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Crude Oil

Crude Oil

The Japanese economy could use some Fire Horse energy

Wayne Cole gives us a look at what the markets will be like in Europe and around the world today. The week has started off quiet in the United States and Asia. The Nikkei was stung by Japanese data as the GDP missed expectations. The economy only grew 0.2% annually in the fourth quarter of 2012, while analysts expected a rebound to 1.6% following a contraction in Q3. The GDP also increased by just 0.1% on a year-on-year basis, which is a dramatic drop from the 2% growth rate of mid-2025. The nominal GDP was slightly better, at 3.4% for...

Crude Oil

MORNING BID EUROPE - No longer the Apple in their eye

Stella Qiu gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. The tech selloff is back with a vengeance. Cisco was the cause of this latest slump, as its margins were squeezed due to the rising?costs for memory chips. This frightened investors who had been expecting booming profits. AI is causing a lot of concern about the future of jobs. Overnight, trucking and logistics companies suffered a sharp drop in stock prices. This was not long after the software sector plummeted as Anthropic released Claude Cowork to fuel job concerns. Apple was not spared. Apple,...

Crude Oil

Olympic Freestyle Skiing - Anthony and Laffont qualify for the moguls finals; Kauf qualifies in second place

The final of the Olympic freestyle ski'moguls' was held on Tuesday. Perrine Laffont, the 2018 winner from France and Australia’s Jakara Anthony, the defending Olympic champion made it to the final. 2022 silver medallist Jaelin kauf had to compete in the second qualification round. Anthony, who had been sidelined for most of the season due to a collarbone fracture, combined technique, speed, and turns in order to win first place. She described her performance as "clean and pretty tidy". Laffont placed fourth after combining amazing jumps and rhythm around the moguls, which are closely spaced mounds. She displayed fine control...

Crude Oil

MORNING Bid EUROPE - Japan markets welcome the chance to have a long-staying PM

Wayne Cole gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. The markets like it when there is a political event. Sanae Takaichi, Japan's first woman Prime Minister, blew the competition out of the water in the election. This sparked a rally of 4.5% in the Nikkei index to "all-time" highs. The index actually broke 55,000, 56, 000, and 57,000 in a single go. The LDP's best ever result was a resounding victory as it took 316 out of 465 seats at the lower house of parliament. Takaichi, together with its coalition partner Japan Innovation...

Crude Oil

Morning bid Europe-Fed is under pressure as layoffs increase

Gregor Stuart Hunter gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. There is no report on jobs for Friday. The markets are worried about the?non farm payrolls being delayed - yet again - by another U.S. shutdown and the global selloff on Wall Street. Following fresh signs of economic strain in the labor market, traders are increasing?betting? that the Federal Reserve will ease policy at its meeting. According to a survey by global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the number of layoffs in the U.S. increased in January, reaching the highest monthly level...

Oil & Gas

Norway Parliament rejects any challenge to LNG plant power supply

The Norwegian parliament rejected on Thursday a proposal that would have blocked Equinor from supplying electricity to its Hammerfest LNG plant via the region's electrical grid. This allowed for 'ongoing' development to continue. The Socialist Party, which had previously supported the LNG plant plan, withdrew their support, calling it "in fact unlawful". The opposition proposal was supported by 48 parliamentarians, while 54 members voted against it. The government approved a connection in 2023 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the plant located on Melkoeya Island off Hammerfest, and?extend the lifetime of the plant. Critics claim that connecting the "currently gas-driven"...

Crude Oil

Morning bid Europe-Skeptic investors haunted with tech sell-off

Stella Qiu gives us a look at what the future holds for European and Global markets on February 5th: Investors were confident that the major U.S. tech firms would deliver a strong quarter with rosy forecasts. They increased their exposures ahead of this earnings season. This has proven to be a costly error. Google Alphabet Released It delivered solid results, but also surprised analysts when it announced that capital expenditures would be between $175 billion and $185 billion in this year - far above Wall Street's expectations. This only fueled fears about the?explosion of artificial intelligence investment. The valuations of...

