Crude Oil

Investors remained hopeful about a U.S. Iran peace deal despite renewed threats, and gold rose?on?Friday. As of 0218 GMT, spot gold was up 0.7%, at $4,719.85 an ounce. Bullion is up 2.3% this week. U.S. Gold Futures for June Delivery rose by 0.4% to $4,728.30. The United States fired on Iran in the most serious test of their month-long truce, but Iran claimed that the situation had returned to normal. The comments made by the Trump administration today that the ceasefire was holding and there is still optimism about a possible deal between the U.S. and Iran are helping to...

The price of oil rose by more than 1% after renewed fighting between the U.S.A. and Iran. This triggered a fragile ceasefire, and dashed hopes that the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened, an important transit route for oil and gas. Brent crude futures rose $1.41 or 1.41% to $101.47 per barrel at 0123 GMT. West Texas Intermediate (WTI), U.S. crude oil futures, rose $1.12 or 1.18% to $95.93 per barrel. Prices had already risen more than 3% at the opening of the market. This ended three days of declines following reports that earlier in the week,?the U.S. was close...

After the United States and Iran exchanged fire, U.S. stocks futures fell in early trading on Friday. This put in doubt a one-month-old Middle East ceasefire. U.S. crude futures, which were?lower than last week's closing price of $96.8 per barrel, rose?more?than?2%. S&P futures fell about 0.2%, and Nikkei Futures indicated a slightly lower opening for Japanese shares which had soared to new record highs Thursday. Iran's top joint Military Command said that the U.S. targeted an Iranian oil tanker as well as another ship that entered the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. Military?said that it acted out of self-defence when...

U.S. stocks and European shares fell on Thursday as oil prices fluctuated between gains and losses. Investors are still uncertain about the peace negotiations?between Iran and the U.S. Wall Street's?major indexes retreated slightly after?strong?chipmaker earnings drove them to multiple record highs. The S&P500 fell by 0.4%, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped by 0.1% and Dow Jones Industrial Average lost by 0.6%. The oil prices settled down after a report that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait had lifted restrictions on the use of their airspace by the United States and their military bases. This allowed Washington to resume operations to escort ships...

According to traders, analysts and exchange data, there were a series of well-timed bets made on the falling oil price in March and April, totaling up to $7 billion. These bets were spread over multiple exchanges, types of fuel, and derivatives, just before Donald Trump's major announcements about Iran policy. The amount exceeds the $2.6 billion in?bets that were previously reported, and has already led to the U.S. Administration?warning staff not to use nonpublic information as a means of financial gain. A?person with knowledge of the matter said in April that the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission is investigating. However,...

According to analysts, traders and market experts, there were a series of well-timed "market bets" on falling oil prices that totaled $7 billion between March and April, spread across different exchanges, types of fuel, and derivatives, just before Donald Trump's major announcements about Iran policy. The amount of the bets exceeds previous reported wagers totaling $2.6 billion. This has already led to the U.S. Administration to warn staff against using confidential information to their financial advantage. A 'person familiar with this matter' told a CFTC official in April that the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission is conducting an investigation. However,...

The Indian rupee will continue to rise at the?Thursday open, continuing a rally that began in the previous session, thanks?to a drop in oil prices. Bankers warned that 'crude oil has recovered 'from its lows and the uncertainty 'over if current U.S.Iran optimism will result in a breakthrough, is likely to limit the rupees upward movement. After closing 0.7% higher on Wednesday at 94.61, traders expect the rupee to open between 94.54 and 94.58. Brent crude was hovering around $101 per barrel after a nearly 8% drop on Wednesday, on reports that Iran and the United States were 'close to...

Early trade on Thursday saw oil prices rise by about $1, recovering from the sharp losses of the previous day as investors assessed the chances that a Middle East Peace Deal would be successful. Brent crude futures rose 88 cents or 0.9% to $102.15 per barrel at 0032 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate rose $1.12 or 1.2% to $96.20 per barrel. Both benchmarks fell more than 7% Wednesday, reaching two-week lows amid optimism about a possible ending to the Middle East conflict. They pared their losses however after U.S. president Donald Trump said that it was "too early" to have...

