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HSBC reduced its Brent crude forecast on Tuesday. It cited rising trade tensions as well as an expected decrease in global oil consumption. The Bank cut its Brent Price Forecast to $68.5 per barrel in 2025, and $65 for 2026. The company also reduced its forecast for global demand growth in 2025 to 0.7 million barrels per day (mbd), and to 0.8 mbd in 2026, compared to the previous 0.9 mbd. This was due to an expected one-percentage point drop in global GDP. The ambiguous U.S. policy on trade has created uncertainty in the global oil market and prompted the...

Donald Trump, the U.S. president, threatened Iran on Sunday with bombings and secondary duties if Tehran failed to reach an agreement with Washington regarding its nuclear program. In a phone interview with NBC News Trump stated that U.S. officials and Iranian officials are talking, but did not provide any further details. Trump warned that if they do not make a deal there would be bombing. "But if they do not make a deal I may impose secondary tariffs like I did in 2004." Trump, in his first term 2017-21, rescinded the U.S.'s participation in a 2015 agreement between Iran and...

Alimentation Couche-Tard wants to convince the Japanese people to accept its $47 billion offer for Seven & i. It also wants to address the antitrust concerns which have become a major stumbling-block in its bid to purchase the 7-Eleven owners. Canada's Couche-Tard which owns Circle-K has been pursuing Seven & i since months despite the cold reception it received from the Japanese retailer. If the deal goes through, this would be the largest foreign acquisition in Japan's history. On Thursday, executives from Couche-Tard held their first press conference at Tokyo. This was months after announcing a takeover bid for Seven...

Alimentation Couche-Tard's management will address the antitrust concerns raised by Japan's Seven & i during a visit to Tokyo to advance talks on its $47 billion offer for 7-Eleven's convenience store operator. Circle-K's owner has been pursuing Seven & i since months, despite the cold reception it received from the Japanese retailer giant. If the deal goes through, this would be the largest foreign acquisition in Japan's history. Couche-Tard is holding its first press conference on Thursday in Tokyo since it announced a purchase bid for Seven & i back in August. This was part of their efforts to convince...

The founder of collapsed Singaporean oil trading company Hin Leong Trading Pte Ltd was sentenced to 171/2 years in prison on Monday for unfaithful global bank HSBC and abetting forgery, regional media reported. Lim Oon Kuin, known as O.K. Lim, was founded guilty on 2 counts of unfaithful and one of instigating forgery in May. The convictions were over the disbursement by the bank of $111.7. million in March 2020 as payment for 2 oil sales agreements. that prosecutors said were made. Lim, 82, has been going to court in a wheelchair however. district attorneys stated no weight ought to...

China's National Health Commission (NHC) published its very first set of standards to standardise the medical diagnosis and treatment of obesity, with more than half of China's adults currently obese and obese, and the rate anticipated to keep rising. The guidelines, revealed on Oct 17, come as China experiences an upward morbidity trend of its obese and obese population. The rate of obese or obese individuals could reach 65.3% by 2030, the NHC said. Weight problems has become a significant public health problem in China, ranking as the sixth leading danger element for death and disability in the country, the...

Precidian Investments released hedged ADRs on Monday that U.S. investors can utilize to purchase foreignlisted stocks while restricting the impact of fluctuating currencies. Precidian, an exchange-traded fund developer, said it will list the hedged American Depositary Receipts on Cboe's U.S. equities exchange. Financiers buying shares of business overseas, consisting of ADRs, are exposed to varying currency exchange rate in between the dollar and the foreign currency. But by coupling the ADRs with a. currency overlay into one security, financiers can alleviate. currency direct exposure, said Cboe. The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce will be the. counterparty supplying the currency hedge....

The European Commission obtained the necessary support in a vote to enforce tasks of up to 45% on imported electrical lorries made in China, as part of the EU's. highestprofile probe into supposed Chinese aids that has. provoked dangers of retaliation from Beijing. It has actually also launched examinations into whether Chinese. tidy tech producers are discarding subsidised items on EU markets. and whether Chinese-owned companies unjustly take advantage of. subsidies while running inside the European Union. The EU executive states its aim is to prevent unfair. competitors and market distortion. Here's what you need to understand about the investigations:...