Crude Oil

The dollar is cooled by Trump's Arctic pantomime in the morning bid for Europe

Tom Westbrook gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. The Bank of Japan only did enough to keep the yen stable in the Asia session. They also boosted inflation forecasts, but this didn't deter the market from expecting two rate hikes for the year. Dollar was also under pressure in general as investors may have anticipated that the Greenland drama of the past week will make the U.S. less attractive as an investment destination. The world's net long U.S. positions total $27,6 trillion. This leaves a lot of room to trim. After retracting...

Crude Oil

MORNING BID EUROPE - Sell America, sell Japan

Tom Westbrook gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. Investors in Tokyo are waiting to see how U.S. market's react to the transatlantic tension over?Greenland. The U.S. market resumes trading after a long holiday. During that time, the rest of world sold its stocks and dollar as a response to President Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on European Allies who opposed his efforts to "control the Danish Arctic territory". Trump told Norway's prime minister by text that he does not feel obliged to think "pure peace" anymore because he did not receive...

Crude Oil

The great stock rotation continues with MORNING BID Europe

Kevin Buckland gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. The move away from the high-flying technology?stocks, which set the pace for the record global equity 'rallies of last year, gained more momentum to the benefit?cyclical shares and?value stocks. As an example, Japan's high-tech Nikkei index dropped by 1% during the narrative. It had previously reached a record-high. The Topix index, which is a broader measure of the market, extended its record-breaking climb by 0.4%. The Russell 2000 index is currently outpacing S&P 500, with a 0.7% gain overnight while the larger index has...

Crude Oil

The yen is on the market's radar with the 'Takaichi Trade', a turbo-charged morning bid in Europe.

Ankur Banerjee gives us a look at what the day will bring for the European and Global markets. And then we're back to screen-gazing, as the yen edged towards?160 a dollar, fueling intervention concerns, as the prospect a snap election in Japan next month turbocharges so-called "Takaichi trading". Investors are selling the Japanese government bonds and the yen because they fear low interest rates and additional stimulus for an economy that has one of the largest debt burdens of any developed country. After local media reported that Prime Minister Takaichi may call for general elections in February, the Nikkei index...

Crude Oil

Morning Bid Europe-Powell’s punch back shocks markets

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...

Environment

Carbon Emissions

European utilities fall on the talk of EU emission trading changes

By Danilo Masoni MILAN, February 12 - European utilities plunged on Thursday following a'sharp decline in carbon prices, after suggestions that the EU intervene in the markets, a move which?investors feared could squeeze the sector's earnings. Europe's benchmark "carbon" contract fell to its lowest levels since August, after leaders in countries such as Germany and Italy suggested that the European Union consider revising the bloc’s emissions trading system. Luca 'Moro is the CIO of SpesX - an Italian fund that focuses on energy transition. He said: "If this message gains traction, then those who have been speculating and?buying a green...

Environment

BlackRock's rejection of the Texas law that blacklists 'woke' BlackRock may challenge anti-ESG legislation in other states

Analysts said that the decision by a Texas judge to strike down a'state law' blacklisting 'woke' financial firms such as BlackRock and HSBC who used environmental, governance, or social factors to make investment decisions, will likely lead to a broader movement to repeal alleged "anti-ESG laws" in other states. Texas lawmakers passed the Energy Discrimination Elimination Act 2021. This law requires state agencies and local governments to divest their shares from companies that refuse to invest in certain oil and gas companies. Around 14 other states have followed suit. Last week, a federal judge in Texas ruled that the law...

Environment

Wanted: Volunteers who will host nuclear waste forever

The Trump Administration's plan to release a wave small futuristic reactors that will power the AI age relies on an ancient strategy to dispose the highly toxic waste. Bury it at the bottom a very deep pit. There's still a problem. The hole is not very deep, but the temporary stockpiles of 100,000 tons of radioactive waster at nuclear plants and other sites in the United States keep growing. The U.S. government is now offering a radioactive reward to resolve this dilemma. According to a proposal released by the Department of Energy last week, states are being asked to offer...

