Energy Markets

Investors worried about U.S. president Donald Trump's announcement that 10% tariffs will be applied to all imports with higher rates for certain trading partners, fell into the equity futures market on Wednesday following the U.S. stock market closing. Gold and bonds were also up in price as they are considered safe havens. S&P 500 Eminis futures rose initially after Wall Street closed higher in the regular session, but lost ground when Trump detailed his tariff plans at a White House Rose Garden Event. S&P futures dropped 1.6% after Trump's speech, while Nasdaq Futures fell 2.4%. Trump, who referred to the...

Energy Information Administration of the United States reported on Wednesday that the U.S. produced a greater amount of uranium concentrat, which is used as fuel for nuclear reactors, during the final three months in 2024 than in any other quarter over the past six years. The EIA reported that the increase in output was due to higher uranium prices and the restart of production at White Mesa Mill, the only uranium-producing mill in the United States. Why it's important Data centers, onshored production and electrification in buildings and transportation have all contributed to the rise of electricity demand in the...

U.S. stocks were little changed on Wednesday, while European shares fell. Gold was sought after as investors awaited the details of U.S. president Donald Trump's plans for tariffs and feared an intensifying trade war. Investors focused on Wednesday on the reciprocal levies that the White House will announce following the close of the U.S. Stock Market, on what Trump called America's 'Liberation Day. Trump is expected add new tariffs to the already existing levies on autos, aluminium and steel, as well as increased duties on all Chinese goods. This has rattled markets, with fears growing that a full-blown global trade...

On Wednesday, Russia and Ukraine both accused the other of launching attacks on each other's power plants in violation of an agreement brokered by the United States. Both sides claimed they would provide details of the alleged violation to the United States. This led to Moscow and Kyiv agreeing to a limited truce in hopes of a full ceasefire. The Russian defence ministry has said that Ukraine conducted drone and bombing attacks on the western Kursk area, which cut power to more than 1,500 households. Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian president, said that a Russian drone had hit an energy substation...

Asian stocks sank on Wednesday as investors worried about escalating global trade tensions and awaited the details of U.S. president Donald Trump's proposed tariffs. In recent weeks, investors have been focused on a new round of reciprocal taxes that Trump is expected to announce at 2000 GMT on Wednesday. Trump has already imposed duties on autos, aluminium and steel, as well as increased duties on all Chinese goods. This has rattled the markets, with fears growing that a full-blown global trade war may trigger a sharp economic slowdown. European futures showed a subdued opening, with STOXX Futures down 0.27% while...

The oil prices were stable in a thinly traded session on Wednesday, after dropping in the previous trading session. This was due to concerns that new U.S. Tariffs, which are set to be announced at 2000 GMT on Thursday, could deepen a trade war globally and limit crude demand. Brent futures rose 1 cent to $74.50 per barrel at 0346 GMT, after falling 0.4% on the previous day. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude Futures gained 3 cents to reach $71.23 following a 0.4% drop. Prices reached their highest level in five weeks Monday. The White House confirmed Tuesday that President...

Asian stocks stumbled on Wednesday as investors worried about escalating global trade wars awaited the details of U.S. president Donald Trump's proposed tariffs. In recent weeks, investors have been focused on the new round reciprocal levies which the White House will announce at 2000 GMT on Wednesday. These are expected to go into effect immediately following the announcement. Trump has already imposed duties on autos, aluminium and steel, as well as increased duties on all Chinese goods. This has rattled the markets, with fears growing that a full-blown global trade war may trigger a sharp economic slowdown. Asian stocks dropped...

Chicago soybean futures rose Tuesday, ahead of a discussion between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a coalition representing oil and biofuels groups to raise federal mandates on biomass diesel blends. Analysts say that corn futures gained support due to wet forecasts for the U.S. Delta, Ohio Valley and Midwest, while wheat futures grew on the back of reduced acreage, as reported in a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report on Monday. The Chicago Board of Trade's most active soybean contract settled at $10.34-1/4, its highest level since March 6, and CBOT corn finished up 4-1/2cents at $4.61-3/4, while wheat...

EnerSys, a provider of energy services, announced on Tuesday that it will close its lead-acid manufacturing plant in Mexico due to flooding and move production to a US facility. The announcement coincides with the preparations of U.S. president Donald Trump to impose reciprocal duties on countries that impose tariffs on U.S. products, beginning on April 2, a day he has called "Liberation Day". A pre-tax charge in the amount of $20 million would be incurred in the first half 2025 due to the closure of the Monterrey plant in Mexico, and the subsequent transfer of production from that facility to...

The Kremlin announced on Tuesday that Russia is continuing its dialogues with the United States despite threats from President Donald Trump of secondary sanctions against Russian oil if Moscow fails to work towards ending the war in Ukraine. Trump, who this week said he was "pissed" with Russian president Vladimir Putin, told journalists on Monday that he wanted the Kremlin to make a deal in order to end the conflict. Trump stated in the Oval Office, "I would like to see him reach a deal that will stop Russian and Ukrainian soldiers from being killed and also other people." "I...

Sources familiar with the plant's operations on Monday said that a fluidic catalytic cracked (FCC) in Motiva Enterprises refinery Port Arthur, Texas is expected to be closed for at least two weeks following a second failed restart attempt last weekend. On January 21, the unit called FCC3 and an alkylation was shut down for a planned two-month overhaul. FCCs transform gas oil into unfinished fuel, while alkylation systems convert refinery byproducts into components that are typically added to gasoline. Motiva didn't immediately respond to a comment request. Sources said that the second attempt to restart FCC3, which is capable of...

The price of oil rose slightly on Tuesday, after U.S. president Donald Trump threatened to impose secondary duties on Russian crude as well as attack Iran. However, concerns about the impact of trade wars on global economic growth limited gains. Brent futures rose by 16 cents or 0.2% to $74.93 a bar at 0330 GMT. U.S. West Texas intermediate crude futures climbed by 13 cents or 0.2% to $71.61. A day earlier, the contracts had settled at a five-week high. Market participants are pricing in the risk of tighter oil supply due to U.S. threats to impose secondary tariffs on...

Stocks plunged, bonds surged and the dollar rose on Thursday, as U.S. president Donald Trump announced an even larger-than-expected wall around the largest economy in the world, disrupting trade and supply chain. Nasdaq Futures fell 4%. Tech was on the frontline because China, which has been hit with an additional 34% tariff on top of its previous 20%, is a major manufacturing hub. Apple shares fell nearly 7% after-hours. S&P futures declined 3.3%, while Nikkei Futures fell more than 4%. Australian shares fell 2%. The U.S. Dollar was higher on a rollercoaster of currency trading, except for the safe-haven Japanese...

In the current term of the U.S. Supreme Court, there are cases that involve guns, gender affirming medical care for minors who identify as transgender, online pornography and religious rights, TikTok and preventive healthcare. There are also cases involving funding Planned Parenthood, job discrimination and federal regulatory powers over nuclear waste storage, vape products and voting rights. Take a look at the recent and upcoming cases that the justices will be deciding. 'GHOST GUN' On March 26, the court upheld a federal rule targeting "ghost guns", which are largely untraceable, imposed by former Democratic President Joe Biden in an effort...

China will finalise the long-awaited global green sovereign bonds on Wednesday. This is expected to mark the beginning of a series that will increase its market share at a crucial time. The signal was sent to indicate that the vehicle was ready Last month Top Chinese Finance Ministry officials laid out the detail at a meeting in London with investors on Tuesday. The 6 billion yuan bond ($825 millions) is scheduled to be listed on the London Stock Exchange. Green bonds have grown to a market value of $3 trillion over the past few years. China's state-run firms have made...

Maruzen Petrochemical in Japan, a subsidiary of Cosmo Energy Holdings will close its ethylene plant in Chiba during the fiscal year 2026/27 and consolidate its production at Keiyo Ethylene - its joint venture with Sumitomo Chemical - the companies announced on Tuesday. The three companies released a joint statement saying that the move is intended to improve the utilization rate of Keiyo Ethylene. Keiyo Ethylene is owned by Maruzen and Sumitomo, respectively. Low operating rates have plagued Japanese ethylene plants due to a global oversupply caused by China's large-scale capacity expansions, as well as a declining domestic market. Energy transportation...