Crossborder mergers and acquisitions involving companies in the AsiaPacific area have actually recovered this year and are flourishing in Japan as services look for brand-new development after adjusting to handle greater rate of interest. The total announced worth of such offers rose 25%. year-on-year to $286 billion as of Sept. 30, LSEG data showed,. with around 80% of them transacted with an entity outside the. area. There has actually been a noteworthy pick-up in cross-border. deals as political stability returned to some markets. simply as pent up demand for investments and dealmaking and. modifications to higher interest rates began to...

State oil giant Saudi Aramco has raised $3 billion from twopart Islamic bonds, or sukuk, tapping the financial obligation markets for the 2nd time this year as it expects to pay huge dividends, primarily to the government. The state oil giant on Wednesday offered $1.5 billion in five-year sukuk at a spread of 85 basis points (bps) over U.S. Treasuries and $1.5 billion in 10-year Islamic bonds at 100 bps above the same benchmark, 2 sources with direct knowledge of the matter stated, tighter than earlier assistance on strong demand. Aramco did not right away react to an ask for...

State oil giant Saudi Aramco raised $3 billion from twopart Islamic bonds, or sukuk, tapping the debt markets for the 2nd time this year as it anticipates to pay huge dividends, primarily to the government. The state oil giant on Wednesday offered $1.5 billion in five-year sukuk at a spread of 85 basis points (bps) over U.S. Treasuries and $1.5 billion in 10-year Islamic bonds at 100 bps above the same benchmark, 2 sources with direct knowledge of the matter stated, tighter than earlier guidance on strong need. Aramco did not right away respond to a request for comment. Aramco,...

State oil giant Saudi Aramco is preparing a 5 and 10year U.S. dollardenominated sukuk, or Islamic bonds, deal, according to a term sheet examined by Reuters on Tuesday. Banks will hold financier calls starting on Tuesday, the term sheet said. Aramco, the world's leading oil exporter, has long been a money cow for Saudi Arabia, which is looking for funds to invest in new markets and wean its economy far from oil under its Vision 2030 plan. Al Rajhi Capital, Citigroup, Dubai Islamic Bank, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Goldman Sachs International, HSBC, JP Morgan, KFH Capital and Standard Chartered are...

Ant Group, a subsidiary of China's ecommerce giant Alibaba Group is purchasing a controlling stake of $362 million in Bright Smart Securities & Commodities Group. This marks its first acquisition for a securities broker licence. The companies announced in a Friday joint statement that Ant had agreed to purchase a 50,55% stake in Bright Smart at HK$2.81billion ($362.26m). Bright Smart Chairman Yip Mowlum is selling 857.98 millions shares at HK$3.28 per share to Ant Group's Wealthiness & Prosperity holding, which will have to make a mandatory unconditional cash offer for the entire issued shares. Bright Smart shares nearly doubled to...

This week, gold discounts in India reached their highest level in nine years, as record prices discouraged buyers. Premiums in China also rose to an all-time high, leading to increased shipment to the largest bullion buyer in the world. This week, Indian dealers offered a discount The largest discount since July 2016 is up to $80 per ounce, including 6% import duties and 3% sales taxes. The discount last week was up to $74. Prices have increased and jewellery sales are down. Jewellers across the country feel the slowdown as shoppers are not buying the same amount of jewelry they...

S ingapore-headquartered real estate investment manager SC Capital Partners has emerged as a potential bidder for British data centre group Global Switch, two people familiar with the matter told . One of the sources said that the firm, which is backed by the global real estate manager CapitaLand Investment is working with advisors to purchase the London-based Jiangsu Shagang Group. The matter is a private one, so both sources requested anonymity. The people cautioned that the talks are still ongoing and will depend on market conditions. The first person who spoke said that the transaction could be valued between $4...

