. This was due to strong Chinese demand, despite increasing pressure on smaller producers because of rising fuel and shipping costs. Bauxite feedstock is used to make alumina. Alumina is an important ingredient in aluminum, which can be found in many industries, including transport, construction, and packaging. Guinea, which is the largest bauxite supplier in the world, exported 114.8 million tons between January and the end of June. This was up from 99.8 millions tons a year ago, according to data released...

Copper prices rose on Wednesday, after reaching a six-week high the day before due to shortages and falling inventories outside of the U.S. However, gains were capped by resistance from China to higher 'prices and inflation fears. The benchmark three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange rose 0.1% to $13,894 per metric tonne by 0930 GMT, after reaching its highest level in over six weeks on February 22 at $13,934. Alastair Munro is a senior base metals strategist with broker Marex. He said: "That it stalls before $14,000 reminds all of us that China is not a chasing price,...

Shanghai copper prices rose on Wednesday to a seven week high as supply concerns and a 'firm Chinese demand' pushed up the price. London copper fell after reaching a six week peak just a day before. As of 0700 GMT, the most traded?copper?contract at the Shanghai Futures Exchange had risen by 0.94% to 105,820 Yuan ($15.625.65) per metric ton. It had reached its highest level since June 3, at 106760 yuan, earlier in the day. The benchmark three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange fell 0.57%, to $13,806.5 per ton. This was after it hit a six-week-high on Tuesday....

Lynas Rare Earths, a company based in Australia, warned on Wednesday of an overrun cost at its expansion project for heavy rare earths in Malaysia. The warning came after the company reported fourth-quarter revenues below analyst expectations. Its shares fell to a five-month-low. The cost of the Malaysia project has increased from A$180 to A$294 millions, highlighting the difficulties Western producers face in producing these niche metals. Lynas stated that the next step in the project will be the production of gadolinium early in fiscal year 2028, followed by yttrium early in calendar year 2028, and finally lutetium. The company's...