Mining

Mineral Resources

Mineral Resources

Nexperia receives $60 million loan from Invest International for boosting chip production

The Dutch state-owned financial institution Invest International will lend a total of $60 million to the chipmaker 'Nexperia, in order to finance a series of global investments at 'its production sites. The funds will be used to boost production, modernise the production lines and improve productivity. Nexperia in the Netherlands, a unit of China's Wingtech, was caught up in a corporate standoff with Europe after a Dutch state intervention installed an European management team last year. According to the Dutch newspaper FD, this move scared away investors and caused a global crisis in terms of chip supplies for the automotive...

Mineral Resources

Pandora Platinum-Plated to Reduce Reliance on Expensive Silver

Pandora has switched to platinum-plated items to reduce its exposure to the wild swings of the silver market. This comes after a speculative frenzy drove the metal's prices to record highs over the last year. Silver's sharp movements have become a major factor in the share price of the Danish company. Last week's drop in the metal sparked a surge in the stock. In an interview, CEO Berta De Pablos Barbier said: "We must decouple the performance of the company from the value of its shares." "We are not a trader of silver, we are a jewellery company." Pandora's most...

Mineral Resources

Trump wants to control Greenland, warns Greenland's PM Nielsen

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen warned Monday that despite the fact that Donald Trump, U.S. president has disclaimed military force, Washington is still attempting to gain control of the Arctic island. Trump increased his calls for U.S. sovereignty over Greenland in the beginning of the year. He cited national security concerns relating to Russia and China. Some European NATO allies defended Denmark's sovereignty over Greenland, and said Trump’s pressure threatened the NATO alliance. Since then, the U.S. President has backed away from threats of violence and claimed that he secured U.S. total access to Greenland through a NATO deal....

Mineral Resources

Gold briefly drops below $5,000 due to Fed speculation

Gold prices fell by over 8% on Friday to 'break below $5,000 mark as the dollar strengthened due to the upcoming appointment of the new U.S. Federal Reserve chair. However, the safe-haven material remained on track for its largest monthly gain since 1982 following multiple record highs. As profit-taking took hold, other precious metals have also fallen sharply. Gold spot was down 5% to $5,124.37 per ounce at 1132 GMT. It had fallen earlier in the day to $4,957.54. U.S. gold futures for delivery in February fell by 3.9% to $5118.40. Gold reached a record high of $5,594.82 Thursday, and...

Mineral Resources

Gold falls below $5,000, pulling other metals down

Gold prices fell by over 7% on Friday, breaking?below $5,000. The dollar was strengthening on the news of the imminent appointment of a new U.S. Federal Reserve chair. However, the safe-haven material remained on track for its largest monthly gain since 1999. As profit-taking took hold, other precious metals have also fallen sharply. By 0947 GMT, spot gold had fallen 7.5% to $4.992.05 per ounce. U.S. Gold Futures for February Delivery fell 6.4% to $ 4,985. Gold reached a record high of $5,594.82 in the US on Thursday. It is on course to gain more than 15% this month. This...

Mineral Resources

Gold reaches $5,300 for the first time due to dollar weakness before Fed decision

The gold price surpassed $5,300 an ounce on Wednesday for the 'first time,' driven by economic uncertainties and a weakening?U.S. dollar. Investors waited for the Federal Reserve to announce its policy amid growing concerns about their independence. By 12:45 pm, spot gold had risen 1.9% to $5,289.48 per ounce. After reaching a record of $5,311.31, ET (1745 GMT), gold prices fell to $5,289.48 an ounce. The previous session saw prices rise by more than 3%. U.S. Gold Futures for February Delivery jumped by 4% to $5286.50 per ounce. Dollar-priced gold is now cheaper for foreign buyers. Peter Grant, senior metals...

