Crude Oil

Investors awaited a possible Iranian retaliation following U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear sites. The fallout could have a negative impact on global trade and inflation. The markets remained calm, with the dollar receiving a modest bid as a safe-haven and no signs of a rush towards bonds. Oil prices rose just 0.4% after having risen as high as 5.7% overnight. Paul Jackson, Invesco’s global head for asset allocation research said: "If you keep your head while others around you lose theirs, you may not understand the situation." He said that time would tell whether a lack in market reaction was...

Market analysts say that oil is expected to increase by $3-5 per barrel when trading resumes Sunday evening, after the U.S. launched an attack on Iran over the weekend. Gains are only expected to accelerate if Iran responds harshly and disrupts the supply of oil. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said that he "obliterated", Iran's nuclear sites with overnight strikes. He joined an Israeli assault on an escalation in conflict in the Middle East. Tehran pledged to defend itself. Iran is OPEC’s third largest crude producer. Jorge Leon, former OPEC official and head of Rystad's geopolitical research, said that a...

Market analysts say that oil is expected to increase by $3-5 a barrel on Sunday night after the U.S. launched an attack against Iran over the weekend. Gains are only expected to accelerate if Iran responds harshly and disrupts the supply of oil. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said that he "obliterated", Iran's nuclear sites with overnight strikes. He joined an Israeli assault on a Middle East conflict in an escalation as Tehran pledged to defend itself. Iran is OPEC’s third largest crude producer. SEB analyst Ole Hvalbye wrote in a report that Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil...

Investors said that a U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear sites could trigger a knee-jerk response in global markets upon their reopening, sending oil costs higher and triggering an exodus to safety. They were assessing how this latest escalation would affect the global economy. The attack announced by Donald Trump via the social media website Truth Social deepens U.S. participation in the Middle East conflict. Investors were considering a variety of market scenarios as they headed into the weekend. They expected that the U.S. involvement would cause a selloff of equities, and possibly a bid for the dollar or other safe-haven...

Two sources say that Israeli officials told the Trump administration that they did not want to wait for Iran to come to a deal in two weeks to dismantle the key parts of their nuclear program. Israel could also act on its own before the deadline expires, amid ongoing debates within Trump's team over whether the U.S. is involved. Two sources with knowledge of the issue said that Israel expressed its concerns to Trump Administration officials in a phone call they described as being tense on Thursday. Sources who spoke under condition of anonymity said that Israeli officials did not...

Igor Sechin said that the OPEC+ group, which includes major oil producers around the world, could accelerate its production increases by a year compared to their initial plan. He said the decision of OPEC+ to increase output now looks far-sighted and justifiable in light of the conflict between Israel and Iran. In April, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies led by Russia shocked the oil markets by agreeing to a larger-than-expected increase in output for May, despite low prices and a slowing of demand. OPEC+ decided to increase prices by more than originally planned. "The...

Rosatom, the state-owned nuclear corporation of Russia, signed a deal with Uzbekistan’s Atomic Energy Agency on Friday to examine the feasibility and cost of building a nuclear power plant capable enough to generate large amounts in this Central Asian nation. Rosatom has already planned to build smaller nuclear units in Uzbekistan. The agreement was signed with the Uzbek Government at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Over the weekend, the Kazakh government also asked the Russian energy company to lead a group to build the country's first nuclear power station. The five former Soviet Central Asian republics do not have...

Investors are becoming more uneasy about the uncertain economic environment. The shock rate reduction in Norway on Thursday highlighted how U.S. Tariffs, Middle East conflict, and a shaky Dollar make global monetary policies and inflation harder to predict. Norway's crown fell by about 1% in relation to the dollar and euro, indicating how unexpected this move was. Switzerland's central bank, which warned of a cloudy outlook for the global economy, cut its borrowing costs on Thursday to 0%, surprising some traders who expected a return to negative interest rates. A day earlier, the U.S. Federal Reserve had kept interest rates...

