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Power Markets

Wildfires sweeping across Europe force hundreds of people to evacuate from resorts located in Croatia and Greece

Wildfires ravaged?homes overnight in a picturesque Croatian town, injuring forty people and forcing 1,200 residents to evacuate. EU officials warned that "extreme" wildfire conditions were spreading across the continent. Officials said that hundreds more people were evacuated from a resort in northern Greece, a village in southwest France and a large grass fire in England. Scientists attribute the record-breaking heat in Europe and the drought to climate change. This summer, wildfires have been raging across Europe, particularly in France, Spain, and Greece. The Balkans has also experienced several heatwaves. CROATIAN RESERVE: FLAMES TAKE OVER NIGHT-SKY RED Officials said that flames...




Energy Markets

Crude Oil

Crude Oil

Bond markets in the US and Japan are smashed by inflation and fiscal concerns

The United States' long-term borrowing costs to Japan and Germany reached their highest level in decades on Tuesday as new inflation concerns added to the nagging concern about the fiscal pressures that are facing some of the largest economies around the world. The 30-year bond yields of the United States - the world's most important government bond market - hit their highest level since 2007. Oil prices -- which are up 50% this year -- have risen back above $90 per barrel, causing inflation fears as U.S. - Iran peace hopes fade. In Japan, fears of inflation and the expectation...

Crude Oil

Hormuz shipping slows as US-Iran talks on peace stall and oil gains are held.

The oil prices remained mostly stable on Monday. They maintained gains made the previous week. Prospects for a lasting U.S. Iran peace deal seem increasingly distant, and there are persistent fears of disruptions to supply in the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude futures were at $88.55 as of 0128 GMT. U.S. West Texas intermediate crude futures fell 14 cents to $72.26 per barrel. Last week, both contracts rose by?more that 5% following the attacks on tankers of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company?in the Hormuz Strait and on a Saudi Aramco refining facility. The weekend saw the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas...

Crude Oil

Hormuz shipping slows as US-Iran talks on peace stall and oil prices remain flat

Early Monday, oil prices barely moved as tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz had slowed down over the weekend. There was no sign of a peace agreement between Iran and the United States to end the Middle East conflict. Brent crude futures rose 20 cents or 0.2% to $88.72 at 2350 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 5 cents to $79.35 per barrel. Last week, both contracts saw gains of more than 5% following the attacks on Abu Dhabi National Oil Company tankers in the strait of 'Hormuz and on a Saudi Aramco refining facility. The weekend...

Crude Oil

US-Iran claim that the control of Hormuz is a major factor in oil prices after tanker attacks

Crude oil prices rose on Friday, mainly due to renewed attacks against tankers and a verbal war between the Trump administration and Iran's leaders. Brent futures rose 80 cents or 0.92% to $87.87 per barrel at 10:48 am CT (1548 GMT), whereas U.S. West Texas intermediate crude futures increased 43 cents or 0.53% to $81.69 per barrel. Brent and WTI are on track to gain 5.09% a week and 4.37% a week, respectively. Bjarne Shieldrop is the chief commodities analyst for SEB Research. He said that higher oil prices are a result of U.S. policy towards Iran. This latest approach...

Crude Oil

Brief relief MORNING BID AMERICAS

What's important in U.S. and Global Markets Today By Mike Dolan, Editor at Large, Finance and Markets The July consumer inflation report was not spectacular, but it did offer some relief to the markets who were worried about a surprise on the upside. The annual headline and core rates were lower than expected. However, the core price increase for July was higher than forecast. Below, I will get to that and more. Check out my latest article, which explores AI's impact on inflation and employment so far. Listen to the most recent episode of Morning Bid, the daily podcast. Subscribe...

Crude Oil

MORNING BID AMERICAS - Long bond

What's important in U.S. and Global Markets Today By Mike Dolan, Editor at Large, Finance and Markets Brent crude traded at almost $90 per barrel on Tuesday, after a 5% increase yesterday. The U.S.'s and Iran's hard-line positions on any potential deal have shattered hopes that the Strait of Hormuz could reopen. Below, I will go into more detail. Check out my column about Trump's latest attack on the independence of the Federal Reserve - and how it comes at a nervous time for bond markets. Listen to the Morning Bid podcast where we talk about Nvidia's $500 Billion AI...

