Crude Oil

U.S. stock prices rose on Thursday, as Microsoft's results surpassed expectations, and eased investor concerns about AI spending. Meanwhile, 30-year Treasury yields reached a record high after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates at the same level on Wednesday, fueling fears about inflation in longer-term. Microsoft rose by 14% as the company beat Wall Street expectations for current-quarter cloud sales growth and issued a capital expenditure outlook that was below Wall Street expectations. It also said it expected to continue generating cash until fiscal 2027, which just began. Investors are concerned about the rising costs of AI at large technology...

What's important in the U.S. and Global Markets Today By Mike Dolan. Editor-at-Large for Finance and Markets On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve maintained its line, but three policymakers voted "for a hike", the largest dissent since 1970 against a new Fed chairman. It is easy to see why the markets were so uncertain. The Fed's decision to "hold" did not reassure the markets. 30-year borrowing rates have risen to their highest level in 19 years, and the yield curve has steepened, suggesting that traders are worried about the Fed tolerating above-target inflation for the long run. Below, I'll go into...

Ankur Banerjee gives a look at what the markets will be like in Europe and globally. A divided Federal Reserve and a confusing message by Chair Kevin 'Warsh about where rates are heading has left the bond market scratching their heads and'somehow in control, in an 'odd reversal which raises questions regarding the credibility of the central bank. As expected, the U.S. Central Bank did nothing, but three dissenters highlighted the growing divide between policymakers about the next steps to combat inflation, which remains above the Fed’s target of 2 percent. Warsh pledged to contain inflation, but did not give...

The oil prices lost some of their gains on Thursday despite the escalating attacks across the Gulf. Investors' attention shifted to the supply flow through the major chokepoints within the region. Brent futures dropped 96 cents or 1.06% to $89.78 per barrel as of 0418 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI), crude oil, fell 64 cents or 0.76% to $83.82 per barrel. Brent and WTI both rose by 6.56% during the previous session, one of the biggest spikes in the Iran War. This was after the pause of hostilities that occurred on Tuesday following a 5% drop. The prices of...

Oil prices lost some of their gains as oil tankers 'continued their journey out of the Middle East despite the escalating tensions in the region, and the U.S. - Iran war spreading beyond the main fronts. Brent?futures dropped 79 cents or?0.9% to $87.30 per barrel at 0015 GMT. ?U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI), which is the most widely traded oil in the United States, fell 76 cents or 0.9% to $83.70 per barrel. Brent closed up 7.91% and WTI was up 6.56% during the previous session, in one of most dramatic spikes in the Iran War. This reversed a...

Saudi Aramco closed its Jizan oil refinery, which produces 400,000 barrels per day in Saudi Arabia, on July 27, following an attack on the facility by Yemeni Houthi militants. A note seen by revealed that this was due to an attack on Saturday by Yemen's Houthi terrorists. The market is already constrained by the tight fuel supply in the world, as well as disruptions from the Middle East and Russia's ban on diesel exports. The outage has also had a significant impact on the refinery profit margins, which have reached'record highs' in certain regions. The note stated that the attack...

Since the beginning of the Iran War, there has been a debate about whether crude oil futures accurately reflect?the stress in the physical markets for oil and refined products or if the are blindly 'optimistic' that peace is on the horizon. The Iran War between the United States of America and Iran continues on its volatile and unpredictable course, with renewed hope that there is a chance for a new pause in the?reverse strikes. This flicker of optimism led Brent futures to fall in the early Asian trading on Monday. The price fell by nearly 5%, reaching around $92.06. The...

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...

Wayne Cole gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. The Gulf has settled into a fragile truce as the U.S. military halted its attacks in part due to concerns that it was running low on ammunition. Iran also said that it would hold off until the U.S. Hold off. Investors have viewed the Houthis' attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities as a de-escalation step and have pushed Brent down 4%, to $92.80. The $100 mark seems to be where the U.S. blinks. Oil needs to remain close to this level to keep both...

The Australian and New Zealand dollar strengthened on Monday, as hopes for a diplomatic resolution to the Middle East conflict sent oil price?lower. This eased inflation concerns and helped boost global bond markets. The Aussie gained 0.2%, to $0.7001, following a 0.3% gain on Friday. It is little changed from last week. The Aussie has moved away from its three-month-low of $0.6867. Resistance is seen at the one month peak of $0.7026. New Zealand's dollar rose 0.2%, to $0.5798, after finishing last week down by 1%. This was primarily due to losses against the Australian dollar. The 200-day moving median...

Are you looking for inspiration? Weekend Reads is a weekly feature that highlights what the Open Interest team has been reading, watching and listening to. The Open Interest team shares what they've been watching, listening to and reading. This week's selections include the emergence of drone warfare, Europe's AI ambitions and Jamie Dimon's worries about long-dated bonds at JPMorgan Chase. This weekend we are reading... RON BOUSSO, ROI Energy Columnist. He has produced an amazing, frightening and visually stunning piece on Ukraine's "kill zone" with drones, which has changed the battlefield between Russia and Ukraine. CLYDE RUSSELL is a ROI...

