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.
2,160 total articles
Finance ministers from the Group of Seven are scheduled to discuss the possible release of strategic petroleum reserves to ease supply strains tied to the ongoing conflict in Iran, after oil prices climbed above $100 per barrel. The planned meeting, reported by international outlets citing French and EU officials, follows a wave of regional strikes…
JP Morgan has warned that if U.S. and Israeli forces were to seize Kharg Island, Iran's principal export terminal, Tehran's oil exports would effectively stop and national output could be cut by half. The bank says such an action would likely provoke retaliatory strikes in the Strait of Hormuz or against oil infrastructure elsewhere in the region, …
Saudi state oil company Aramco has started lowering production at two oilfields, according to two sources, amid severe disruption to Gulf shipping lanes caused by recent hostilities. The company has been rerouting some cargoes to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, but analysts say redirected volumes do not make up for the barrels sidelined by the closure o…
Oil markets tightened sharply after a string of supply disruptions across the Gulf. Saudi Arabia has initiated cuts to production, other regional producers have declared force majeure or sharply reduced output, and shipping into and out of the Gulf has slowed to a near standstill amid the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran. The combination of reduced flo…
Piper Sandler analyst Derek Podhaizer says U.S. oilfield services stocks failed to follow a near 40% surge in WTI crude, leaving them vulnerable to a rapid downward correction if the geopolitical conflict eases. Middle East-exposed firms were hit harder, while U.S. land names showed muted gains amid prior strong positioning and doubts about a quick…
Crude oil surged above $100 per barrel as the conflict in the Middle East entered its second week, driving U.S. pump prices above $3 per gallon and reigniting concerns about inflation amid weak U.S. labor data. Markets across bonds and equities fell sharply, while policymakers face pressure over strategic reserve releases and how to respond to the …
Morgan Stanley strategist Martijn Rats warns that sustained interruptions to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz could require oil prices to climb substantially - potentially well above $130 per barrel - to force demand reduction. The note highlights a supply shock on the order of roughly 20 million barrels per day, impacts already visible at As…
China’s National Development and Reform Commission raised the regulated ceiling prices for retail gasoline and diesel by 695 yuan and 670 yuan per metric ton, respectively, marking the sharpest increase since March 2022. The change follows a pronounced spike in international crude benchmarks and comes after Beijing asked refiners to suspend fuel ex…
Senior officials from Japan, France and Canada are pursuing multiple alternatives to a U.S.-led preferential trade arrangement for critical minerals, aiming to reduce dependence on China. Proposed measures under discussion include import quotas for specific rare earths, subsidies to support mining projects in the Western Hemisphere, and a Canada-le…
European natural-gas benchmarks climbed sharply on Monday as disruption to global liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments, prompted by the forced closure of Qatar's Ras Laffan complex, intensified supply concerns. Markets broadly responded, with U.S. crude rising above $100 a barrel and global bond prices falling as investors reassessed inflation and…
Governments across Asia moved quickly to blunt the economic and consumer effects of a widening conflict involving Iran after oil prices surged on supply disruptions and political shocks. Officials from Seoul to Tokyo considered releasing strategic stocks or capping domestic fuel costs while some regional states cut production, halted exports or red…
A rapid escalation in the conflict involving Iran pushed global oil prices up roughly 25% to their strongest levels since mid-2022, fueling gains in vegetable oils and some agricultural commodities while pressuring gold and several base metals. Supply reductions by Middle Eastern producers, force majeure declarations at Gulf aluminium smelters, a f…
OCBC analysts argue that China's economy is comparatively insulated from oil shocks arising from the U.S.-Israel war with Iran because Chinese ships continue to transit the Strait of Hormuz, the nation holds substantial oil reserves, and oil plays a smaller role in its electricity generation. Rapid electrification and renewable capacity growth furt…
Heavy sour and medium crude grades from the U.S. Gulf Coast moved sharply higher as conflict in Iran prompted Middle Eastern producers to cut output and diverted buyers to U.S. barrels. Mars crude traded at its largest premium to WTI since April 2020, while broader benchmarks also climbed amid constrained flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil futures rose roughly 20% in early trading on Monday, reaching levels not seen since July 2022, as the widening U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran raised concerns about tighter crude supplies and sustained interruptions to shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Market commentary highlighted reports that some Middle Eastern producers are cu…
Gold prices declined in early Asian trade as a rapid escalation in hostilities involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran redirected heavy flows into oil and the dollar. Bullion remained supported above $5,000 an ounce, but was outpaced by a sharp rise in crude and a stronger dollar after strikes on Iranian oil infrastructure and attacks on shipping in t…
Oil prices climbed sharply in early Asian trading as the widening conflict involving the U.S., Israel and Iran raised fears of prolonged supply disruptions. Brent futures for May briefly topped $111.04 a barrel before easing to $107.92 by 18:08 ET (23:08 GMT). The conflict entered its tenth consecutive day after air strikes hit oil facilities in Te…
U.S. crude oil futures jumped sharply on March 9 as an expanding conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran stoked concerns about tighter supplies and potential prolonged disruption to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. West Texas Intermediate spiked to levels not seen since July 2022, after a week of steep gains, while developments…
Top U.S. energy and diplomatic officials defended a 30-day waiver that allows Indian refiners to import Russian crude, arguing the pause will release barrels tied up at sea and help calm recent gasoline and diesel price spikes driven by concern over the Iran conflict. Officials said there is no physical shortage of oil or natural gas, and attribute…
Hussain Khrais, 66, who spent months and about $25,000 restoring his house in Khiyam after the 2024 clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, has fled his hometown as renewed hostilities and heavy Israeli airstrikes hit southern Lebanon. With roughly 300,000 people displaced and evacuation orders covering about 8% of Lebanese territory, families face r…
President Donald Trump said Britain was considering sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East but asserted that the United States did not need them to prevail in its conflict with Iran. The comments, posted on Truth Social, continued a spat with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after London declined to permit U.S. forces to use British ba…
Bank of America analysts say past oil supply shocks have consistently boosted currencies of oil producers, notably the U.S. dollar and Canadian dollar, while weighing on currencies of energy importers such as the New Zealand and Australian dollars. The bank flags CADJPY and NZDUSD volatility as hedges that currently look attractively priced relativ…
Katyusha rockets were fired toward the U.S. embassy in central Baghdad on March 7, triggering explosions and sirens. Initial reports left damage and casualty status unclear, though a senior Iraqi security official said the C-RAM defence system intercepted one rocket and none struck inside the compound, with no American casualties. Iraqi authorities…
RBC Capital Markets says valuations for copper miners have climbed markedly since December, even as warehouse stocks have swelled. EV/EBITDA at spot prices for its coverage has risen about 20% and P/NAV roughly 10%, while copper itself is up about 14% year-to-date. The bank cites a so-called "halo trade" into commodities, seasonal and price-sensiti…
The conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran has already triggered a substantial squeeze in oil and gas flows, sending global crude prices sharply higher and lifting pump prices worldwide. Damage to terminals and refineries, suspended shipments from major Gulf producers and continued attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz mean tha…
