Commodities

Crude oil prices edged higher on Friday following statements by OPEC+ that the group could review its policy to hike output if a rising number of pandemic lockdowns obstructs off demand.Brent futures rose 90 cents, 1.3%, to $70.57 a barrel, while US WTI rose 55 cents, 0.8%, to $67.05. Losses …

Gold rose on Friday morning in Asia. However, the yellow metal braced for its third consecutive weekly decline, weighed by signs that the US Federal Reserve will accelerate the pace of reduction in asset purchases and raise interest rates earlier than expected to curb inflationary pressures. Gold futures rose 0.66% …

The outlook for the US economy is still clouded by the emergence of Omicron strain, this may see the US’s renewed lockdown which would benefit the Swiss franc and other safe havens. Optimism is struggling to find its way through uncertainty ahead to global financial markets until Thursday’s session closing. …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …