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Energy Markets

Crude Oil

Crude Oil

After the Fed maintains rates at their current level, world stocks are choppy and lose ground.

In choppy trading, the dollar and U.S. Treasury yields both gained and lost some ground on Wednesday. The Federal Reserve had left its interest rates unchanged but warned of increased inflation and labor market risk. In line with expectations, the U.S. Central Bank held rates at their current level. The central bank said that the economy was continuing to grow at a steady pace, but also noted the rising risks of inflation and unemployment due to the impact of President Donald Trump's new tariff policies. Julia Hermann is a global market strategist at New York Life Investments. She said that...

Crude Oil

Stocks rise on US-China talks, China rate reduction

U.S. stocks futures and Chinese stock markets both rose on Wednesday as investors welcomed news of a high-level meeting between U.S. officials and Chinese counterparts as an opportunity to reduce tariffs. China also cut interest rates and promised to support the stock market. Scott Bessent, U.S. Treasury secretary, said that the meeting scheduled for this weekend in Switzerland would be a de-escalation. S&P 500 futures were up about 0.9%, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.7% at mid-morning. China blue chips were up 0.5%, while Japan's Nikkei index was largely flat. Ray Attrill, head of Foreign Exchange Research at National...

Crude Oil

US futures rise on China trade talks

U.S. stocks futures rose and Asian currencies rose as investors welcomed the news that a top-level meeting between U.S. officials and Chinese officials is scheduled for this weekend in Switzerland. This could be a chance to calm down the trade conflict. Scott Bessent, U.S. Treasury secretary, said on Fox News that he believes the goal is to de-escalate. S&P futures gained about 0.9%. This was a recovery from a drop in the cash session, when U.S. president Donald Trump seemed to have struck a more confrontational note. The stock markets of Japan and Australia have both edged up. The dollar...

Crude Oil

Oil falls, Taiwan's Dollar surges as central banks pack the week

Oil prices fell over 2% Monday, after the oil-producing group OPEC+ decided to increase oil production. Meanwhile, Taiwan's dollar surged up to nearly three-year-highs as world markets began a week of central banks. European shares were just below Friday’s one-month highs, while U.S. Equity Futures fell and overall trading was subdued due to public holidays in Japan China and Britain. Brent crude and U.S. West Texas Crude futures each fell by more than $1 after a decision made by OPEC over the weekend to increase oil production. This decision fueled concerns about an influx of more supply into a market...

Crude Oil

Stocks rise on signs of eased Sino-US Trade tensions

The global stock market surged Friday, as possible trade talks between China and the U.S. lifted risk sentiment. This came after disappointing earnings from Apple and Amazon, two tech giants in the world of technology, fueled concerns about the potential impact of a trade war. China's Commerce Ministry said Friday that the United States had repeatedly expressed their willingness to negotiate tariffs, and that Beijing was open for discussions. This could help ease trade tensions which have been roiling global markets. Apple's share buyback program was cut and Apple warned that tariffs would add $900 million to costs in the...

Crude Oil

Dollar and stocks are both on the rise this week as a result of hints about tariff relief

Investors were encouraged by signs that the U.S. was willing to end its trade war with China. The dollar also rose for the first time in over a month. The benchmark STOXX Index in Europe rose 0.3% amid hopes for a easing of trade tensions. It was also boosted by positive earnings reports, from the Finnish forestry company Stora Enso and French jet engine manufacturer Safran. U.S. Futures also climbed as tech giant Alphabet, the parent company of Google, beat profit expectations. It also reaffirmed AI expenditure targets. This pushed its shares up by nearly 5% after-hours and pulled along...

Crude Oil

Stocks rise with tech shares, dollar falls after recent gains

The major stock indexes rose Thursday as investors awaited more developments in the U.S. China trade dispute, and the dollar fell after recent gains. Alphabet is expected to release its quarterly results after the closing bell. Alphabet has been up by 1.9%. S&P's technology sector led all other sectors in the S&P index with gains of about 3%. Donald Trump, the U.S. President, said that on Thursday trade talks were underway between the U.S.A. and China. This was in response to Chinese claims that there had been no discussion about easing the ongoing trade conflict. Beijing said that earlier, the...

