Energy Markets

As 2025 approaches, global shares remained near their record highs, capping an?abundant artificial intelligence-driven year. Commodities, like gold and silver have extended their bullish trend to new?highs?. Overnight, on Wall Street the S&P 500 closed at a record high as the long-elusive Santa Claus rally finally took hold. The U.S. economic data that showed the economy expanding at a faster rate than expected in the third quarter helped boost risk sentiment but hurt bonds. The STOXX 600 Index in Europe was unchanged at the start of trading, while the UK's blue-chip FTSE 100 dropped 0.2%. The bourses in Amsterdam, Brussels,...

In the next decade, Russia will build a nuclear plant on the moon to power its 'lunar space program' and a joint Russian/Chinese research facility as the world's major powers race to explore Earth’s only natural satellite. Since 1961 when Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was the first person to enter space, Russia has been a leader in space exploration. However, in recent years it has fallen further behind the United States - and increasingly China. Elon Musk revolutionised launch vehicles, which were once a Russian specialty. Roscosmos, the Russian state space corporation, announced in a press release that it had...

The oil prices rose modestly on Wednesday. They extended gains from the previous session. This was due to the robust U.S. economy and the threat of "supply disruptions" from Venezuela and Russia. Brent crude futures rose 4 cents or 0.06% to $62.42 per barrel at 0117 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained 3 cents or 0.05% to $58.41. Brent oil prices rose by over 2% Monday. WTI also climbed the highest since November 14. Prices rose by more than 0.5% again on Tuesday. In its first estimate of the third-quarter GDP, Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis stated that...

The demand for electricity from AI data centers is reviving peaker power plants Peakers emit more pollutants than power plants. The majority of power plants are located in minority and low-income communities By Laila Kearney Dec 23, CHICAGO - A 60s oil-fired plant rises from an industrial site behind Dvorak Park in Chicago's working class Pilsen district. In warmer weather, the park is crowded with children playing on its colorful playground or zooming down slides. Next year, the eight-unit Fisk Power Plant owned by Houston's NRG Energy is scheduled to be retired. The next step was artificial intelligence. As electricity...

Vattenfall, a Swedish utility, has requested state funding to build new nuclear reactors at Ringhals, the company announced on Tuesday. This is the first time a company has done so as part of a program the government hopes will bring about a revival in nuclear energy. Videberg Kraft, the majority-owned subsidiary of state-owned 'Vattenfall', plans to build small modular reactors at its Ringhals nuclear plant in south-west Sweden. In a press release, Desiree Comstedt said that the state's support would be crucial for this project. She is head of Vattenfall's new nuclear energy. The?government stated that the amount and conditions...

The oil prices fell in early trading on Tuesday, after rising by more than 2% the previous day. This was due to the U.S. saying it may'sell Venezuelan crude that it has seized. Meanwhile, Ukraine's attacks against Russian vessels and piers increased supply disruption concerns. Brent crude futures dropped 11 cents or 0.18% to $61.96 a barrel at 0100 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI), which is a blend of U.S. West Texas Intermediate and Brent crude, fell 13 cents or 0.22% to $57.88. Brent posted its best performance in over two months, while WTI climbed the most since...

Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said that it would be a good idea for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro if he left power. The United States can 'keep or sell' the oil they have seized in recent weeks off the coast of Venezuela. Trump's campaign of pressure on Maduro includes a stepped-up military presence and over two dozen military attacks on vessels suspected of trafficking drugs near Venezuela in the Pacific Ocean or Caribbean Sea. The?attacks have killed at least 100 people. When asked if his goal was to remove Maduro from the presidency, Trump replied to reporters: "Well I think...

Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said that it would be wise for Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro if he left power. The United States can keep or sell the oil it has seized in recent weeks off the coasts of Venezuela. Trump's campaign of pressure on Maduro includes a stepped-up military presence and over two dozen strikes against vessels suspected of trafficking drugs near Venezuela in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. The attacks have killed at least 100 people. When asked if the aim was to remove?Maduro, Trump replied: "Well I think it would probably... It's up to him to...