U.S. Crude Futures rose by a little over $1 on Thursday morning, reversing the day before's losses, as investors assessed prospects for a Middle East Peace Deal. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude Futures rose 80 cents or 0.8% to $95.88 per barrel at 2223 GMT, after reaching as high as $96.33 during the previous session. The benchmark 'contract' fell about 7% Wednesday, on the back of optimism that a possible 'end to the Middle East war could be near. Sources from the mediator Pakistan and a second source who was briefed about the mediation both said that an agreement had...

Mike Dolan, Editor at Large, Finance and Markets, explains what matters today in U.S. markets. After reports that the U.S., Iran and other countries were "close to a memorandum of one page" ending the Gulf War, oil prices plummeted and global stocks surged. This news was released just days after U.S. president Donald Trump announced that he would pause the operation to reopen Gulf shipping. The broader stock indexes did not need an excuse to rise, as newly upgraded AI expenditure estimates lifted Wall Street and global markets on Tuesday. Below, I will go into more detail. Check out my...

Gold prices rose more than 2% on Wednesday after U.S. president Donald Trump suggested a possible deal could be made with Iran. The dollar and crude fell as inflation fears waned. As of 0632 GMT spot gold rose 2.4% to $4667.39 an ounce. This is the highest it has been since April 28. U.S. Gold Futures for June delivery increased 2.4% to $4678.20. U.S. president Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he will temporarily pause a?operation to assist in escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz. He cited progress towards a comprehensive deal with Iran. U.S. Secretary of State Marco...

Gold prices increased by more than 1% on Tuesday, boosted by a weaker dollar. Meanwhile, lower oil prices eased concerns about inflation and interest rates that would continue to rise, in anticipation of an agreement between the U.S. and Iran. As of 0225 GMT, spot gold rose 1.7% to $4,633.31 an ounce. U.S. Gold Futures for June Delivery rose 1.7% to $ 4,643.20. U.S. president Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he will temporarily pause an operation in order to help escort vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. He cited?progress towards a comprehensive deal with Iran. According to Kelvin Wong...

China announced on Friday that it would raise the price caps of gasoline and diesel, one month after it curbed the price increases. The country is trying to control the inflationary effects of the Iran War and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The?country’s state planner announced on Friday that maximum retail gasoline prices and 'diesel will rise by 320 Yuan ($47.05), per metric tonne, as part of an ongoing price review. Retail diesel prices will also increase by 310 Yuan per metric tonne. China is the world's?second-largest consumer of oil. It has a diversified oil supply network and...

As the U.S. and Iran traded?fires in the Middle East many Asian markets were still on track for stellar gains this week as AI 'demand' swept over chipmakers. Benchmark Brent crude futures rose about 1% in Asia to $101 per barrel, while European stock?futures fell 0.8%. FTSE futures dropped 0.7% while S&P futures rose 0.3%. Sterling remained steady at $1.3575, but traders were wary of Labour Party losses, which could put pressure on Prime Minister Keir starmer. The United States and Iran clashed over the Gulf, and the UAE was again attacked in a test for a month-long truce. However,...

Oil prices rose on Friday, and stocks were slightly lower. The U.S. and Iran were exchanging fire in the Middle East. However, many Asian markets were still heading towards stellar weekly gains as AI demand has swept chipmakers. Benchmark Brent crude futures rose 1.3% to $101.60 per barrel, while European stock futures declined 0.7%. On Thursday, the United States and Iran traded fire in the most severe test of their month-long truce. Iran claimed that the situation was back to normal while the U.S. stated it didn't want to escalate. The President Donald Trump stated that the ceasefire which has...

On Thursday, global stocks mostly maintained their gains - despite the fact that oil prices fell again due to optimism about a U.S. Iran peace deal. Meanwhile, it appeared as if there was no resolution for the Strait of Hormuz. The previous session's highs were maintained on?Wall Street. The?S&P500 was little changed and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.27%. Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 0.12%. The STOXX Europe 600 index was down 0.37% after a 2.2% jump on Wednesday. MSCI's broadest Asia-Pacific share index outside Japan also hit a new all-time record. Last up 1.75 %. Japan's Nikkei surpassed 62,000...

