Crude Oil

By Mike Dolan February 25th - What's important in the U.S. and Global Markets Today By Mike Dolan Editor-at-Large of Finance and Markets Tuesday, software stocks staged a rally that was strangely driven by what has been dragging them down over the last month: the release of new plug-ins developed by AI lab Anthropic. The market was more focused on the partnership between these companies and Anthropic this time, than the existential threat AI could pose. Below, I will discuss this and more. Check out my latest article on why AI isn’t the?only? thing driving global economic growth. Listen to...

Investors are still worried about the possibility of a military conflict between Iran and the U.S., which could disrupt the supply. Talks between the two parties will take place on Thursday. Brent futures traded at $71.22 a barrel at 0140 GMT, an increase of 45 cents or 0.64%. WTI futures rose by 0.64% or 42 cents to $65. Brent prices hit their highest level since July 31st on Friday while WTI reached its highest level since August 4th on Monday. Both contracts are holding near that mark as the U.S. positions military forces in the Middle East, to force?Iran into...

Anthropic, a San Francisco-based startup, announced 10 new ways that business customers can use its AI 'plugins'. This rekindled enthusiasm about AI being able to boost profits for businesses, including those in investment banking, engineering, and human resources. Investors were worried about the tariff policies of President Donald Trump and their fears that heavy investment in AI might not result in profits any time soon. Anthropic released a new version of its software just weeks after a number of other releases caused a drop in stocks across the software and service sectors. Customs and Border Protection in the United States...

The global shares gained on Tuesday, after losing ground in the previous session. This was due to renewed attention on the economic impact artificial intelligence has on business and the markets' ongoing struggle with the repercussions of President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. Anthropic, a San Francisco-based startup, has announced 10 new ways for business customers to utilize its AI plugins. These include investment banking, engineering and human resources. This comes just weeks after previous releases caused a selloff of software and service stocks. The markets remained uncertain about Trump's tariffs after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that his emergency tariffs...

The global stock market fell for a second consecutive day on Tuesday. This was due to a variety of factors, including uncertainty about President Donald Trump's policy on tariffs, geopolitical tensions, and a renewed concern over the economic upheaval caused by artificial intelligence. The president announced that a 10% levy would be applied across the board after the Supreme Court declared Trump's emergency tariffs illegal?on?Friday. Effect on Tuesday . Trump said that the tariffs would be 15% but it wasn't clear when or if this would apply. Trade partners and investors are unaware of the status of many tariff agreements,...

After a wobbly start on Tuesday, Asian stocks stabilized after a new sell-off linked to AI on Wall Street. Investors were also affected by increased anxiety about President Donald Trump's tariff policy and geopolitical conflicts. MSCI's broadest Asia-Pacific share index outside Japan is on course for new highs following a seven-day rally. The index gained?0.3% as benchmarks in Taiwan, South Korea and Japan both reached their highest levels on record. Nikkei 225 in Tokyo rose 0.9%, while China's CSI300 gained 1.2%. Both markets were playing catch-up following a holiday. S&P 500 futures e-mini were up by 0.3%. The Nasdaq Composite...

Since mid-2024, oil prices have consistently been a deflationary force in the U.S. economy and around the world. This may soon change. Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude oils futures have reached their highest levels in almost seven months. This is due to signs of an economic recovery at the beginning of the year, and simmering tensions between the U.S. and Iran that could lead to a military conflict. WTI surpassed $67 per barrel on Friday, while Brent reached $72,?bringing their gains for the year to date up to 15% and almost 20% respectively. More importantly, ?from ?an inflation-calculation perspective,...

Goldman Sachs has raised their Brent and West Texas 'Intermediate Crude Forecasts for the Fourth Quarter of 2026 by $6 each to $60 and $56, respectively. They cited lower OECD stock levels, while continuing to assume that there will be no 'Iran-related disruption in supply and maintaining a view of a surplus. It now expects Brent oil to average $64, up from $56 before, and WTI oil to average $60. As the U.S. prepared for a third nuclear?talks with Iran, fears of escalating violence were eased. Brent crude futures traded at $71 a bar at?0641 GMT while U.S. WTI futures...

