Crude Oil

Asian stocks rose Wednesday, boosted by Japanese shares. Investors?prepared for a quick election in Japan, which could lead to fiscal stimulus. Worries about central bank independence, and 'benign U.S. data on inflation, whipsawed currencies. Gold prices reached a new record high as geopolitical tensions erupted across the globe. Oil prices also rose after U.S. president Donald Trump encouraged Iranians to continue protesting and said that help was on its way. Iran accused Trump, in turn, of inciting violence and encouraging political instability. Early Asian hours saw the Japanese yen at its lowest level since July 20,24, at 159.415 to the...

Analysts and traders said that the discount between U.S. Crude Futures and the global benchmark Brent, has increased by about $1 per barrel, since the U.S. ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in January and took control over the South American nation's oil flow. The U.S. has redirected millions of those?barrels? to U.S. port, a move which is likely to boost U.S. Crude exports in the months to come. According to LSEG, U.S. Crude futures traded at a $4.76 a bar discount to Brent Futures on Tuesday. This was the largest since April. Investors believe that the possibility of more Venezuelan...

The World Bank said that the global economy has proven to be more resilient than anticipated, and 2026 GDP growth will likely improve slightly compared to forecasts made in June last year. However, it warned that growth was too concentrated in developed countries, and too weak overall to reduce extreme poverty. World Bank's Global Economic Prospects Report shows that the global output will grow at a slower pace this year, from 2.7% to 2.6% in 2025. It will then return to 2.7% by 2027. The 2026 forecast for GDP is two-tenths a point higher than the previous predictions made in...

The World Bank warned on Tuesday that the global economy has been more resilient than anticipated, and 2026 GDP growth is expected to be slightly higher than forecasts made in June. World Bank's Global Economic Prospects Report shows that the global output will grow at a slower pace this year, from 2.7% to 2.6% in 2025. It will then return to 2.7% by 2027. The 2026 forecast GDP is two-tenths a point higher than the previous predictions made in June, and 2025 will see growth exceeding the previous forecast by four tenths a point. The World Bank said that two-thirds...

Moscow announced on Tuesday that the oil?assets? Russia develops in Venezuela are its property, and it will continue to work there. This follows Donald Trump's claim of control over Venezuela. TASS reported that Roszarubezhneft, a Russian company, said all of its assets in Venezuela belonged to Russia. It also stated it would honor its agreements with?international partners' there. Roszarubezhneft is owned by an entity of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development. It was founded in 2020, and shortly after acquired the Venezuelan assets of Russian state-owned oil company Rosneft. This happened following sanctions imposed at the time by Washington on...

The oil price rose on Tuesday, as concerns about Iran and possible supply disruptions overshadowed the?prospects of an increased crude supply coming from Venezuela. Brent futures were up 22 cents or 0.3% to $64.09 per barrel at 0430 GMT. They are hovering around the two-month high reached in the previous session. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude climbed 23 cents or 0.4% to $59.73. The ING commodities analysts said that the price rise coincides with the intensifying protests against the Iranian regime, which raises the possibility of a U.S. intervention. Iran, one of the largest producers of the Organization of the...

Wall Street shook and the dollar lost ground, while gold reached a new record high on Monday. The Trump administration's threats to indict Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell raised questions about the independence of the most influential central banks. Powell delivered an?unusually fervent speech rejection Morgan Stanley analysts described a "cacophony of events that will move the market" as the week begins, only the second in 2026. Trump considering military options Action After the capture of Venezuelan's Nicolas Maduro The U.S. might try to acquire Greenland The S&P 500, which is the benchmark, fell 0.1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average...

Gold reached a new record high on Monday and the dollar as well as Wall Street futures both fell. A criminal investigation into Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell has stoked fears about the independence and power of the world's largest central bank. Powell Slammed The move was part of President Donald Trump's push to gain greater control over the Fed. For traders, it added to the frenetic start 2026 has seen, with the U.S. already capturing Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro Set your sights on Greenland . S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq were both down by more than 0.6% before the U.S....