The majority of major stock indices rose on Monday at the beginning of a holiday-shortened week. Shares of Nvidia were up, and the yen was stronger versus the U.S. Dollar after Japanese officials warned of "one-sided, sharp" currency movements. Gold and silver prices soared to new records, and oil prices rose as well after the U.S. Coast Guard started pursuing an oil-tanker near Venezuela in international waters a day before. Nvidia gained 1.3%. The company told Chinese clients that it plans to begin shipping its second most powerful artificial intelligence chip to China before mid-February's Lunar New Year holiday. The...

Wall Street opened higher, while the yen fell to near-all-time lows versus the euro. Higher interest rates put pressure on Japanese government bonds. S&P 500 futures rose 0.4%. Nasdaq futures gained 0.1%. MSCI's broadest world share index added 0.2%. Due to the fact that the?U.S. The?U.S. Investors are primarily focused on closing the year before January's inflation and labour market releases," he said. Even though it was a holiday-shortened weekend for most of the world, momentum funds continued to flow to equities and precious metals ahead of delayed data which is expected to show that the U.S. economic growth has...

In its latest?U.S. filing, fuel distributor ARKO Petroleum revealed a decline in revenue for the nine-month period. Companies are preparing to list in the first quarter of next year. The company posted a profit of $24.7 million on revenue of $4.27 billion for the nine months ended September 30. This compares to a profit last year, which was $32.7 million on revenue $4.92 billion. The offering is made as issuers prepare to list in the early part of next year, after the holiday season. They are hoping to take advantage a receptive marketplace. The year-end debut of tax firm Andersen...

Michigan regulators approved Thursday special contracts that DTE Energy?s unit?would supply to a data center in Washtenaw County. However, the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) imposed mandatory additional safeguards to protect residential customers and others from having to pay any costs associated with the development and operation of "the data center". DTE Energy, OpenAI and Related Digital are also required to absorb any costs that they cannot recover from Green Chile Ventures. In the event of an emergency, it is important to update the procedures so that service can be restored before any other customers are affected. The rapid expansion...

The yen rose after Tokyo's sternest warning to date about its willingness to support the battered yen currency. European shares were slightly higher in the early trading, while U.S.?futures remained?little altered on the day. Gold also reached a new record just short of the $4,500-per-ounce threshold. The U.S. economy, which was delayed by the record-breaking government shutdown, was the focus of a week that saw many countries on holiday. The U.S. third quarter growth numbers are expected to show that the U.S. continued to grow with a strong 3,3% clip. This would still be a slight drop from the previous...

In 2025, precious metals outperformed all other "safe haven" investment options. This is remarkable, especially in an year that was marked by turmoil, conflict and artificial intelligence bubble concerns. The market landscape for this year was shaped by a number of factors: a booming economy, politicians pushing for easy money, fading recession fears, an AI frenzy, and rising geopolitical tensions. Precious Metals outperformed almost everything else. Silver and platinum have more than doubled and gold has risen over 60%. This is its biggest jump since 1979's oil crisis. This performance was far superior to the roughly 20% gain in global...

The European Commission announced on Monday that it had opened an investigation to determine whether the public support that Czech Republic plans to provide for?the construction and operation of two new nucleonic units is in compliance with EU State Aid rules. After EDF France's appeals were rejected, the Czech Republic's Competition Authority in April cleared the path for the signing of contracts with South Korea for two units in Dukovany worth at least $400 billion Czech crowns ($19.30billion) after they?rejected their appeals. In a press release, the Commission stated that it had "doubts" about the 'appropriateness' and 'proportionality? of the...

Asian shares rose broadly on Monday, tracking Wall Street's tech-driven gains. Meanwhile, the yen fell to new lows against the Euro and Swiss Franc due to higher interest rates. Even though it was a holiday-shortened weekend for most of the world, momentum funds continued to flow to commodities, precious metals, and equities ahead of delayed data which is expected to show that the U.S. economic growth has been strong in the third quarter. Median estimates predict an annualised increase of 3.2%. This is due to a sharp drop in imports following a surge earlier in the year before the introduction...