Goldman Sachs has raised their Brent and 'West Texas Intermediate crude' forecasts for the fourth quarter 2026 by $6 each, to $60 and $56 respectively, citing lower than expected OECD stocks. However, it still assumes that there will be no disruption in supply due to Iran and continues to maintain its view on a 2026 excess. In a Sunday note, the 'bank stated that it expected OPEC+ would begin to gradually increase?production during the second quarter 2026 due to the fact that OECD inventories had not yet built. The bank's 2026 forecast of a surplus of 2.3 million barrels a...

Wall Street futures, and the dollar, fell in Asia on Monday as confusion over U.S. Tariffs revived "sell America", while the tech-diva Nvidia's results this week will test the confidence of the AI sector. Gold prices rose and oil prices eased as the world prepares for another round of negotiations between the United States and Iran, which will take place in Geneva on Friday. The risk of U.S. strikes remains if no deal is reached. After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against President Donald Trump's emergency duties, uncertainty loomed. He announced a new rate of 10% on the rest, but...

Oil prices fell?1%?on Monday as the U.S., Iran, and other countries headed to a third round nuclear talks. This eased concerns over a possible conflict. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump's new tariffs created uncertainty about global growth and fuel consumption. Brent crude futures fell 75?cents or 1.05% to $71.01 a barge by 0055 GMT, while U.S. West Texas intermediate crude?futures dropped 74?cents or 1.11%, and were now at $65.74 a barge. Trump announced on Saturday that he will increase a temporary tariff on U.S. Imports from All Countries from 10% to 15%, the maximum allowed by law. This is after the...

Investors waited on Monday for clarity about U.S. Tariffs. Meanwhile, the tech-diva Nvidia's results this week will test the confidence of the AI industry. The oil prices fell ahead of the next round of "talks" between the United States of America and Iran, which are scheduled to take place in Geneva on the Thursday. If a deal cannot be reached, the United States could launch military strikes. After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against President Donald Trump's emergency duties, confusion grew. He announced a new 10% tariff on the rest, but then raised it to 15%. Rodrigo Catril is a...

China's role in setting the floor and ceiling prices for crude oil is one of the less discussed dynamics of the global market. The world's biggest crude?importer is known to buy excess oil and build up inventories when the refiners or government consider prices to be low. They also pull back imports when they feel that prices are rising too quickly. Analysts and journalists covering the crude oil market are not aware of the changes in imports because they occur with a delay of several months. There are early signs, however, that China will shift its imports in favor of...

Investors piled into what they deemed the safest bets on artificial intelligence, while the yen was still in the spotlight. In his State of the Union address, Donald Trump boasted of the stock market's?gains and claimed that "almost" all countries and corporations wanted to adhere to the tariff and investment agreements they had previously made with Washington. The financial markets did not react much to the speech. Futures markets showed a mildly optimistic start in the U.S. with S&P E-minis rising 0.07% and Nasdaq E-minis increasing 0.11%. The EURO STOXX futures rose 0.2%. The broadest MSCI index of Asia-Pacific stocks...

Is this the Art of the Deal, Gregor Stuart Hunter? U.S. president Donald Trump warned that trade partners should not "play games" and back out of recently agreed trade agreements after the Supreme Court ruled against his 'emergency tariffs. Some foreign governments want to check if they still have the same terms that were originally negotiated. Trump will "come out smokin'" in his State of the Union Address on Tuesday, after the tariff setback. He may even take aim at the Supreme Court Justices who are seated there. However, governments in Asia still have concerns. Japan wants to know if...

Oil prices were below a seven-month high as traders weighed the uncertainty surrounding U.S. Trade Policy and the prospects for U.S. Iran nuclear talks in light of heightened Middle East tensions. Brent crude futures fell 9 cents or 0.1 percent to $71.40 per barrel at?0120 GMT. This follows a volatile session on Monday, when it reached its highest level since the 31st of July, $72.50, while alternating between gains and losses exceeding 1%. U.S. crude oil futures fell 11 cents or 0.2% to $66.20 per barrel. This is after the previous session saw a rise to $67.28 - the highest...