Crude Oil

The Strait of Hormuz suddenly becomes 'irrelevant to the US'

Wayne Cole gives us a look at what the day will bring for European and global markets. Asian stocks are mostly higher following the Wall Street rally on Friday, but European share futures are down as oil prices rise amid confusion about the Strait of Hormuz. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed over the weekend that the'strait' would become "irrelevant", as oil will eventually be redirected via pipelines. This gave analysts the impression that the White House is trying to wash their hands of this whole matter. Iran announced on Sunday that it was nearing completion of a deal to define...

Crude Oil

ROI-Weekend Reads: Inflation heat, green steel, bond angst

Are you looking for inspiration? Weekend Reads?reports on what the Open Interest team is reading, watching and listening to every Friday. This week, the picks focus on America's reliance upon Chinese goods, U.S.?overheating?, geothermal energy, green steel, and risks emanating from bond market. We're reading this 'weekend'... MIKE DOLAN. ROI Finance & Markets columnist. Mary Lovely and Christine Wan from Washington's Peterson Institute discuss how U.S. Policymakers have not made much progress in reducing America’s dependency on Chinese goods and services despite many years of effort. Direct trade declined sharply over the seven-year period from 2010 to 2024. However, direct...

Crude Oil

MORNING BID EUROPE - Hoping for a clean, tidy job report

Stella Qiu gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. The markets are mostly in a holding pattern, as traders have stayed on the sidelines ahead of a U.S. Payrolls Report that is notoriously difficult to predict from month to month. The stakes could not be higher, as the markets are unable to decide what the Federal Reserve's next move will be. A rate hike of about 54% is priced in, which makes it a coin flip. This is exactly the type of ambiguity that new Chair Kevin Warsh enjoys cultivating. There is a...

Crude Oil

Concerns over plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz cause oil prices to rise

Oil prices rose on Friday as concerns grew over the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran and Oman proposed banning hostile vessels from the Strait of Hormuz, while imposing heavy fines for those who violated these rules. Brent crude futures rose by?80 cents, or 0.97 percent, to $83.29 per barrel at 0303 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Futures rose 64 cents or 0.83% to $77.93. Oil futures settled at $3.03 a barrel as Iran considered a bill that would ban U.S. vessels and Israeli vessels from entering the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of world oil and LNG...

Oil Storage

The US-Iran peace talks and Iran-Oman talks have boosted hopes of a US-Iran deal, despite the oil prices dropping.

Investors weighed whether the progress of Iran-Oman talks could pave the path for a U.S. and Iran peace deal to end the five-month conflict and reopen Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude futures fell 37 cents or 0.5% to $79.08 per barrel at 0024 GMT. ?U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures fell 53 cents or 0.7% to $74.69 per barrel. Brent prices were slightly higher on Wednesday while WTI was a little lower. Yuki Takashima is an economist at Nomura Securities. She said that there was some selling pressure following reports of progress in the talks between Iran and Oman. Investors are...

Crude Oil

Oil prices continue to fall as investors wait for the outcome of US-Iran negotiations

After steep drops in the two previous trading sessions, oil prices continued to 'decline' on Wednesday as investors waited for signs that efforts to end the?Iran war and restore traffic through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz were making progress. Brent crude futures fell 92 cents or 1.2% to $78.44 per barrel at 0330 GMT. The price has fallen by more than 12% this week. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Futures fell $1.07 or 1.4% to $74.70 per barrel, and are down over 11% for the week. Qatar announced on Tuesday that mediators are making progress to end the conflict, which is...

Refined Products

Refined Products

Oil prices rise after US threatens to blockade Iran indefinitely

Prices of oil?inched up on Friday, after the United States threatened an indefinite naval blockade against Iran. This rekindled concerns about supply after the previous session's drop on a weakened outlook for demand as well as a large build-up of U.S. stockpiles. Brent futures were up 1 cent or 0.1% to $87.08 per barrel at 0247 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures increased 6 cents to $81.00 a bar. Brent rallied for six sessions and WTI rose for five, putting the benchmarks on course for a weekly increase of around 4%. Susan Bell, senior Vice President for Oil Commodity...

Refined Products

Oil prices rise after US threats to blockade Iran for indefinitely

After falling in the previous session due to a weaker global demand outlook, oil prices climbed a little bit on Friday. The U.S. had threatened to?maintain a naval blocade against Iran indefinitely. Brent futures were up 9 cents or 0.1% to $87.16 per barrel at 0130 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up 4 cents at $81.29. Both benchmarks dropped more than 2% the previous session, paring their gains after a six sessions rally for Brent, and a five sessions rise for WTI. However, they were still on track to achieve a weekly rise of about 4%. The...

