Western Europe

Oil prices rose by more than $2 per barrel on Monday, after Israel launched new strikes against Lebanon on Sunday despite an agreement between the two nations. This shattered hopes of a ceasefire and the restart of crude flow through the Strait of Hormuz. As of 0013 GMT U.S. crude oil futures were up by $2.10 or 2.32% at $92.64 per barrel, while Brent crude rose by $2.33 or 2.5% to $95.42 per barrel. This erased a majority of Friday's losses, when prices fell on the hope of a deescalation of the U.S. - Iran conflict. The latest strikes seemed...

The oil prices were little changed Friday, after a sharp drop in the previous session. Brent crude futures dropped 21 cents or 0.22% to $95.24 per barrel at 0003 GMT, after falling 2.84% the previous session. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude oil was $92.94 per barrel, down by 10 cents or 0.11% after a loss of 3.1% on Thursday. The two contracts are expected to record their first weekly gains in three weeks. WTI is up a whopping 6% after fighting flared in the Middle East, as U.S. - Iran war peace negotiations dragged on, while traffic in 'the Strait...

Federal Reserve quarterly "dot-plot" rate forecasts could soon lose the last projected rate reduction, the so called easing dot. The plot itself may disappear altogether. Markets would then have to determine if Kevin Warsh was really the inflation-hawk he claimed to be. It might still be a surprise to some investors if he's right. Before his first policy meeting, the new Fed chairman is busy setting up his stall. He consults his staff and gets ready for his first policy session. The guidance he receives on policy direction is not going to be easy. The three-month-long war in Iran and...

Investors flock to companies that are driving the AI boom, including gas engine manufacturer Innio. Innio, based in Munich, Germany, has a principal?shareholder - AI Alpine. The company is co-owned by Advent International, and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. 90 million shares were sold at $27 per share, the highest price of the range indicated by the company. The listing comes against a favorable ?backdrop for AI infrastructure-linked firms, with investors flocking to companies powering the technology's buildout, from electrification ?to supply chain for data centers. Innio will be one of several companies, ranging from software to insurance, that list in...

Wild swings in stock prices could indicate a market that is in its final stages of a speculative frenzy. Wall Street's fear gauge is dozing. It may take some good news to get it moving again. The AI boom is accelerating and attracting more and more tech and chip names from around the world. Even companies with a market cap of more than $200 billion have seen a 20% to 30% one-day increase. Dell's stock soared by 32% after its disastrous results on Friday. Hewlett Packard Enterprise soared 28% Tuesday after its own earnings report. Marvell Technology gained 25 percent...

El Nino could cause cocoa prices to rise by several thousand pounds per metric tonne, according to the chief executive of Barry Callebaut, one of 'the world's leading cocoa processors. El Nino, an 'climatic pattern that can increase temperatures and increase risk of extreme weather conditions, could reduce the yields of crops, including cocoa. This would limit supply and push up prices. Hein Schumacher, CEO of Hein Schumacher, said in a press conference that the prices shouldn't jump as much as they did over the past couple of years. London cocoa futures are trading at PS2,944 per ton ($3,964), down...

The Russian President Vladimir Putin will host his fifth conference on wartime economics in St. Petersburg. His government is struggling to find a growth strategy, as the?Ukrainian attacks on the economy are hitting the economy. Businesses also see no end to this war. The $3 trillion economy of Russia, which is heavily dependent on commodities, shrank to 0.2% growth in the first quarter 2026 from 4.9% in 2024. Officials blamed high interest rates, Western sanctions and a strong ruble. The growth rate is expected to be a modest 0.4% in 2018. The Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries, fertiliser factories...

Jarle Roth, a member of the board at Equinor's Norwegian oil group, was voted by its nomination committee as the?new chairman after Jon Erik Reinhardsen announced his decision to step down. Reinhardsen has been the chairman of the board since nearly a decade. He has overseen a push to expand into low-carbon and renewable businesses. This expansion has slowed down in recent years due to rising costs, concerns about energy security and U.S. headwinds. Equinor issued a statement in which it said that Jon Erik Reinhardsen - who has been the chair of the Board since 2017 - would like...