Dollar and Wall Street futures fell and gold rose?on monday as Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell claimed that the Trump administration threatened him with criminal charges over the refurbishment of the central bank's HQ. This has heightened concerns about the Fed’s independence from political influences and added to the?a?frenzied start to 2026. Already, the U.S. captured Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro. They have also ramped up the talk of taking over Greenland. S&P futures dropped more than 0.5%. Meanwhile, safe-haven metals like gold - that investors use as a hedge against inflation and turmoil - reached another record high. Money markets have...

The dollar fell and U.S. stock futures dropped after Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell claimed that the Trump administration had?threatened? him with a criminal investigation, fueling investor concerns about the independence of the central bank. S&P 500 futures were down 0.5%. European futures fell 0.1% during the morning of Asia. The dollar dropped 0.2% against the major currencies, dropping below 158 yen to $1.1660. The news, traders said, was unsettling. However the immediate impact on interest rates is not known. Benchmark 10-year Treasury Futures rose by 3 ticks, resulting in an implied yield (4.15%), which is about one basis point...

Prices were not much changed Monday, as investors watched for potential disruptions in supply from OPEC member Iran. However, efforts to resume Venezuelan oil exports quickly kept prices under control. Brent crude futures fell 5 cents, to $63.29 per barrel at 0131 GMT. U.S. West Texas intermediate crude dropped 6 cents, to $59.06 per barrel. Both contracts rose more than 3% in the last week, clinching their largest weekly increase since October. This was due to Iran's clerical regime stepping up its crackdown against the largest demonstrations since 2012. Saul Kavonic is the head of MST Marquee's energy research. He...

The oil prices rose on Monday due to a?growing 'concern that the intensifying protests against Iran could disrupt the OPEC producers supply. However, efforts by Venezuela to resume exports of crude oil are limiting gains. Brent crude futures rose 31 cents or 0.49% to $63.65 per barrel at 0006 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up 30 cents or 0.51%, at $59.42. The two contracts both rose by a combined 3% in the last week, their largest weekly increase since October. This was due to Iran's clerical establishment stepping up its crackdown against the largest demonstrations since 2012....

China's crude imports increased 17% in December compared to a year earlier, and total imports for 2025 will rise 4.4%. The daily volumes of crude oil imported in December 2025 and throughout the year will be at all-time records. According to the General Administration of Customs, the world's biggest crude importer imported 55.97 millions metric tons of petroleum in December. This is equivalent to 13,18 million barrels of oil per day. The increase was 10% compared to 50.89 in November. The data shows that China will import 557.73 millions tons of crude oil by 2025 or 11,55?million barrels per day,...

Wayne Cole gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. Tokyo is back from its holiday in a big way, with the stock market rising by 3% and reaching a record high. Investors are 'welcoming a weakening of the yen as well as the possibility of more aggressive fiscal stimulus. Taiwan and South Korea also set records, while China reached a four-year high. The yen also hit multi-year lows against the Swiss franc, euro and a variety of other currencies. Shorting the yen saved the dollar from embarrassment as it rose to 158.65 after...

Dollar fell and U.S. Equity Futures?eased after Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell claimed that the Trump administration had threatened him with criminal?indictment. This stoked concerns about the independence of the central bank. S&P futures fell 0.5%, and gold reached a?another?record?high as a reaction to the intensification of the dispute between U.S. president Donald Trump and Fed. The Swiss Franc gained 0.4%, to 0.7979 dollars. The euro rose 0.17% at $1.1656. The news is unsettling for traders, but the immediate impact on interest rates is not clear. Fed funds futures has added about three basis point more in cuts in this...

Ankur Banerjee gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets Investors still can't wrap their minds around the latest escalation of the fight between U.S. president Donald Trump and the Federal Reserve. Chair Jerome Powell is fighting back against the "effort" to control interest rates and the Fed. The growing unrest in Iran where, according to an international rights group, more than 500 people were killed, underscored also the geopolitical issues that markets will be navigating by the beginning of 2026. This is why safe-haven assets are well supported. The markets opened trading on...