Fossil Fuels

Oil steadies near one-week highs as US-Iran peace deal hopes dim

The oil prices remained steady?on Tuesday? at a level higher than a week ago?despite fading hopes of an agreement between the U.S.A. and Iran that would end their war and open the Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump demanded damages for the U.S. Brent crude futures remained flat at $87.81 per barrel at 0013 GMT. U.S. West Texas intermediate crude?futures stayed at $82.20 per barrel. Both benchmarks rose by more than 5% Monday, reaching their highest level since July 31. Trump's response to Iran’s conditions for a deal was to demand that Iran pay compensation for those killed in...

Mining

Mineral Resources

Mineral Resources

Gold falls on higher oil and Treasury yields; Fed minutes are in focus

Gold prices fell on Tuesday due to?higher Treasury rates and oil prices?. Traders were also waiting for the minutes of the U.S. Federal Reserve policy meeting in July for clues about the future interest rate outlook. As of 0624 GMT spot gold fell 0.4%, to $4397.42 an ounce. U.S. futures for delivery in December dropped 0.5%, to $4452.90. The yields on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury notes extended gains and raised the opportunity costs of holding non-yielding gold. Prices of oil?increased after Iran announced it would adopt a 'fully offensive' military posture following a breakdown in negotiations to end the...

Mineral Resources

Gold prices rise on weaker dollar and eased Fed rate hike fears

Gold prices rose on Monday due to a weaker US dollar and the fading expectation of an increase in U.S. Federal Reserve rates. Investors also continued to monitor the geopolitical tensions within Middle East. By 11:56 am EDT (1555 GMT), spot gold had risen 1.2% to $4,426.52 an ounce. U.S. gold futures for delivery in December edged up 1.1% to $4,484.10. Bart Melek is the global head of commodity strategies at TD Securities. He said that gold prices appear to be pricing in a stagflationary climate, with softer unemployment and expectations that Fed will tolerate 'current inflation levels. The US...

Mineral Resources

Gold rises on weaker dollar and fading Fed rate hike predictions

Gold prices rose on Monday due to a weaker US dollar and the fading expectation of an increase in U.S. Federal Reserve rates. Investors also continued to watch geopolitical tensions across the Middle East. By 09:25 am EDT (1325 GMT), spot gold had risen 0.28%, to $4387.95 an ounce. ?U.S. Gold futures for delivery in December edged up 0.2% to $4,444.40. Bart Melek is global head of commodity strategies at TD Securities. He said that the gold market seems to be pricing in a stagflationary climate, with softer unemployment and expectations that Fed will 'tolerate current levels of inflation. The...

Mineral Resources

Gold prices rise on weaker dollar and fading Fed hike expectations

Gold prices rose on Monday, as a weaker dollar and diminishing expectations of an increase in U.S. Federal Reserve rates next month boosted bullion. Gold spot rose 0.5%, to $4.398.58 an ounce at 1032 GMT. Prices reached a two-month high in the last week. U.S. Gold Futures for December Delivery edged up 0.4% to $4,455.50. Gold is now cheaper for those who hold other currencies than the U.S. dollar index. "Softer 'inflation', employment and consumer data reduce the risk of another hike. This strengthens the case that the Fed may end up cutting rates," said Ole Hansen. He is the...

Mineral Resources

Gold prices rise on a weaker dollar and reduced Fed rate hike bets

Gold prices rose on Monday due to a weaker dollar and recent economic data which reduced expectations of a U.S. rate hike in the next month. Gold spot rose 0.4%, to $4.391.07 an ounce at 0248 GMT. Prices reached a two-month high in the last week. U.S. Gold Futures for December Delivery?edged up 0.3% to $4,448.10. The U.S. Dollar index fell by 0.1% making metals priced in greenbacks more affordable for other currency holders. Tim Waterer is the chief market analyst for?KCM Trade. He said that gold has taken off and run to start the week. Soft inflation numbers are...