Crude Oil

Stocks rise, led by tech shares. Dollar falls after recent gains

Investors weighed up the latest comments about the U.S. China trade conflict, and the data that showed the U.S. labour market is holding steady. The dollar also fell after recent gains. S&P technology rose more than 2%, leading all S&P sectors. Alphabet was scheduled to release its quarterly results, which were up 1.7%. Beijing said that the U.S. would have to remove "all unilateral tariff measures" against China if the U.S. "truly wanted" the solution of the trade dispute. On Wednesday, the White House signaled that it was willing to reduce sweeping tariffs against China. Investors also considered the possibility...

Crude Oil

Markets take stock of Trump’s U-turns as the relief rally fades away

Investors struggled to sort through the noise of the Trump administration, its erratic stance on tariffs, and the Federal Reserve leadership. In the past week, U.S. president Donald Trump has attacked Fed chair Jerome Powell, then retracted his calls for resignation. Investors are still unsure about the final state of tariffs against China, despite the many headlines surrounding it. A source said on Wednesday that, in the absence of talks with Beijing, the Trump administration was looking at lowering tariffs for imported Chinese goods. This follows a Wall Street Journal article that suggested that Trump's White House might consider reducing...

Crude Oil

Markets take stock of Trump’s U-turns and the relief rally is stuttering

Investors struggled to sort through the noise of the Trump administration, its erratic stance on tariffs, and the Federal Reserve leadership. This week, U.S. president Donald Trump attacked Fed chair Jerome Powell. He then retracted his calls for the resignation of the chair, leaving investors in the dark about the final state of tariffs against China, despite the many headlines. A source said on Wednesday that, in the event of talks with Beijing, the Trump administration may consider lowering tariffs for imported Chinese products. This follows a Wall Street Journal article which stated that Trump's White House was considering reducing...

Crude Oil

Dollar and stocks are in focus as US-Japan talks take center stage

The dollar rose slightly on Thursday as traders took stock in the trade negotiations between Japan and the U.S., despite the uncertainty surrounding tariffs introduced by President Donald Trump. Gold prices reached new record highs on the back of safe-haven flows. Investors also digested comments made by Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell who warned about the risks of slowing down growth and increasing prices due to tariffs. After a bruising trading session on Wednesday, the spotlight remained on technology stocks in light of the warnings issued by bellwethers Nvidia & ASML and ahead of TSMC's earnings. Japan's Nikkei index rose...

Crude Oil

Gold surges as shares in Asia plummet after Nvidia calms fears about fans

The shares fell on Wednesday in Asia as the AI darling Nvidia was hit by U.S. curbs to chip sales to China. This highlights the potential damage that could be caused in a global trade war. Gold also hit a new record, and safe-haven currencies rose. Treasury yields remained steady before a major speech by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, scheduled for later that day. The traders are wondering whether he'll echo the surprising dovish tone of his Fed Governor Christopher Waller or remain more balanced. Washington's overnight issue New export licensing requirements Nvidia and AMD have agreed to ship...

Refined Products

Refined Products

Taiwan offers another $10 billion in aid to help deal with US tariffs

Taiwan's Premier proposed on Thursday another $10 billion as a budget special to help the economy cope with the impact U.S. Tariffs. Taiwan was due to receive 32% U.S. Tariffs in two weeks, but President Donald Trump suspended his "reciprocal Tariffs" for 90-days. At a press conference held in Taipei on Tuesday, Premier Cho Jung Tai said that the initial T$88.9 billion ($2.71billion) aid package will be increased up to T$410.9 billion ($12.61billion), which includes financing assistance for businesses, measures to stabilize the job market, and subsidies for electric. The special budget must be approved by the parliament. Opposition parties,...

Refined Products

South Korea hosts Alaska Governor and energy team amid talks of gas pipeline

Alaskan state officials, including the governor and energy officials, visited South Korea to discuss energy collaboration on Tuesday. This was in response to President Donald Trump's call for U.S. ally countries to join an stalled pipeline project. The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea said that the Governor Mike Dunleavy delegation included officials from the Glanfarne Group, which is a partner in a project to transport natural gas from Alaska's remote northern region via a $44-billion pipeline, and the state agency for gas. Dunleavy and South Korean Industry Minister Ahn duk-geun discussed energy issues including the Alaska LNG project and...