Wall Street futures in Asia and the dollar fell on Monday, as confusion about U.S. trade tariffs prompted the "sell America's" trade. Meanwhile, the tech-diva Nvidia is set to release its results this week. This will test the confidence of the AI sector. Gold prices dropped and gold grew ahead of the next round of talks between the United States and Iran, which will take place in Geneva on Friday. The risk of U.S. strikes remains if there is no agreement. After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against President Donald Trump's emergency duties, uncertainty grew. He announced a new rate...

Tom Westbrook gives us a look at what the European and global markets will be like today. The weekend was a huddled-down one for traders, with threats flying between Iran and the U.S., and nerves raging through the markets due to listed private equity funds. PMI surveys, ?U.S. PCE and GDP data, corporate earnings and a few other items headlined the calendar. However, politics and war risk seemed to dominate investors' minds. The dollar was heading for its biggest weekly increase in four months. U.S. president Donald?Trump set Iran a 10- to 15-day deadline to reach a nuclear deal or...

European stocks fell from a record-high on Thursday, and U.S. Futures?flatlined? as fears of AI disruption abated. However, tensions between Iran and the United States kept markets 'on edge' and supported oil and gold prices. The U.S. dollar found its footing overnight after the minutes of the Federal Reserve meeting revealed that policymakers are not in a hurry to reduce rates. The STOXX 600 Index in Europe fell 0.24% after Airbus and Rio Tinto reported their earnings. The index reached a new record on the previous day, as investors were able to shake off concerns about AI disrupting businesses with...

Rocky Swift gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. Investors are still focusing on geopolitical tensions, as well as signs of cooling in the hot tech sector. This is affecting price movements on commodities, currencies and stocks. Asian shares climbed a little higher, after a slight gain on Wall Street, amid concerns about artificial intelligence's impact on the economy and?valuations?linked to it. Many markets in Asia remained closed due to Lunar New Year. The Nikkei jumped more than 1% in Japan on the expectation that the country's tech companies will benefit from the...

The Asian financial markets treaded carefully in Tuesday's holiday-thinned trade, but oil prices rose as U.S.?and Iran nuclear negotiations in Geneva were due to start later that day. The markets in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, and Taiwan were closed Tuesday to celebrate Lunar New Year. Monday,?U.S. markets were closed for Presidents' Day. The Nikkei fell 0.5% and the Topix, which is a broader index, dropped 0.2%. The S&P/ASX200 index in Australia was almost 0.5% higher. The 10-year Treasury yields fell 1 basis point on Tuesday to 4,044%, the lowest since December. Japan's 5-year yield dropped...

The world's shares were steady on Monday, after Friday's plunge triggered by AI concerns. In Asia, the Lunar New Year holiday was in place and in the U.S. President's Day. China, South Korea and Taiwan were among the markets closed. MSCI's broadest global index of shares rose 0.1% as currencies, bonds, and world shares steadied. Stock futures continue to be traded, but the U.S. bond and stock markets will not open. European shares opened higher on Monday, boosted by a recovery in the banking sector. The heavyweight sector was hit last weekend when AI-related concerns spilled over into the financials....

The Asian stock market quietly consolidated recent gains as the holidays led to thin trading and disappointing economic data from Japan cooled down that booming sector. China, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States are among the centers that were off, leaving?currencies and commodities, as well as bonds, all in a state of calm. The most important data for this week will not be released until Friday, when the U.S. releases its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the fourth quarter and surveys of global manufacturing are released. Median predictions are for an annualised growth rate of 3.0%. This is down...

Axios, citing U.S. officials who were briefed about the issue, reported that President Donald 'Trump' and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed at a White House meeting on Wednesday to work towards reducing Iran’s oil exports. Axios quoted a senior U.S. government official as saying, "We agreed that we would go full force and exert maximum pressure on Iran, such as regarding Iranian oil sales to China." China's Foreign Ministry did not respond immediately to a request for comment on Sunday, which was the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday. China is responsible for over 80% of Iran’s...