Mineral Resources

Gold returns to 10-week highs as markets prepare for US CPI data

Investors were awaiting key U.S. data on inflation that could change policy expectations. This led to a rise in gold prices?on Wednesday. By 0713 GMT, spot gold had gained 0.9%. U.S. Gold Futures for December Delivery rose by 0.5% to $4464.80. Bullion reached a 10-week-high on Tuesday, before hitting technical resistance around the 100-day moving?average of $4,387. It then closed lower for the second time this month. The primary driver of gold prices is the Fed's reduction in rate hikes, according to Kelvin Wong. He is a senior analyst at OANDA. "In terms of the technical position, we began to?see...

Mineral Resources

Markets expect key US inflation data

Gold edged up on Tuesday, after reaching a?peak? of more than two months earlier. Market participants are awaiting important U.S. Inflation figures that may influence expectations about the Federal Reserve’s policy. Gold spot was up 0.2% to $4,396.87 an ounce by 11:05 am EDT (1505 GMT) after reaching its highest level in the session since June 5, at $4434.84. U.S. Gold Futures rose 0.8% to $4456.10. The market will be looking at this week's data to confirm that inflation is under control, said Peter Grant, senior metals analyst and vice president of Zaner Metals. He added that a moderated annualized...

Mineral Resources

Gold falls from two-month high, inflation reports are in focus

Investors focused on inflation data to get clues about the U.S. rate outlook. Gold spot was down 0.3% at $4,374.82 an ounce as of 0548 GMT after reaching its highest level in the session since June 5, $4,434.82. U.S. Gold Futures increased 0.4% to $4435.00. Ahmad Assiri is a Research Strategist for Pepperstone. He said that the move higher in gold's early session trading above $4,400 was primarily driven by renewed flows and a noticeable shift in metal market sentiment. If?this change of sentiment continues to attract more flows, this could be an important factor in determining if gold can...

Mineral Resources

Gold prices fall on a strong dollar; markets watch US inflation data to get Fed policy clues

Gold prices fell on Monday due to a stronger dollar and investors awaiting key U.S. data about inflation that could influence expectations of the Federal Reserve. By 09:33 am EDT (1333 GMT), spot gold had fallen 0.2%, to $4335.27 an ounce. After an unexpected decline in U.S. Nonfarm Payrolls, it reached its highest level since Friday. U.S. Gold Futures dropped 0.1% to $4,394.00. Jim Wyckoff is a market analyst at American Gold Exchange. He said, "Gold is under pressure from the firm dollar index today and is taking a break?ahead?of a key inflation report due later this week." Dollar-priced gold...

Mineral Resources

Aluminium prices rise for the 6th consecutive session as inventories continue to be drawn.

Aluminium prices rose on Monday for the sixth consecutive day, reaching their highest level in nearly seven weeks, as exchange inventories continue to deplete. Open outcry activity on the benchmark?three-month aluminum at the?London Metal Exchange increased by?1.2% to $3,320 per metric tonne. The price of aluminium on the London Metal Exchange had earlier reached $3,336.50 - its highest level since June 23. Ewa Mnthey, ING commodities analyst, said that the recent rally of copper, which reached a six-month peak last week, has reinforced a bullish sentiment in industrial metals. She added that "Aluminium fundamentals are still supportive with low exchange...

Mineral Resources

US inflation data is the focus as gold drops from a seven-week high.

Gold prices fell on Monday, despite hitting a seven-week peak in the previous session. The stronger dollar was to blame, and investors are looking forward to inflation data, which will provide new clues about the policy direction of central banks. As of 1122 GMT, spot gold was down 0.2% to $4,332.68 an ounce. After weak U.S. payroll data, prices hit their highest level since June 17, on Friday. U.S. Gold Futures dropped 0.2% on Monday to $4,391.60. Dollar gained 0.2% making greenback bullion prices more expensive for holders of other currencies. Gold remains capped by the U.S. - Iran conflict...

Mineral Resources

Gold falls from its seven-week high as US inflation data is looming

Gold prices fell on Monday, as investors took profits following a seven-week high. Meanwhile, markets waited for new clues from U.S. inflation figures to determine the Federal Reserve's rate policy. As of 0200 GMT, spot gold was down 0.5% to $4,322.28 an ounce. After a weaker than expected?U.S. jobs data. U.S. Gold futures dropped 0.4% on Monday to $4,381.60. Gold is slightly lower as it succumbs a little to profit-taking after last week's NFP-inspired gains. This is more of a natural stabilisation than a significant shift in sentiment. I expect gold will remain above $4,300 in the near term. The...