Price movements and fundamentals across major commodities.
Analysis and reporting on commodities such as oil, natural gas, gold, industrial metals, and agricultural products. Focuses on supply-demand dynamics, geopolitical risks, inventory trends, and macro drivers affecting commodity markets.
2,875 total articles
The Bank of Japan kept its short-term policy rate at 0.75% while three of nine board members voted to raise rates, a move that nudged the yen but left it close to the 160 per dollar level that has previously prompted intervention. The persistence of the Middle East conflict and U.S. unease with Tehran’s latest proposal have helped keep Brent crude …
Oil prices rose for a seventh consecutive session as diplomatic efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war stalled. The Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, constraining physical flows of oil and gas from a region that typically supplies around 20% of global consumption. Market reactions followed reports that U.S. President Donald Trump rejected an Irani…
A senior U.S. official said President Donald Trump is unhappy with an Iranian offer because it omits immediate discussion of Tehran's nuclear program. Iranian sources say the proposal would postpone nuclear talks until hostilities end and shipping disputes are settled. Washington has insisted nuclear matters be addressed from the start. Mediation e…
Gold prices ticked up in Asian trading as investors weighed murky developments in U.S.-Iran negotiations alongside looming meetings of the Bank of Japan and the U.S. Federal Reserve. Prices remained largely confined to recent ranges as traders awaited clearer policy guidance and assessed the inflationary implications of rising oil amid stalled dipl…
Oil futures climbed in early Asian trading after reports that Iran had presented a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz - an offer Washington was considering but one that generated skepticism within the U.S. administration. With the strait largely closed and U.S. naval measures in place, crude flows remain limited, supporting prices. Talks broke…
Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures rose on Monday, supported by firmer crude oil prices, a softer U.S. dollar and a war premium tied to escalating conflict in the Middle East. Traders are also watching rain forecasts for the U.S. Plains that could relieve drought stress, even as some areas may have already seen yield losses and others are expecte…
Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures rose to their highest levels in a month as crude oil strengthened on constrained Middle East shipments. Back-month soyoil contracts reached lifetime highs. Market participants are also watching a planned mid-May meeting between the U.S. and China for potential additional Chinese purchases of U.S. agricultural …
Chicago Board of Trade corn futures hit a 10-month high on Monday, driven by a near 3% rise in crude oil and worries about heavy rainfall in the U.S. Midwest. Disruptions to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and an associated squeeze on fertilizer flows have added upward pressure on agricultural input costs, while robust export buying, includi…
Analysts have nudged up their median gold price expectations for 2026, citing sustained central bank purchases and persistent global economic uncertainty. Despite the higher year-ahead forecasts, at least some strategists still expect gold to finish 2026 below $4,500 an ounce, with market direction hinging on monetary policy, geopolitical developme…
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump consulted with senior national security aides about a new proposal from Iran that would open the Strait of Hormuz and postpone discussion of Iran's nuclear program. Leavitt did not endorse the proposal and reiterated the administration's unchanged conditions that the waterway …
An unprecedented, coordinated offensive by an alliance of al Qaeda-linked militants and Tuareg separatists struck Mali in multiple locations on Saturday, killing Defence Minister Sadio Camara, hitting the capital’s airport and forcing Russian troops to withdraw from a remote desert town more than 1,000 kilometres away. The attacks demonstrate a new…
Israeli forces struck eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley on Monday, widening their campaign during a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that has reduced but not ended hostilities. The moves mark the first attacks in the Bekaa since the ceasefire took effect on April 16 and coincide with ongoing exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and northe…
Oil prices climbed after U.S.-Iran negotiations showed little progress, keeping shipments through the Strait of Hormuz constrained and raising concern about a prolonged supply disruption. Brent traded around $107.46 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate near $96.29. PVM Oil Associates analyst Tamas Varga warned that a protracted conflict could …
About 60 governments will meet in Santa Marta, Colombia, starting Tuesday to discuss concrete measures to phase out fossil fuels. The convening prioritizes operational steps - financing, regulation and planning - to ease the transition away from oil and gas, a push sharpened by the Iran war that has strained global supplies and elevated energy pric…
A recent poll of 18 economists conducted April 8–24 shows Gulf Cooperation Council economies are headed for their worst contraction since the pandemic as the U.S.-Israel war with Iran reverberates through the region. Damage to refineries and gas plants across key producers, and the near-total shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz - which carries roughly…
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz accused Iran's leadership of humiliating the United States as diplomatic missions to Pakistan yielded no results. He said Europeans were not consulted before attacks on Iran began on February 28 and described economic costs to Germany as the conflict disrupts the Strait of Hormuz and energy supplies.
European natural gas futures fell on Monday, reversing earlier gains, as market participants assessed media reports that Tehran has floated a proposal to ease disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the United States lifting a blockade on Iranian ports. The Dutch TTF front-month contract declined 2.5% to 43.75 euros per megawatt hour by…
Ship movement through the Strait of Hormuz remained limited in the past 24 hours, with at least seven vessels - largely dry bulk ships - recorded transiting the chokepoint. Data providers and satellite analysts say this muted activity comes as negotiations between Iran and the United States have stalled and U.S. military measures redirect some vess…
The United States has moved to relax a sanctions restriction that had stopped Venezuela’s government from paying legal fees for Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, according to a court filing. The change removes a hurdle that had prompted defense counsel to ask a Manhattan judge to dismiss the narcotics-related prosecution on the grounds that…
Oilfield service companies have begun removing drilling rigs and specialized equipment held in storage in Venezuela and preparing them for repair and deployment as a government-led review of oil and gas contracts advances. The review - set to conclude by the end of July after a major oil law reform in January - has prompted initial agreements and p…
Global markets begin the week with rising oil prices amid a stalemate in Iran and constrained Strait of Hormuz traffic, while technology shares - led by chipmakers and an extraordinary rally in Intel - continue to climb as major tech firms prepare to report earnings. Central bank meetings and U.S. inflation data are scheduled this week, with invest…
India and New Zealand have signed a free trade agreement that reduces or eliminates tariffs on a wide range of New Zealand exports to India, including key fruits, while creating new services market access and visa quotas for Indian workers and students. The pact, finalised in December after about nine months of negotiations, excludes several sensit…
Nickel futures on the London Metal Exchange surged to their strongest level in almost two years amid mounting concerns about supplies from Indonesia, the world's leading nickel producer, and reported shortages of sulphur used in metal processing. The LME benchmark rose 2.3% to $19,445 per metric ton by 0900 GMT after briefly reaching $19,470, its h…
Citigroup has increased its crude price projections and is urging investors to take near-term exposure to oil, citing extended interruptions to flows through the Strait of Hormuz and limited prospects for a quick diplomatic settlement between the United States and Iran. The bank elevates short-term Brent targets, assigns probabilities to several di…
Goldman Sachs has increased its oil price forecasts after concluding that Persian Gulf crude exports will take longer to return to normal. The bank now projects higher average prices for Brent and WTI in late 2026 and 2027, driven by sustained production losses, faster-than-expected inventory draws and limited supply growth outside the Gulf.