The stock markets in Asia dipped on Thursday, while safe havens like gold and the Japanese currency gained. Investors remained on edge as they awaited the United States' possible involvement in the Israel-Iran war. Donald Trump, who spoke to reporters in front of the White House Thursday, said, "I might do it." I may or may not do it." The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump told his senior aides that he had approved plans for an attack on Iran, but was waiting to give the final order until Tehran abandoned its nuclear program. The Nikkei fell 0.8% in Japan,...

Oil prices fell on Thursday, as investors were hesitant to make new investments after U.S. president Donald Trump's mixed signals about the country's possible involvement in the ongoing Israel/Iran conflict. Brent crude futures dropped 37 cents or 0.48% to $76.33 per barrel at 0110 GMT, after rising 0.3% during the previous session, which was marked by high price volatility. Prices fell as much as 2.7%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude for July dropped 28 cents or 0.37%, to $74.86 per barrel. It had risen 0.4% the previous month despite a drop of up to 2.4%. The August contract, which is...

Investors held back on new stock market and forex bets on Wednesday due to the escalating Middle East hostilities, and the uncertainty surrounding the Federal Reserve's decision on monetary policy later that day. While traders pondered how Israel's ongoing airstrikes on Iran, which are now in their sixth day, will affect the global financial and economic markets, European stock indexes and international oil price fluctuated, without much direction. The broad European equity index traded flat. The UK's FTSE 100 index edged up 0.2% and Germany's DAX rose by the same amount. Brent crude oil dropped 0.8% to $75.92 per barrel...

Investors were encouraged by reports that Iran is seeking to end hostilities against Israel and they remained confident about their predictions for the busy week of central banks meetings. The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran is seeking a ceasefire following an attack by Israel on Friday, which sparked fears of a wider conflict and sent oil prices soaring. Stocks also fell as a result. Sources have confirmed that Iran asked regional allies press Donald Trump, the U.S. president, to convince Israel to accept a ceasefire. Geopolitics loomed large, and there were signs of cracks among the Group of Seven...

The oil prices rose on Monday, reaching their highest level since January. This was due to the United States joining Israel to attack Iran's nuclear sites. Brent crude futures were up $1.92, or 2.49%, at $78.93 per barrel as of 17:00 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude advanced $1.89, or 2.56%, to $75.73. The two contracts had risen by over 3% in the previous session, to $81.40, and $78.40 respectively. They reached five-month highs, before giving back some of their gains. Prices rose after U.S. president Donald Trump announced that he had "obliterated", Iran's nuclear sites with strikes last weekend....

The oil prices rose on Monday, reaching their highest level since January. This was due to the supply concerns caused by Washington's decision to attack Iran's nuclear sites with Israel. Brent crude futures were up $1.88, or 2.44%, at $78.89 per barrel as of 1122 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude advanced $1.87, or 2.53% to $75.71. The two contracts had risen by over 3% in the previous session, to respective highs of $81.40 and $79.40 (five-month highs), before reversing some gains. Prices rose after U.S. president Donald Trump announced that he had "obliterated", Iran's nuclear sites with strikes last...

On Sunday, the world was waiting for Iran's reaction after Donald Trump announced that the U.S. "obliterated", Tehran's nuclear sites. The U.S. joined Israel in the largest Western military action since 1979 against the Islamic Republic. Tehran pledged to defend itself no matter what. The damage seen from space was caused by 30,000-pound bunker-buster U.S. bombs that crashed into the mountain over the Fordow nuclear facility in Iran. The Iranians fired another round of missiles that caused many injuries and destroyed buildings in Tel Aviv. In an attempt to avoid a full-scale war with the U.S. Superpower, the country has...

The emergence of artificial intelligence and the rising cost of cleaner energy, combined with a new energy plan and the rise in costs for cleaner energy, has brought Japan back into the limelight for LNG producers. Japan, which is the second largest LNG importer in the world, has secured long-term deals with Qatar, and other buyers are also securing such agreements. Japan's LNG exports have been falling for over a decade, as the nuclear power plants that were idled following the Fukushima catastrophe began to operate again and renewable energy sources grew. The AI boom will require enormous power consumption...