Oil prices sank as stocks rose Thursday amid optimism about a U.S. Iran peace deal. However, the fate of the Strait of Hormuz remained unclear. MSCI's "All-Country World Index" rose by 0.23%, approaching a record high. Europe's STOXX was little changed after a?2.2% jump on Wednesday. MSCI's broadest Asia-Pacific index outside Japan also rose to an all-time record high. After a long holiday weekend, trading on the Nikkei 225 index resumed. Samy Chaar, chief economist at Lombard Odier, said that while the Middle East situation is uncertain, "the market momentum is moving in a positive direction", and they have taken...

Stocks rose and oil prices fell?on Wednesday? after a report stated that?the White House believed it was close to a memorandum ending the war with Iran. Meanwhile, momentum in AI driven trades increased. Axios reported that the U.S. was expecting Iranian responses to several key issues in the next 48-hours. On Wednesday, a Pakistani source who is involved in peace efforts confirmed that the report was true. Brent crude, a global benchmark, fell 7.5% to $101.70 a barrel. A peace agreement could ease some of the pain for the oil and gas market. The Iran war has closed the Strait...

In the morning of Wednesday, the Asian session, stocks soared, oil prices fell and the dollar dropped after U.S. president Donald Trump hailed "great progress" toward a "final deal" with Tehran, while momentum for AI-driven trading accelerated. Trump said he would temporarily pause an operation of escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz carries a fifth of all global oil, and Iran has blocked it since late February. This has triggered a global energy shortage. Brent crude fell 1.2% to $108.51 per barrel on the news, while S&P500 e-minis futures rose 0.3%. MSCI's broadest Asia-Pacific index...

Anna Szymanski is the Editor-in Charge of Open Interest. Prices of oil jumped by 5% after Iran claimed it had stopped a U.S. ship from entering the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S., however, denied Iranian claims that it was hit by missiles. This came after President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. was going to begin helping ships stuck in the Strait of Hormuz. The yen briefly rose?against?the dollar, as traders waited for more buying by Japan's Ministry of Finance following a suspected intervention last Thursday. Below, I'll go into more detail. Listen to the Morning Bid podcast. Subscribe to...

Wayne Cole gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. Strait?watching is back for a new week. Everyone is a shipping expert today and the Strait of Hormuz is where it's at. So President Trump surprised us this morning when he announced the launch of Project Freedom, which will help around 900'ships trapped in the Strait escape past the Iranians. The U.S. Central Command issued a short media release that said it would support merchant vessels in their quest to transit freely through this vital international trade corridor. CentCom has stated that this will...

Oil prices rose on Friday as efforts to resolve Iran conflict have hit a deadlock, with Tehran blocking the 'Strait of Hormuz while the U.S. Navy is blocking 'exports of Iranian crude. Brent crude futures rose $1.19 or 1.08% to $111.59 per barrel at 0149 GMT. West Texas Intermediate futures gained 39 cents or 0.37% to $105.46. Brent's June contract which expired on Friday, hit $126.41 per barrel, its highest price since March 2022. Since the U.S. and Israel's attack on Iran at the end of February, oil prices have been rising. This was due to the closing of the...

What's important in the U.S. and international markets today by Mike Dolan, Editor at Large,?Finance and Markets Today is the culmination of an eventful week, which includes the announcement of the interest rate by the Federal Reserve and the earnings reports of four U.S. Mega-caps. Unsurprisingly, the'red-hot' stock markets have cooled down in anticipation, including in?the supercharged chip and tech space. This tech retreat was partly triggered by an article stating that OpenAI missed its internal growth targets, putting into question the apparent boundless optimism about AI demand. Below, I will go into more detail. Check out my most recent...

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company notified customers that two crude grades could be 'loaded outside of the Gulf next month, as the Strait of Hormuz was closed. ADNOC is moving the crude grades Das and Upper Zakum from the terminals on Das Island (and Zirku Island) located in the Gulf, to outside locations for loading. The exports of these terminals are down dramatically as there have been fewer ships willing to cross the strait after the U.S. - Iran?war began in late February. ADNOC informed clients that it would make cargoes available to be loaded outside the Arabian Gulf on...