Refined Products

Sources say that Taiwan's CPC Corp. offers March jet fuel as a rare offer.

Three trade sources on Tuesday said that Taiwan's CPC Corp. is looking to export jet fuel in March. This would be the first time in almost three years that it has made such an offer. They added that the state-owned oil company issued a tender for a combined cargo of 150,000 to 150,000 bbls. of jetfuel or 150,000 bbls. of jetfuel and 150,000 bers. of gasoil with 10ppm of sulphur. A document that was reviewed by on Wednesday showed the cargo would be loaded between March 6-22. Sources said Tuesday that the tender will close on February 19, but it...

Mining

United States prepares to blacklist company that purchased TSMC chip found in Huawei processor, source states

The Biden administration prepares to blacklist a Chinese company whose TSMCmade chip was unlawfully integrated into a Huawei artificialintelligence processor, according to a person knowledgeable about the matter. The Chinese company, Sophgo, drew attention after a chip discovered on Huawei's Ascend 910B multi-chip system matched one it ordered from Taiwan Semiconductor Production Business . Sophgo is the most recent Chinese company slated to be penalized by the U.S. for helping Huawei. This month, the Commerce Department included other companies considered as part of Huawei's shadow network to the U.S. Commerce Department's restricted trade list. Sophgo, an affiliate of bitcoin mining...

Mineral Resources

Mineral Resources

Trump's trade tariffs and threats

Since returning to office in January, Donald Trump has issued numerous tariff threats. These range from a duty on all imports to a targeted tariff on certain sectors or countries. Trump's threats changed over time. This left other nations and business unclear as to what was next. It also created uncertainty for consumers and triggered a recent stock-market selloff. Here's a summary of Trump’s threats and actions in relation to trade. BROAD TARIFFS Trump's vision is based on a gradual roll-out of tariffs that will apply to all U.S. imported goods. Last month, Trump asked his team of economists to...

Mineral Resources

South Korean steelmakers are looking to U.S.-made products with higher value as Trump tariffs begin.

As major producers around the world prepare for Wednesday's increased tariffs, two major South Korean steelmakers have been evaluating their options to invest in new facilities. They said that the options included investing in operations in the U.S. The U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to increase protection for American producers of steel and aluminum restores global tariffs that are effective at 25% on all metal imports. It also extends these duties to hundreds downstream products, such as nuts and bolts, bulldozers blades and cans. Canada, the largest foreign supplier of aluminium and steel to the U.S.A., Brazil, Mexico, and South...

Mineral Resources

Trump's trade tariffs and threats

Since returning to office in January, Donald Trump has issued numerous tariff threats. These range from a duty on all imports to a targeted tariff on certain sectors or countries. Trump's threats changed over time. This left other nations and business unclear as to what was next. It also created uncertainty for consumers and triggered a recent stock-market sell-off. Here's a summary of Trump’s threats and actions in relation to trade. BROAD TARIFFS Trump's vision is based on a gradual roll-out of tariffs that will apply to all U.S. imported goods. Last month, Trump asked his team of economists to...

Mineral Resources

Vietnam decides to temporarily impose anti-dumping tariffs on China steel products

The trade ministry announced on Friday that Vietnam would levy a temporary antidumping tax of up to 27,83% on certain hot-rolled coils steel products from China. In a statement, the Ministry said that the tariff would be effective on March 7, and it will last for 120 days. Baoshan Iron & Steel, Maanshan Iron & Steel are among the companies affected by these duties Vietnam launched an investigation into anti-dumping in July after complaints by Vietnamese producers. After business hours, the Chinese ministries of foreign affairs and commerce did not respond to faxed comments. Hanoi's decision comes after the U.S....

Mineral Resources

Donald Trump's trade threats and tariffs

Since Donald Trump returned to office in the United States last month, he has imposed numerous tariffs on imported goods and threatened to do so more frequently. These can be broad - such as a tariff on all imported goods from abroad - or targeted at certain sectors, countries, or regions to try and get them to comply with his demands. Trump's threats are constantly changing, and other nations and businessmen are unsure of what to expect next. Here's a summary of Trump’s threats and actions in relation to trade. BROAD TARIFFS Trump's vision is based on a gradual rollout...