The global stock market rose on Tuesday, following Wall Street’s overnight gains. Gold reached a record high and Treasury yields dropped as markets waited for details about U.S. president Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs. The Japanese yen and Swiss franc held steady as demand for traditional safe-haven assets increased. The risk-sensitive Australian Dollar also rebounded, after the Reserve Bank of Australia kept interest rates unchanged, as expected, while warning of a "pronounced" uncertainty in the global economy. Investors anxiously await April 2, the day Trump has called "Liberation Day", where he promises to reveal a massive tariff plan. The Office of...

The Kremlin announced on Monday that Russia and the United States are working together on ideas to find a peace settlement in Ukraine, and building bilateral relations despite Donald Trump's claim that he is "pissed" at Vladimir Putin. Trump told NBC News he had been very angry when the Russian leader questioned the credibility of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The U.S. President suggested he might impose secondary tariffs between 25% and 50% on buyers of Russian crude oil. Trump told reporters that he had been disappointed by Putin, but added "I believe we are making progress step-by-step." When asked about...

Six sources involved in the pricing discussions said that the premium for aluminium shipped to Japanese buyers from April to June is $182 per metric ton. This is a 20% drop compared to the current quarter as domestic demand remains weak. This is a lower figure than the $228 paid per ton in January-March and marks the first quarterly decrease in five quarters. However, it is still below the initial offers made by global producers of $245-$260 per ton. Japan is the largest Asian importer for premiums and light metals For primary metal shipments, it agrees to each quarter pay...

Sources said that the top Chinese copper smelters, who met on Monday, decided to not set guidance for second quarter copper concentrate treatment and refining costs (TC/RCs), as they are struggling with an acute lack of concentrate. Sources at the China Smelters Purchase Team in Shanghai said that, due to the scramble for stocks, spot TC/RC price has been negative since December. This has resulted in a benchmark so disconnected, it is now meaningless. A second source who spoke under condition of anonymity said that the CSPT had never given negative price guidance. A third source said that the tightness...

Four people with knowledge of the situation say that Toyota's gasoline/electric hybrids are in high demand, and suppliers are struggling to keep up. This has led to parts shortages and long waits for buyers. Two people said that Toyota dealers in major markets such as the U.S.A., Japan China and Europe have low stock of hybrids. Toyota, which is the leader in hybrids, faces a major challenge from this surge in demand. It also validates the Japanese automaker’s bet in the technology, despite predictions from some competitors that battery-only vehicles would wipe hybrid demand out. LMC Automotive's data shows that...

Taiwan won't raise electricity prices at this time due to global uncertainty about the impact of trade policies and geopolitical risk. However, the government will ask parliament for funds to help the state-run energy firm stem losses worth nearly $13 billion. In order to limit inflation, the government has heavily subsidised energy. However, it did increase power prices between September and April last year. After a meeting with its committee to review electricity prices on Friday, Taiwan's Economy Ministry said that the members "carefully examined the impact of electricity bill on prices and decided that electricity prices will not be...

In a Wednesday video call, China's Vice-Premier He Lifeng voiced "serious concerns" about U.S. duties and the planned "reciprocal", according to Xinhua. Xinhua reported that the two men exchanged "candidly and in depth" views on important economic and trade topics and agreed to keep in touch. The announcement came as U.S. president Donald Trump prepared to impose reciprocal duties next week. This could mean imposing more duties on Chinese products. Trump has imposed 20% tariffs on all Chinese imports, since he took office in January. He accuses Beijing of failing to do enough to stop the flow of chemical precursors...

After three sessions of losses in a row, Malaysian palm oils futures rose on Wednesday. This was due to bargain hunters after the contract reached a two-month low. The benchmark palmoil contract for June delivery at the Bursa Derivatives Exchange increased 0.33%, closing at 4,259 Ringgit ($962.05) a metric ton. When prices reached the lowest point of the day, they were too low to ignore. "We saw a great deal of bargain-hunting today. A lot of buyers came out and there was also a good amount of (short)covering," said Paramalingam Supramaniam of Selangor brokerage Pelindung Bestari. Intertek Testing Services, a...