Energy Markets

Wall Street shook and the dollar lost ground, while gold reached a new record high on Monday. The Trump administration's threats to indict Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell raised questions about the independence of the most influential central banks. Powell delivered an?unusually fervent speech rejection Morgan Stanley analysts described a "cacophony of events that will move the market" as the week begins, only the second in 2026. Trump considering military options Action After the capture of Venezuelan's Nicolas Maduro The U.S. might try to acquire Greenland The S&P 500, which is the benchmark, fell 0.1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average...

If the record high U.S. stocks prices accurately reflect the investors' assessment of Trump 2.0's first year, it is a glowing scorecard of the most interventionist administration in decades. The U.S. President, who has become the market activist in chief, is yet another example of a topsy-turvy world of economics. Global norms and orthodoxies from the past 40 years are now being questioned. Donald Trump has directed the U.S. Government to take direct equity stakes in businesses, to call for CEO firings, to try to dictate compensation to CEOs, to ensure that the government receives a cut from Big Tech...

Gold reached a new record high on Monday and the dollar as well as Wall Street futures both fell. A criminal investigation into Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell has stoked fears about the independence and power of the world's largest central bank. Powell Slammed The move was part of President Donald Trump's push to gain greater control over the Fed. For traders, it added to the frenetic start 2026 has seen, with the U.S. already capturing Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro Set your sights on Greenland . S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq were both down by more than 0.6% before the U.S....

Dollar and Wall Street futures fell and gold rose?on monday as Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell claimed that the Trump administration threatened him with criminal charges over the refurbishment of the central bank's HQ. This has heightened concerns about the Fed’s independence from political influences and added to the?a?frenzied start to 2026. Already, the U.S. captured Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro. They have also ramped up the talk of taking over Greenland. S&P futures dropped more than 0.5%. Meanwhile, safe-haven metals like gold - that investors use as a hedge against inflation and turmoil - reached another record high. Money markets have...

The dollar fell and U.S. stock futures dropped after Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell claimed that the Trump administration had?threatened? him with a criminal investigation, fueling investor concerns about the independence of the central bank. S&P 500 futures were down 0.5%. European futures fell 0.1% during the morning of Asia. The dollar dropped 0.2% against the major currencies, dropping below 158 yen to $1.1660. The news, traders said, was unsettling. However the immediate impact on interest rates is not known. Benchmark 10-year Treasury Futures rose by 3 ticks, resulting in an implied yield (4.15%), which is about one basis point...

Prices were not much changed Monday, as investors watched for potential disruptions in supply from OPEC member Iran. However, efforts to resume Venezuelan oil exports quickly kept prices under control. Brent crude futures fell 5 cents, to $63.29 per barrel at 0131 GMT. U.S. West Texas intermediate crude dropped 6 cents, to $59.06 per barrel. Both contracts rose more than 3% in the last week, clinching their largest weekly increase since October. This was due to Iran's clerical regime stepping up its crackdown against the largest demonstrations since 2012. Saul Kavonic is the head of MST Marquee's energy research. He...

The oil prices rose on Monday due to a?growing 'concern that the intensifying protests against Iran could disrupt the OPEC producers supply. However, efforts by Venezuela to resume exports of crude oil are limiting gains. Brent crude futures rose 31 cents or 0.49% to $63.65 per barrel at 0006 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up 30 cents or 0.51%, at $59.42. The two contracts both rose by a combined 3% in the last week, their largest weekly increase since October. This was due to Iran's clerical establishment stepping up its crackdown against the largest demonstrations since 2012....

Slovakia will sign a nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States next week, Slovak PM Robert Fico said on Saturday. The country is moving towards a deal for a new nuclear unit to be built with U.S. assistance. Since last year, Slovakia has been in discussions with Washington to build a large nuclear plant with the U.S. company Westinghouse. Fico stated on Saturday that the plant would have a capacity of nearly 1,200 megawatts, larger than existing units. He said that "in cooperation with our 'American partners,' we would like to build a?new huge block?under purely state ownership, on the...

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated on Friday that Chevron sees a 'pathway to increase its Venezuela production by?50%. His comments came after a meeting between President Donald Trump and oil companies in the South American country. Wright stated that Chevron had "said we could do additional things for them.... which are just approvals and permissions." Wright added that the company "sees a path to grow their production 50% within 18-24 months." Wright said Washington's relations with Venezuela were "fantastic," after the U.S. military seized ousted president Nicolas Maduro in a raid last weekend. Trump met Friday with executives of...

Citgo Petroleum is the crown jewel in the foreign assets of Venezuela. Sources close to the situation said that the U.S. president Donald Trump has been moving quickly to put together $100 billion to revive Venezuela's petroleum industry. Citgo, based in Houston, has been involved in the auction organized by a Delaware Court to settle debts and expropriations of Venezuelan assets. The court approved the $5.9 billion offer in November and ordered that the shares of Citgo Parent be sold to Amber Energy. This is an affiliate of the U.S. hedge-fund Elliott Investment Management. However, its execution needs regulatory approvals...

Global stocks rose on Friday, ahead of an important U.S. employment report. Investors also awaited the Supreme Court's ruling on whether President Donald Trump’s tariffs were legal. These tariffs shocked markets last year. Geopolitical tensions around the world have pushed up oil prices and defence stocks. They will continue to be on traders' minds when they consider developments in Venezuela and Greenland. The U.S. Supreme Court's possible ruling on tariffs will dominate the conversation on Friday. The reduction of tariffs may impact U.S. revenue, driving Treasury yields up and causing new waves in volatility. Kyle Rodda said that the ruling...

Meta Platforms announced on Friday that it had signed 20-year contracts to buy power from Vistra nuclear reactors in the heartland of America and develop projects with two companies looking to build small modular units. Vistra shares rose 8%, while Oklo's surged by nearly 20% in premarket trading. Meta and other Big Tech firms want to ensure long-term power supplies, as artificial intelligence (AI) and data centres increase U.S. electricity demand for the first two decades. In a 'blog, the company announced that it would purchase electricity from Vistra’s Perry and Davis-Besse plant in Ohio as well as Beaver Valley...

Dollar fell and U.S. Equity Futures?eased after Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell claimed that the Trump administration had threatened him with criminal?indictment. This stoked concerns about the independence of the central bank. S&P futures fell 0.5%, and gold reached a?another?record?high as a reaction to the intensification of the dispute between U.S. president Donald Trump and Fed. The Swiss Franc gained 0.4%, to 0.7979 dollars. The euro rose 0.17% at $1.1656. The news is unsettling for traders, but the immediate impact on interest rates is not clear. Fed funds futures has added about three basis point more in cuts in this...

Ankur Banerjee gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets Investors still can't wrap their minds around the latest escalation of the fight between U.S. president Donald Trump and the Federal Reserve. Chair Jerome Powell is fighting back against the "effort" to control interest rates and the Fed. The growing unrest in Iran where, according to an international rights group, more than 500 people were killed, underscored also the geopolitical issues that markets will be navigating by the beginning of 2026. This is why safe-haven assets are well supported. The markets opened trading on...

Two trading sources familiar with the matter confirmed on Friday that China has granted crude oil import quotas to three'refineries' in Shandong Province, which were sold last year to independent operators by'state-run Sinochem Group. One source said that the quotas were given to Zhenghe Group, Huaxing Petrochemical and Shandong Changyi Petrochemical. The total annual volume was around 12 million metric tons (240 000 barrels per day). The quotas were not clear whether they covered the "full" annual amount or only a portion of it. Changyi, Zhenghe and Huaxing are now controlled by Shandong Qicheng Petrochemical. The new quotas require that...

Oil prices stabilized on Thursday, after their recent decline. Stocks were off to a rough start as investors assessed implications of deepening?geopolitical tensions and mixed U.S. labor market data. The top U.S. officials stated on Wednesday that the country "needs" to control Venezuela's oil revenue and sales indefinitely in order to stabilize the economy of the country, rebuild its oil industry and ensure the nation acts in America's best interests. As part of Donald Trump's aggressive campaign to control oil flows in America, the U.S. also seized on the same day two Venezuelan-linked oil tanks in the Atlantic Ocean, including...

Crude futures fell and resource shares rose in Asian trading, as the?markets digested the political turmoil in Venezuela and its fate with regard to its petroleum reserves. Oil prices continue to'slide' after U.S. president Donald Trump announced that Venezuela would "turn over" 50 million barrels to be sold at market value following the toppling of its leader. Japanese shares led to a decline in regional equity benchmarks while commodity shares rose after a surge overnight in industrial metals. Dollar gains were made as geopolitical tensions erupted from South America through to China. Investors waited for data coming out of the...

Kevin Buckland gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. The global stock market's march to higher peaks shows no sign of slowing down. Tokyo, Taipei, and Seoul were among the markets that soared to new peaks on Tuesday. This was after the Dow made the same move overnight on Wall Street. Once trading begins, the FTSE 600, DAX 100 and STOXX will likely extend their record-breaking runs. The political turmoil in Venezuela has not slowed the market. Investors have been grabbing oil and defense shares with a risk-free attitude. Crude oil traders are...

Oil prices dropped on Tuesday, as traders assessed the possibility of increased Venezuelan crude production following the capture by the U.S. of President Nicolas Maduro. This added to expectations that global supplies would be ample this year due to weak demand. Brent crude futures fell by 0.2% at $61.62 per barrel as of 0103 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude crude dropped 0.3% to $58.15 per barrel. Ed Meir, Marex analyst, said: "I believe that if even a small part of the Trump playbook comes true, Venezuelan crude production should increase... If it increases, this will put more pressure...

Five dealers report that India's palm oils imports dropped to an 8-month low in the month of December. This was due to a weaker winter season and refiners increasing their purchases of competing oils like soyoil or sunflower oil. Reduced palm oil imports by?India, which is the world's biggest buyer of vegetable oil, could increase inventories in top producing countries Indonesia and Malaysia. This would weigh on benchmark Malaysian Palm Oil Futures while supporting U.S. Soyoil Futures. According to dealers, palm oil imports dropped 20% in December, to 507,000 tons, the lowest level since April 2025. Dealer estimates show that...

Data showed that the Middle East crude oil benchmark Dubai fell into a discount on Friday, for the first since December '2023. This was due to an excess of supply and low demand during 'the earliest day of trading for 2026. According to trade sources, the Dubai cash price for a barrel was $60.30, or a 13-cent discount to Dubai swaps. There were only two partials of March loading during the S&P Markets On Close price?assessment. Sources said that the immediate January-February Dubai crude price spread was converted into a contango on Friday of approximately 17-20 cents a barrel. In...

In a Friday regulatory filing, LG Energy Solution, a South Korean battery manufacturer (LGES), announced that it had canceled a contract worth 3.9 trillion won ($2.7 billion). LG Energy Solution announced that it had mutually agreed to terminate its contract with Freudenberg Battery Power Systems after Freudenberg scrapped its plans for its battery business. This announcement comes just a week after Ford Motor terminated a battery supply deal worth 9.6 trillion won. Ford announced that it would "take a $19.5-billion write-down" and scrap several electric vehicle models. This is a dramatic example how the auto industry has retreated from battery-powered...

Russia is planning to build a nuclear plant on the Moon 'within the next ten years to power its lunar space program and a joint Russian/Chinese research station, as 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 the space exploration field. However, in recent years, it has fallen further behind the United States, and increasingly China. Elon Musk revolutionised space vehicle launches, which were once a Russian specialty. Is that a nuclear reactor on the Moon? Roscosmos, the Russian...

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...