Two trading sources familiar with the matter confirmed on Friday that China has granted crude oil import quotas to three'refineries' in Shandong Province, which were sold last year to independent operators by'state-run Sinochem Group. One source said that the quotas were given to Zhenghe Group, Huaxing Petrochemical and Shandong Changyi Petrochemical. The total annual volume was around 12 million metric tons (240 000 barrels per day). The quotas were not clear whether they covered the "full" annual amount or only a portion of it. Changyi, Zhenghe and Huaxing are now controlled by Shandong Qicheng Petrochemical. The new quotas require that...

Friday, the premium for high-sulfur fuel oil in Asia over the West reached its highest level in eight months as traders expect more Venezuelan crude oil and fuel oil to be shipped to the United States than to Asia in the coming months. LSEG data show that the East-West 380cst HSFO swap for the first month of 2026, a measure used to compare HSFO prices in Asia, Europe and America, has risen above $27 a barrel, a price last seen in May 2025. This value has nearly doubled since the beginning of 2026. It is more profitable for traders to...

Oil prices stabilized on Thursday, after their recent decline. Stocks were off to a rough start as investors assessed implications of deepening?geopolitical tensions and mixed U.S. labor market data. The top U.S. officials stated on Wednesday that the country "needs" to control Venezuela's oil revenue and sales indefinitely in order to stabilize the economy of the country, rebuild its oil industry and ensure the nation acts in America's best interests. As part of Donald Trump's aggressive campaign to control oil flows in America, the U.S. also seized on the same day two Venezuelan-linked oil tanks in the Atlantic Ocean, including...

Crude futures fell and resource shares rose in Asian trading, as the?markets digested the political turmoil in Venezuela and its fate with regard to its petroleum reserves. Oil prices continue to'slide' after U.S. president Donald Trump announced that Venezuela would "turn over" 50 million barrels to be sold at market value following the toppling of its leader. Japanese shares led to a decline in regional equity benchmarks while commodity shares rose after a surge overnight in industrial metals. Dollar gains were made as geopolitical tensions erupted from South America through to China. Investors waited for data coming out of the...

Kevin Buckland gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. The global stock market's march to higher peaks shows no sign of slowing down. Tokyo, Taipei, and Seoul were among the markets that soared to new peaks on Tuesday. This was after the Dow made the same move overnight on Wall Street. Once trading begins, the FTSE 600, DAX 100 and STOXX will likely extend their record-breaking runs. The political turmoil in Venezuela has not slowed the market. Investors have been grabbing oil and defense shares with a risk-free attitude. Crude oil traders are...

Oil prices dropped on Tuesday, as traders assessed the possibility of increased Venezuelan crude production following the capture by the U.S. of President Nicolas Maduro. This added to expectations that global supplies would be ample this year due to weak demand. Brent crude futures fell by 0.2% at $61.62 per barrel as of 0103 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude crude dropped 0.3% to $58.15 per barrel. Ed Meir, Marex analyst, said: "I believe that if even a small part of the Trump playbook comes true, Venezuelan crude production should increase... If it increases, this will put more pressure...

Two people with a direct understanding of the matter said that at least one independent Chinese refiner received its second round of government quotas 2026 for 'crude oil imports.' More refiners are expected to receive their allocations in the near future. One source said that the independent refiner in eastern China had received 11 million metric tonnes, or 220,000 barrels a day, from the first two quota batches combined. According to the source, the newest allocation, in combination with a small batch released at the end of November, represents about 70% of the refiner’s total quota next year. Sources declined...

Three sources familiar with this matter late Wednesday said that China issued 19 million tonnes of export quotas, including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, in the first batch for 2026. In this batch of export quotas, the world's second largest consumer of oil gave out?8 millions tons of low sulphur marine fuel. Both volumes were stable compared to a year ago. China's refined fuel exports are managed by a quota-based system that balances the fundamentals of supply and demand in its domestic market. The main recipients of the quotas were the state-owned oil companies Sinopec and CNPC. They received 13.76...