Stocks jumped Thursday, continuing a unrestrained week for markets driven by uncertainty about the potential impact of the Omicron strain on public health and the economic recovery.Shares rose, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones more than recouping Wednesday’s losses as of late afternoon. All 11 sectors of the S&P …
Read More »WTI Choppily Traded Ahead OPEC+ Decision
Thursday has been a uneven day for crude oil prices, as traders eye OPEC+ decision to hike concerning January production.The big news of the day was OPEC+’s decision to surprise markets by not choosing to halt output hikes in January but to press ahead with another incremental 400000 barrel per …
Read More »Natural Gas Futures Lower Ahead of EIA Data
Continued weather-driven poor demand expectations keep pressuring natural gas futures in early trading Thursday as the market awaited the latest round of weekly government inventory data. The January Nymex contract was off 9.8 cents to $4.160/MMBtu.Estimates ahead of the latest Energy Information Administration (EIA) storage report, scheduled for today, point …
Read More »Reuters: OPEC+ May Discuss a 200K BPD Output Hike in January Versus Current 400K BPD Agreed
According to sources cited by Reuters, OPEC+ may as an option discuss hiking output by just 200K barrels per day (BPD) in January versus the current agreement which stipulates 400K BPD monthly output hikes into mid-2022. Moreover, a senior OPEC+ source reportedly said that sentiment at the moment is to …
Read More »Gold Loses its Luster After Fed’s Statements
Gold prices fell on Thursday as investors expected the Federal Reserve (the US central bank) to scale back its bond-buying program faster to counter soaring inflation despite economic concerns over the spread of the new mutated Omicron. Gold fell in immediate transactions 0.3 percent to 1777.87 dollars an ounce (an …
Read More »Market Drivers – US Session – 1-12-2021
US President Joe Biden’s administration will extend requirements for travelers to wear masks on airplanes, trains and buses and at airports and train stations through mid-March to address ongoing COVID-19 risks. A formal announcement extending the requirements through March 18 is expected on Thursday.The news adds to the Omicron-led risk …
Read More »Solid Eurozone PMI Hides Disappointing Production Growth
A strong headline PMI reading has masked just how business conditions are currently tougher for manufacturers. Although demand is strong, as reflected by a further solid improvement in new orders, supply chains continue to worsen at a worrying rate.However, the details behind the headline PMI tell a different, but worrying …
Read More »US Total Auto Sales Down in November, EVs Bloom
Narrow inventories pushed sales of new vehicles down as Toyota, Honda, Subaru, Hyundai and Kia all reported their sales dropped during November despite anticipated strong demand. Kia reported a drop in sales for November; however, its total sales through the first 11 months of 2021 surpassed the sales record the …
Read More »Market Mood Pushes Gold Prices Higher
Gold recovered on Wednesday alongside the relative improvement market’s mood. The precious metal is currently trading in the $1,780.00 territory.Gold prices advanced on easing demand for the US dollar, as stocks turned green following Tuesday’s setback.The absence of first-tier events and relief news related to the coronavirus Omicron variant reinforced …
Read More »Oil Trims Gains On US Fuel Stockpiles Jump
US WTI crude oil futures pared gains on Wednesday after a U.S. official said the country was continuing to consider tools to manage energy prices, and as government data pointed to weaker gasoline demand.WTI U.S. crude futures were trading $1.3, or 2.02%, higher at $67.51 a barrel at 12:04 p.m. …
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