The International Energy Agency announced on Tuesday that global oil demand would continue to grow until the end of the decade, despite a peak in China's top importer in 2027. Cheaper gasoline and a slower adoption of electric vehicles in the United States will support oil consumption. The IEA which advises industrialised nations did not alter its prediction that oil demand would peak in this decade. This is a stark contrast to the view of the producer group, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, who say consumption will continue to grow and have not predicted a peak. A table...

Investors were nervous ahead of the markets' reopening on Sunday evening. The risks ranged from increased prospects of a wide Middle East conflict to U.S. protests against Donald Trump, which threatened further domestic chaos. Israel and Iran have launched new attacks against each other on Sunday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israeli strikes will intensify, as Tehran has called off the nuclear talks which Washington had argued were the only way to stop the bombing. Yemen's Houthis, who are aligned with Iran, also joined the fray. The price of oil rose by 7% Friday as Israel and Iran exchanged...

The oil prices rose on Thursday, reaching their highest level in over two months after U.S. president Donald Trump announced that U.S. personnel would be moving out of the Middle East. This sparked fears about the potential disruption to supply if tensions escalated with Iran. Brent crude futures increased 15 cents (0.2%), to $69.92 a bar at 1230 GMT. U.S. West Texas intermediate crude rose 22 cents (0.3%), to $68.37. Brent and WTI both surged over 4% on Wednesday, reaching their highest levels since early April. Trump said on Wednesday that U.S. personnel was being relocated out of the Middle...

An Iraqi official in charge of security and a U.S.-based source confirmed on Wednesday that the U.S. Embassy in Iraq was preparing to evacuate due to increased security risks in this region. Aziz Nasirzadeh, Iran's Minister for Defense, said earlier that day that Tehran would strike U.S. military bases in the area if conflict and nuclear talks with Washington arise. The State Department didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. The State Department has ordered the departure of (the) U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Another U.S. official stated that the intention is to use commercial means but that the U.S....

The oil prices in Asian trade fell on Wednesday, as the markets assessed the results of U.S. - China trade talks that have yet to be reviewed and analyzed by President Donald Trump. Weak Chinese demand for oil, along with OPEC+'s production increase, weighed on the market. Brent crude futures fell 19 cents or 0.3% to trade at $66.680 per barrel. U.S. West Texas intermediate crude dropped 16 cents or 0.3% to $64.82 as of 0318 GMT. U.S. officials and Chinese officials have agreed on a framework for re-establishing their trade truce and resolving China's export limitations on rare earth...

The oil prices rose on Tuesday, as traders awaited the outcome of U.S. China talks which could ease trade tensions and increase fuel demand. Brent crude futures rose 12 cents a barrel to $67.16 at 0041 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude was trading at $65.42, up 13 cents after reaching its highest level since April 4, earlier in the session. Brent oil prices rose to $67.19 on Monday, their highest level since April 28. This was boosted by the prospect of a U.S. China trade agreement. The U.S. and China trade talks will continue in London for a second...

Oil prices fell on Friday, but are on track to gain their first weekly increase in three weeks following the resumption of trade talks between U.S. president Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. This has raised hopes for stronger growth and demand in two of the world's largest economies. Brent crude futures dropped 19 cents or 0.3% to $65.15 per barrel at 0441 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude lost 20 cents (0.3%), to $63.17 after having gained around 50 cents Thursday. Both benchmarks are on course to end the week higher, after two weeks of falling. Brent is...

The oil prices fell in the early hours of Thursday's trading after an increase in gasoline and diesel stocks in the United States and Saudi Arabia lowering its July crude prices for Asian buyers. Brent crude futures dropped 21 cents or 0.3% to $64.65 per barrel at 0047 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude lost 29 cents or 0.5% to drop to $62.58. The price of oil closed about 1% lower Wednesday, after data revealed that U.S. gasoline stocks and distillate inventories grew more rapidly than expected. This was due to a weaker demand for the top economy in the...