China announced an additional 34% tariff on U.S. products on Friday. This is the most significant escalation of a trade conflict with President Donald Trump, which has fueled fears of a worldwide recession and caused a stock market crash. Beijing announced that it had added several U.S. companies to an export control listing and classified others as "unreliable". From Canada to China, nations have prepared retaliation as a trade war escalates after Trump raised U.S. Tariff Barriers to their highest levels in over a century. This led to a drop in the world financial markets. Shigeru Shiba, the Prime Minister...

London Metal Exchange (LME), has taken disciplinary actions against Access World Vlissingen B.V. for breaches of LME warehouse rules that date back to 2022. The company agreed to pay an amount of 60,000 pounds ($77328) as a penalty. The exchange, which is the oldest and largest industrial metals market in the world, announced that a settlement had been reached prior to the institution of any disciplinary proceedings. Four warrants of full-plate nickel cathodes, between October 18, 2022, and November 16, 20,22 were loaded erroneously out of a shed at Access World's Rotterdam office. LME warrants confer ownership. A third party,...

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...

The gold demand in India was sluggish due to record-high prices, and jewellers busy closing their accounts for the year. Most other Asian hubs saw a similar trend. Harshad Ajmera, a wholesaler at JJ Gold House Kolkata, said that "Jewellers weren't making purchases." India's fiscal year runs from April through March. The domestic gold price hit a new record of 89 796 rupees for 10 grams in the first week of this month. It has risen by nearly 15% since 2025. This week, Indian dealers offered a discount Discounts of up to $33 per ounce on official domestic prices, inclusive...

An executive at Intercontinental Exchange said that the exchange plans to launch derivatives for battery metals Nickel, Cobalt, and Lithium Spodumene later this year in London. "Our customers are looking to us for products to hedge." "Our role is to ensure that there is a broad range of products," Chris Rhodes said at the FT Global Commodities Summit held in Lausanne, Switzerland. The launch of battery raw materials will begin this year with lithium, cobalt and spodumene. The global exchanges are attempting to capitalize on the expected strong growth in demand of minerals required for electric vehicles and batteries. The...

Data from the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department showed that China's net imports of gold via Hong Kong dropped by more than five times in February and fell below its exports, for a second month running. Data showed that China's total imports of gold via Hong Kong rose 7.5% in February compared to January. Why it's important China is the largest consumer of gold in the world, and it's purchasing activity can have a significant impact on global gold prices. Hong Kong's data might not be a complete view of Chinese gold purchases as it is also imported through...

Elliott Associates, a U.S. hedge fund, said Monday that it is considering taking further action against London Metal Exchange after a watchdog fined the exchange last week for allowing nickel to spiral out of control in 2013. Elliott lost its lawsuit against the LME for cancelling millions of dollars in nickel trades when the price reached a record of over $100,000 per tonne by March 2022. This led the LME, which is the largest exchange in the world, to suspend nickel trading. Elliott stated in an email that it felt vindicated following the Financial Conduct Authority's last week decision to...

This week, gold discounts in India reached a record-high of more than eight months as the demand for gold fell after spot prices soared past records. Indian dealers offer a discount Up to $41 per ounce compared to official domestic prices. The domestic gold price hit a record of 89 796 rupees for 10 grams this week. It has risen by over 15% this year. The price is constantly rising. It's reaching new heights every week. "Customers are waiting, just sitting there and watching for a dip," said New Delhi bullion dealer. India's gold exports will drop 85% from the...

Rusal, the Russian aluminium giant, announced on Friday that it has agreed to purchase a 26% share in an Indian alumina refining company for $243.75 millions and will acquire up to 50% over time. This move should help reduce Rusal's reliance on third party raw materials. Rusal is the largest aluminum producer in the world outside of China. Although the sanctions against Moscow for the conflict in Ukraine have not directly targeted Rusal, it has lost 40% of its alumina supply after Australia stopped exports to Russia, and Rusal closed its alumina refining plant in Ukraine. Rusal reduced its deficit...