Gold ticked up a bit?on friday, reversing previous losses, as oil fell below $100?per barrel mark. Investors are watching developments in the Middle East to get a fresh perspective on inflationary risks driven by energy and the outlook for U.S. rates. Spot gold was up 0.2% at $4,055.38 an ounce as of 0925 GMT after falling 2% Thursday to $4.047.26. U.S. gold futures August delivery rose 0.2%, to $4.058.10. "Gold is now slightly positive after moving from a negative position earlier, driven by lower oil prices. This has reduced pressure on the Fed's rate-setting," said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo. He...

Kuwait Petroleum Corp. has bid 55,000 metric tonnes of full-range naphthalene?on a spot-tender basis. The company stated that the offer was made on a delivery basis based on a ship. The company 'tender for Asian markets' stated in its offer that the "product must be intended to East of Suez, and cannot be resold, or delivered elsewhere, without the seller’s written consent. This consent shall not be unreasonable. KPC offered?naphtha free-onboard?before the U.S. war with Iran started. The first time since February, it resumed offering cargo in June. The company stated that the cargo would be delivered by a tanker...

On Thursday, the U.S. government’s?long term borrowing costs reached their highest level since 2007. Global shares also tried to recover after Microsoft’s?earnings reduced some AI concerns. The yield on 30-year Treasury bonds hit a high of 5,244% in New York trading the day before, after the Federal Reserve held interest rates at the same level as the previous day, even though Chair Kevin Warsh gave mixed messages about monetary policy and inflation expectations. The Fed's next moves were difficult to predict, and Warsh's decision not to provide any forward guidance made it even more difficult. Investors are frightened by the...

Asian stocks were volatile on Thursday, after a week filled with?market turmoil sparked by AI fears. A divided Federal Reserve remained steadfast on interest rates and left the bond markets unsure of their next move. Brent 'futures' fell below $90 a barrel after a day of turbulence sparked by AI jitters. The Federal Reserve, divided, remained steadfast on rates and left bond markets uncertain about the next move. Investors were confused by the Fed's split decision on whether it would raise rates to combat inflation. The yields on U.S. Treasuries with longer maturities rose to their highest level in 19...

What's important in the U.S. and international markets today by Mike Dolan Editor-at-Large of?Finance and Markets As a stark example of how difficult it is for Big 'Tech to impress the markets, South Korean chip maker SK Hynix fell again on Wednesday morning after a six-fold increase in quarterly profits?missed expectations. This is a warning before the?release of U.S. megacaps earnings later today. The markets will first digest Kevin Warsh's comments and the Federal Reserve Chair's policy announcement as he speaks on the podium today. Below, I'll go into more detail. Check out my midweek column where I discuss hyperscalers'...

Trade sources reported on Wednesday that Abu Dhabi National Oil Co had sold 12 million barrels of spot crude at a premium to Asian refiners, trading firms and other companies in its most recent tender. The renewed U.S. - Iran hostilities have disrupted the?supplies, and this has sparked an 'impulsive buying spree. Since the fighting between Iran and the United States intensified in the first half of this month, oil?flows have dropped sharply through the Strait of Hormuz. ADNOC uses a shuttle fleet to move crude oil out of the Gulf of Oman and onto other tankers, despite exports slowing...

Asian markets dropped on Tuesday, led by chipmakers, on concerns?about massive funding requirements of the AI boom. A slide in oil prices didn't do much to lift bonds, and traders were worried about U.S. interest rate hikes coming this week. South Korea's KOSPI plunged more than 8 percent to a low of three months, setting off a circuit breaker. Japan's Nikkei fell 4% after a drop of 2.2% for the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index. Nvidia's shares fell 5% overnight, after the Wall Street Journal reported that the company was in discussions to provide approximately $250 billion in financial guarantees for OpenAI...

Prices of copper rose Monday, as oil prices fell after the U.S. & Iran ended hostilities. This eased?concerns over price pressures and economic growth. Benchmark copper prices on the London Metal Exchange were up 0.6% at $13,733 per metric ton, 1606 GMT. The Pentagon has suspended its campaign against Iran 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 attacks on countries in close proximity that house U.S. military bases. As the fighting paused, oil prices fell...

Prices of copper rose on Monday as oil prices dropped after the U.S. &?Iran ended hostilities. This eased concerns over price pressures and economic growth. Benchmark 'copper' on the London Metal Exchange rose 0.6% to $13,729 per metric ton as of 1427 GMT. The Pentagon suspended its campaign against Iran on Friday after 13 nights of increasing U.S. airstrikes. Iran has been holding fire for the past two days after it had responded to each night's U.S. airstrikes with its own attacks on countries in close proximity that house U.S. military bases. The oil prices fell as a result of...

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...

What's important in the U.S. and Global Markets Today By Mike Dolan. Editor-at-Large for Finance and Markets The start of another volatile week for the markets is aided by a pause in the Iran conflict, and the significant decline in crude oil prices from the $100 mark. Calendar is packed with events, including the Federal Reserve meeting, a third?of?the 'S&P 500?reporting earnings - such as Apple, Microsoft, Meta, and Qualcomm?and second-quarter U.S. Gross Domestic Product estimates. Below, I'll go into more detail. Listen to the Morning Bid podcast to get a preview of the coming week and the oil market's...

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...