In a buoyant sign for the US economy, businesses stepped up their hiring last month as Omicron faded and more Americans ventured out to spend at restaurants, shops and hotels despite surging inflation.Employers added a robust 678,000 jobs in February, the largest monthly total since July, the Labor Department reported …
Read More »USD/CAD Jumps After Strong US Jobs Data
USD/CAD sharply reversed direction higher on Friday after the release of what traders described as a bumper US labour market report boosted the US dollar and amid a distinctly risk-off market tone weighed on the more risk-sensitive Canadian dollar.The pair started the session below 1.2700, but at one point had …
Read More »Oil Slides as US Hints Significant Progress in Iran Nuclear Talks
US State Department said on Thursday that there has been significant progress in nuclear talks with Iran and we are close to a possible deal.However, a number of difficult issues remain unresolved and we will not have a deal unless we can resolve the remaining issues quickly. Oil slid 2% …
Read More »Despite Surging Production, Russia Fails To Meet OPEC+Quota
OPEC+ met on Wednesday and will not to break from its plan to add 400,000 bpd to quotas each month, largely as expected, despite soaring oil prices amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Russia is estimated to have increased its crude oil production by 0.2 percent in February compared to January, but …
Read More »BoE’s Tenreyro: Oil Prices Spikes Increase Inflation, Dampen UK Economy
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee Member Silvana Tenreyro said on Wednesday that the latest rise in oil prices will increase inflation and dampen UK economic activity. The high level of companies wage expectations in the BoE’s latest Agents’ survey was a surprise, though we will have to see if …
Read More »Expectations of OPEC+ Commitment to Modest Production Increases
Officials said that the OPEC + bloc will likely adhere to modest oil production increases when it meets on Wednesday, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, two of the largest members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, complying with the agreement with Russia, despite the expansion …
Read More »Will OPEC+ Stick To Preset Plan Despite Ukraine’s Invasion?
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies led by Russia, known as OPEC+, have been unwinding historic production cuts they instated in 2020 after the pandemic caused an unprecedented fall in global demand.Then, former US President Donald Trump intervened to encourage Riyadh and Moscow to end a …
Read More »Economic Plans, Sanctions In Focus As Biden Delivers First State of the Union Address
US President Biden will deliver his first State of the Union address Tuesday, within a few hours, as he seeks to contain the impact of the running war in Ukraine, guide the US and its economy through the Covid-19 pandemic, and help buoy Democrats in November’s midterm elections.Biden will juggle …
Read More »On Course For Historic Intra-day Rally, WTI Approaches USD 107.50 Highs
The American WTI crude oil surged into the USD 104.00s on Tuesday, up sharply from Monday’s close in the USD 95.00 territories.The 2014 high in the USD 107.50 area has for now acted as a barrier to further upside. The historic intra-day rally has been driven by traders pricing in …
Read More »IEA releases 60M barrel from strategic reserves
US, IEA Agree to Release 60 Million Barrels From Oil Stockpiles Amid Ukraine’s CrisisThe US and other major oil-consuming nations said Tuesday they willl release 60 million barrels of oil from their emergency stockpiles, sending a jolt of new crude supplies into the market amid a price surge caused by …
Read More »