The?yen eased on Friday after the Bank of Japan increased interest rates to three-decade-high levels and left the door open for?further easing. The decision to raise rates to 0.75 percent was widely expected and the initial reaction was to sell the yen in anticipation of a more detailed outlook at the media conference by BOJ Governor Kazuo ueda later in the day. The markets had bet on just one rate hike in 2019, to 1.0%. Ueda, however, has said that a neutral rate range would include rates from 1.0% up to 2.5%. Investors should be wary if he suggests that...

Tom Westbrook gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. The markets expect that the Bank of England will be the sole mover in a series of central bank meetings on Thursday. A 25-basis point rate cut to 3.75 percent is almost as predictable as the collapse of the top order at the Ashes Test in Adelaide. Investors were reassured by the unexpected drop in UK inflation on Wednesday. However, with inflation at the highest level among G7 countries, 3.2%, it is unlikely that further rate cuts will be imminent. Sterling is down to...

China's steel output in November was the 'weakest month' in almost two years. This will result in the world's largest producer of metal posting its 'lowest annual production since 2018'. Imports of iron ore, the key raw material for steel, are expected to reach a new record in 2025. This will surpass the previous high of 1,24 billion metric tonnes, set in 2024. Iron ore stocks were restocked amid low seaborne prices, and there was optimism that Beijing’s stimulus measures would eventually increase steel demand. While the iron ore sector may be experiencing a positive sentiment, it is still facing...

Rae Wee gives us a look at what the European and global markets will be like tomorrow. The Bank of England will announce its rate decision on Thursday, which is expected to be a razor-thin vote. The expectation is that 'the headline and core consumer price indexes will have decreased on a month-to-month basis. This would allow policymakers to feel more comfortable about lowering rates on Thursday. In October, headline inflation eased to 3.6% annually - still far above the BoE target of 2% but its first decline since May. The UK's high inflation rate has divided policymakers on the...

China and Saudi Arabia have agreed to a closer communication and coordination regarding regional and?international matters, and Beijing has praised Riyadh for its role in Middle?East Diplomacy. This was revealed by statements made following a?meeting?between?the?nations?' foreign ministers? on Sunday. Wang Yi, the Chinese Foreign Minister, is currently on a Middle East tour that started in the United Arab Emirates. It is expected to conclude in Jordan. On Sunday, he met with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al-Saud. China's 'official news agency Xinhua' published a joint statement that did not specify what areas the countries would strengthen their...

European stocks were up in the early hours of Friday's trading, on course for a third weekly gain. The Fed's recent interest rate cut boosted sentiment. However, Wall Street futures indicated some lingering caution following the previous session's tech stock sell-off. Nasdaq dropped on Thursday, after cloud computing firm Oracle announced massive spending and poor forecasts. This fueled fears that big AI bets were paying off. Tech stocks fell. As the S&P 500 & Dow hit new highs, it had a minimal impact on risk appetite. Wall Street futures fell during Asian trading as tech concerns remained, and struggled to...

Asian stocks rose on Friday, following the gains on Wall Street. However, a new decline in Oracle’s share price sent jitters throughout the tech sector. Investors were under pressure to find their feet this week after the Federal Reserve cut rates, but provided a dovish outlook. The return of AI-related bubble concerns added to investor stress. Shanghai copper prices also reached a new record and are on course for a third straight weekly gain. This is boosted by the promise of fiscal stimulus from China, which is the world's largest consumer. MSCI's broadest Asia-Pacific index outside Japan gained nearly 1%...

Gregor Stuart Hunter gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. Shanghai copper futures have reached a new'record high' today, as more stimulus from China is expected. Investors are looking to real assets as the U.S. Dollar falls to its lowest level in two months after the Fed's rate cut this week and the policy stance that pushed against the market’s hawkish view. Dollar debasement had already lifted the price of silver. The stock markets in Asia were up despite fears about the AI bubble. The MSCI Asia-Pacific ex-Japan Index rose 0.8% on the...