Patrick Pouyanne, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, said at the annual general meeting held on Friday that French citizens prefer to have energy companies 'cap fuel prices' at the pump rather than pay a tax on superprofits. He was answering a climate NGO's representative who asked if?the company could do more to help ease the price shocks for consumers. TotalEnergies has been criticized for its massive profits from oil price spikes caused by the war in Iran. French politicians are pushing for a tax on the company to help lower prices. Pouyanne claimed that a survey had revealed that French...

Jeffrey Schmid, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, said that the already high levels of inflation make it difficult to assume that the current energy shock will only have a temporary effect on prices and can be ignored. "My main concern is the inflation which has been too high and above target for a long time," Schmid stated in a text of a talk to be given before a conference held in Iceland. I place little weight on the assumption that the recent rise in prices will be temporary within a reasonable time frame. As such, "my...

VCI, the German chemicals lobby, said on Friday that the first-quarter production, sales, and prices all fell. The sector is also facing a lack of optimism due to the 'increase in energy, raw materials, and transportation costs linked to the Iran war. Chemicals, including pharmaceuticals, saw a 6% decline in production figures for the quarter. VCI reported that producer prices dropped by 1%, and sales fell 5.4% compared to a year earlier. Third-largest industrial sector in Europe's economic powerhouse, Germany, can be seen to be a barometer for the region's economy. It produces components that are used across industries ranging...

EU foreign ministers warned on Thursday that Russia would not be able to choose who represented Europe in any future talks with Moscow about Ukraine. The bloc's chief of foreign policy also said that Moscow showed no real interest for peace. The?ministers? met informally on Cyprus to discuss their strategy towards Russia, as Kyiv calls for greater European involvement in order to end the conflict while the U.S. is focused on the Iran crisis. The Kremlin told the RIA News Agency on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin was open to talks with Europe. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has...

A recent Indian official investigation of gold company Rajesh exports has alleged the company overstated the revenue of its Swiss refinery unit Valcambi by $159 billion. This is a figure that's never been seen in any of the country's previous accounting investigations. The extent of alleged misreporting released by the'markets regulator' on Wednesday has raised questions about how investors and analysts could have missed it, especially since India's state run insurance giant LIC owned 11% of the firm. Rajesh Exports denies any wrongdoing. In a Friday exchange statement, Rajesh Exports said that "the main point misinterpreted in regard to revenues...

Gold prices dropped on Friday and were set to?have a weekly loss? as tensions in Middle?East dampened hopes for a U.S. - Iran peace deal amid fears of rising inflation and rate hikes. As of 0718 GMT, spot gold was down by 0.3%, at $4,461.28 an ounce. It has dropped about 1.6% this week. U.S. Gold Futures for August Delivery fell by 0.4% to $4487.90. Israel has said that it will not withdraw its troops from Lebanon, despite the rejection of a ceasefire by Hezbollah's?militia. This undermines President Donald Trump’s efforts to stop fighting in Lebanon to reach a peace...

Gold prices dropped on Friday and were set to?for an overall loss? as tensions in Middle 'East tempered?hopes of a U.S. - Iran peace deal amid fears about rising inflation and rate hikes. As of 0548 GMT, spot gold was down by 0.6%, at $4,445.51 an ounce. The price of gold has dropped about 2% in the last week. U.S. Gold Futures for August Delivery fell by 0.7% to $4471.70. Israel has said that it will not withdraw its troops from Lebanon, despite the rejection of a ceasefire by Hezbollah's?militia. This undermines President Donald Trump’s efforts to stop fighting in...

Gold prices dropped on Friday and were set to suffer a weekly loss as tensions in the Middle East dampened expectations for a U.S. Iran peace deal, amid fears of rising inflation rates and interest rate hikes. As of 0402 GMT, spot gold was down by 0.7%, at $4,442.94 an ounce. It is down about 2% this week. U.S. Gold Futures for August Delivery?fell by 0.8% to $4469.10. Hezbollah, a militia backed by Iran, rejected a ceasefire in Lebanon. Israel also said it would not withdraw its troops from Lebanon. This undermined the efforts of U.S. president Donald Trump to...