Mineral Resources

Karnataka State in India receives investment proposals totaling $115 billion.

A government spokesperson announced that Karnataka, a state in southern India, had received investment proposals totaling nearly 10 trillion rupees (115.31 billion dollars) as the country attempts to boost its manufacturing sector and create jobs in an economy slowing down. At the Invest Karnataka event held on Tuesday, a spokesperson stated that the proposed investments would be focused on renewable energy, automobiles, steel, semiconductors, and other areas. Not all of the proposals have been approved and the government does not provide a timetable for these investments. New Indian Express reported last week that the state government plans to implement 70%...

Mineral Resources

Donald Trump's trade threats and tariffs

Since Donald Trump returned to office in the United States last month, he has imposed numerous tariffs on imported goods and threatened to do so more frequently. These can be broad - such as a tariff on all imported goods from abroad - or targeted at certain sectors, countries, or regions to try and get them to comply with his demands. Trump's threats changed over the years, from small levies up to those exceeding 200%. Other nations and businesses are unsure of what will happen next. Here's a summary of Trump’s threats and actions in relation to trade. BROAD TARIFFS...

Mineral Resources

United States, Japanese, Philippine leaders discussed China's behavior in South China Sea, White Home says

U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday met essentially with his equivalents from Japan and the Philippines to advance cooperation amongst the three countries, the White Home stated. The 3 leaders discussed trilateral maritime security and economic cooperation, and China's unsafe and unlawful habits in the South China Sea, it said in a statement. The three leaders agreed on the significance of continued coordination to advance a complimentary and open Indo-Pacific. Biden spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. late on Sunday, a week before Biden leaves office and hands power to President-elect Donald Trump...

Mineral Resources

What's at stake for Asian companies in a Trump presidency

Donald Trump has actually been chosen U.S. president, topping an amazing comeback 4 years after he was voted out of the White Home. Here is what business in Asia have bought the United States, what Trump has stated about them and what possible U.S. service policy changes would mean for Asian companies. SEMICONDUCTORS Asian chipmakers, led by Taiwan's TSMC and South Korea's Samsung Electronics, have jointly invested a minimum of $117 billion in the U.S., encouraged by the current U.S. administration's essential initiative aimed at lowering its dependence on Asia for high-end chips. In return, they have gotten or been...

Fossil Fuels

EU set to select firm for important minerals joint purchasing platform

The European Union, rushing to develop a 9 million euro joint getting mechanism for important minerals and energy, is choosing between 8 bidders competing to develop a platform, documents revealed and sources with direct understanding told Reuters. The bloc's reasoning for pooling together buying orders is that it would hand individuals more take advantage of to attain more beneficial deals and rates for crucial minerals necessary for the green shift that sell thin and nontransparent markets frequently controlled by China. The EU aims to sign an agreement by the end of the year and begin establishing areas of the platform...

Mineral Resources

Previous disturbances at Apple facilities in India.

A fire at a major Tata Electronic devices plant manufacturing elements for Apple iPhones in southern India halted production on Saturday, the most current in a series of events disrupting Apple's facilities in the area. It is not yet clear what caused the blaze in Tata's Tamil Nadu plant. Apple has been considering a large manufacturing base in India since it began iPhone assembly in the country in 2017. Presently, its products are produced through contracts with companies consisting of Foxconn and Tata Electronics. The level of the fire's effect on Tata's products is still unknown. One structure where iPhone...

Mineral Resources

U.S. manufacturing ETFs win possessions as financiers bet on 'reshoring'.

Financiers are piling into exchange traded funds concentrated on business that are restoring or expanding production in the U.S. and benefiting from federal government subsidies. Some $2.25 billion has streamed into a little group of ETFs highlighting the so-called reshoring theme this year, bringing their total assets to a record $9.67 billion by the end of August. Companies keep describing reshoring as a long-lasting driver of their development, and our goal is to find beneficiaries or enablers of that pattern before that theme is mainstream, said Chris Semenuk, who oversees the actively managed Tema American Reshoring ETF, introduced last year....