Mineral Resources

Gold reaches $5,300 for the first time due to dollar weakness before Fed decision

Investors waited for the Federal Reserve to announce its policy, amid growing concerns about the independence of the Fed. By 11:05 am, spot gold had risen 1.7% to $5,278.28 per ounce. After reaching a record of $5,311.31, ET (1605 GMT), gold prices fell to $5,278.28 an ounce. The previous session saw prices rise by more than 3%. U.S. Gold Futures for February Delivery jumped by?3.8% to $5275.30 per ounce. Dollar-priced gold is now cheaper for foreign buyers. Peter Grant, senior metals analyst at Zaner Metals and vice president at Zaner Metals said: "The rally has taken on a new life...

Mineral Resources

Gold reaches record high of $5,300 while the dollar falls

Gold prices rose to $5,300 an ounce on Wednesday for the first-time as a result of waning confidence in the U.S. Dollar and growing concerns about the independence of the U.S. Federal Reserve. Gold spot jumped by 1.3%, to $5,255.95 per ounce, at 1131 GMT, after reaching a record of $5,311.31. Prices rose by more than 3% during the previous session. U.S. Gold Futures for February Delivery jumped by 3.3%, to $5.250 an ounce. "Gold is not only rising because of market anxiety but also due to a shift in confidence towards a more 'cautious stance,'" said Linh Tran senior...

Mineral Resources

Gold reaches record high of $5,300 while the dollar falls

Gold prices surpassed $5,300 an ounce on Wednesday for the first-time as a result of waning confidence in the U.S. Dollar and growing concerns about the independence of the U.S. Federal Reserve. Gold spot jumped by 1.7%, to $5,275.68 per ounce, at 0940 GMT, after reaching a record of $5,311.31. Prices rose by more than 3% during the previous session. U.S. Gold Futures for February Delivery jumped by 3.7%, to $5,271.70 per ounce. "Gold is not only rising due to'market anxiety', but also as confidence in global monetary and fiscal order is shifting towards a more conservative stance," explains Linh...

Mineral Resources

Steelmaker SSAB exceeds earnings forecast aided to improved Americas business

SSAB, a Swedish steelmaker, reported a 'bigger than anticipated rise in its operating 'profit 'in its fourth quarter on Wednesday. This was aided by an improved performance from its Americas division. Operating earnings increased to 756 billion Swedish Crowns ($86 billion), from 487 millions crowns during the same quarter in 2024. A poll by SSAB revealed that analysts expected a median of?606.1million crowns. The company produces high-strength, specialized steels for cars, construction equipment and agricultural machinery, and has production facilities both on the Atlantic and in Europe. In the earnings report, CEO Johnny Sjostrom stated that "there have been few...

Mineral Resources

Gold rises on the back of safe-haven bid and weaker dollar

Gold prices rose on Thursday, as geopolitical tensions boosted demand for a "safe haven" asset, the U.S. Dollar weakened and anticipation of Federal Reserve rate cuts this year aided. As of 11:32 am, spot gold rose 0.8%, to $4,874.94 an ounce. ET (16:32 GMT) after falling by nearly 1% in the earlier session. On Wednesday, the metal reached a new record high of $4,887.82. U.S. Gold Futures for February Delivery increased by 0.8% to $4.877.20 an ounce. The U.S. Dollar fell?0.4% versus rival currencies, making greenback priced bullion more appealing to overseas buyers. Peter Grant, senior metals analyst at Zaner...

Mineral Resources

Gold prices rise above $4,800/oz amid geopolitical tensions

Gold reached $4,800 per ounce for the very first time Wednesday due to geopolitical tensions including U.S. president Donald Trump's bid for control of Greenland. By 11:30 am, spot gold had risen 1.6% to $4,838.91 an ounce. ET (1630 GMT), having risen as high as $4,887.82 in earlier sessions. U.S. Gold Futures for February Delivery climbed 1.7%, to $4.844.20 an ounce. Bob Haberkorn, senior market strategist at RJO Futures, said: "There is a fear that people will miss out on this opportunity. I believe given the geopolitical climate in the world right now it's an ideal storm for higher gold...