Gold prices dropped on Friday and were set to suffer a weekly loss as tensions in the Middle East tempered hopes of a U.S. Iran peace deal, amid fears about rising inflation rates and interest rate hikes. As of 0225 GMT, spot gold was down by 0.5%, at $4,452.20 an ounce. It is down about 1.8% this week. U.S. Gold Futures for August Delivery fell?0.6% at $4,478.50. Hezbollah, a militia backed by Iran, rejected a ceasefire in Lebanon. Israel also said it would not withdraw its troops from Lebanon. This undermined the efforts of U.S. president Donald Trump to stop...

Gold prices rose more than 1% on Thursday, as oil prices fell due to optimism about a possible end to the Iran Conflict. This led to a fall in bond yields and a pressure on the dollar. As of 11:50 am EDT (1550GMT), spot gold was up by 1% to $4,474.07 an ounce. U.S. Gold Futures for August Delivery gained 0.8%, to $4$4,501.90. Independent metals trader Tai Wong says that reports of a ceasefire agreement between?Israel? and Lebanon? have pushed the dollar and bond yields up, allowing gold to hold above?the 200-day moving aver?, which is an important indicator. Israel...

Gold prices rose more than 1% on Thursday, as oil prices fell due to optimism about a possible end to the Iran Conflict. This led to a fall in bond yields and pressured the dollar. As of 9:05 am EDT (1305 GMT), spot gold was up by 1.7% to $4,505.35 an ounce. U.S. Gold futures for August delivered gained 1.5%, to $4,532.80. The dollar and bond yields have been pushed up by reports of a?deal for a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, according to independent metals trader Tai Wong. This has helped gold hold just above the 200-day moving averge....

Gold prices rose Thursday as hopes for a resolution to the Middle East conflict led to a drop in oil and dollar prices, which eased fears of inflation and rate hikes. As of 1156 GMT, spot gold rose 1.7% to $4,506.19 an ounce. U.S. gold for August delivery rose 1.5% to $4533.60. Dollar eased making greenback bullion prices more affordable for holders other currencies. The Trump administration announced on Wednesday that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to implement a truce to end hostilities. This boosted?hopes of a broader agreement to end the U.S. - Israeli war against Iran. The Republican-led...

The gold price rose?on Thursday as a result of lower?oil prices and a 'weaker dollar. Investors reassessed renewed expectations regarding a U.S. - Israel war against Iran. As of 0408 GMT, spot gold rose 0.7% to $4,464.69 an ounce. U.S. gold for August delivery rose 0.6% to $4491.70. Dollar eased making greenback bullion prices more affordable for holders other currencies. Gold's gains are still heavily dependent on oil and the dollar. It only rises when they retreat, so it is highly dependent on the positive U.S. Iran headlines to sustain any momentum," said Tim Waterer, Chief Market Analyst at KCM...

Gold prices rose on 'Thursday', supported by lower crude oil prices and a weakened?dollar as investors reassessed renewed expectations of a resolution to U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. As of 0218 GMT, spot gold rose 0.7% to $4,461.09 an ounce. U.S. Gold Futures for August Delivery gained 0.5%, to $4487.90. Dollar eased making greenback bullion prices more affordable for holders other currencies. Gold's gains remain largely at the mercy of the dollar and oil. It only rises when they pull back. This makes it dependent on positive U.S. - Iran headlines to sustain momentum, said Tim Waterer. The Trump administration announced...

Steel industry association 'Eurofer' said that EU steel exports have dropped by 34% to the U.S. since Washington raised tariffs from 25% to 50%. Higher duties on derivatives such as motorbikes and washing machines also hit European demand. Steel exports into the U.S. have fallen to 1,94 million metric tonnes in the last three quarters, since the Trump Administration doubled import tariffs for steel and aluminum from 25% to 50% a year earlier. Eurofer reported that in 2025 European Union producers will export 3.4 million tons of products to the United States, up from 4.1 million in 2024 and 4.7...

At a Wednesday briefing, a German government official said that a window of 'dialogue' is opening slowly between Russia and Europe on Ukraine. However, it will likely be months before any talks can begin. The official who requested anonymity said that it was important to create a dialogue format that Europeans would perceive as legitimate. The official also said that it was unclear who would lead these talks. However, there were strong indications that the E3 Group (Germany, France, and Britain) will continue to play a significant role in this regard. The Russian advance has slowed down this year. Ukrainian...