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.
824 total articles
An analysis prepared by the Panama Canal Authority shows a 2.8% increase in vessel transits in the first four months of its fiscal year through January, with tankers, car carriers and dry bulk ships accounting for most of the growth. The authority reported 114 more transits than the same period a year earlier, reaching 4,156 vessels, and highlighte…
An escalation of conflict in the Middle East has effectively shut transit through the Strait of Hormuz and prompted production stoppages at key fertiliser facilities, sending fertiliser and fuel prices sharply higher. The disruption arrives ahead of spring planting in the Northern Hemisphere, threatening to inflate input costs for farmers already f…
The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) will offer reinsurance for maritime losses in the Gulf region up to roughly $20 billion, intended to reassure oil and liquefied natural gas shippers amid halted transit through the Strait of Hormuz. The coverage, ordered by the President, will be rolled out initially for hull and machiner…
The White House said the United States is making significant progress toward asserting control over Iranian airspace and expects achievable objectives to be completed within four to six weeks. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt also confirmed the administration is reviewing potential candidates to replace Iran’s leadership, and reiterated the preside…
Energy markets have reacted strongly to recent military actions and transport disruptions in the Middle East, with benchmark gas prices jumping sharply after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz and Qatar paused LNG production following drone strikes. Analysts warn that physical reductions in flows and shipping rerouting will tighten global LNG balance…
Gulf sovereign wealth funds - built from decades of hydrocarbon revenue and now holding roughly $5 trillion - are positioned to provide fiscal backstops as Iran-related attacks in the Gulf disrupt exports and raise costs. Recent strikes have cut shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, paused output at major facilities including Saudi Aramco’s large…
A Dubai-based private jet operator originally built to move pets between the UAE and the UK has seen its customer base shift to people seeking immediate exits from the region amid escalating military action. With commercial airports operating at reduced capacity and some airspace closed, private charters and flights out of neighbouring countries su…
The joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that began last Saturday and killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have triggered intense retaliation from Tehran and a cascade of disruptions across the Middle East. Key maritime routes, production facilities and export flows have been interrupted, driving major benchmark oil prices sharply hig…
UBS strategists say that if fighting in the Middle East continues to disrupt tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, oil prices could rise above $90 per barrel. Traders have already pushed crude toward strong weekly gains amid concerns that the waterway - which handles about 20% of global oil flows - could be closed. U.S. policy steps, includi…
Sao Paulo’s Biological Institute has planted about 1,500 additional coffee specimens at its Vila Mariana urban plantation to evaluate varieties billed as resistant to pests and coffee rust, as well as strains more tolerant of water stress. The institute, founded in 1927, continues research into biological pest control, soil and climate impacts on c…
Crude prices jumped sharply this week, recording their largest weekly gains since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, after shipping and energy exports were halted through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent rose about 20% on the week and West Texas Intermediate gained about 25%, with both benchmarks trading at levels not seen since July 2024.…
Analysts at Bernstein say the Dutch TTF benchmark will probably need to jump about 40% to 50% from current levels if disruptions to Qatari LNG continue. The forecast reflects intensified competition for cargoes after QatarEnergy halted output at Ras Laffan and Mesaieed following a drone attack and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which carries …
UBS is urging clients to sell downside protection in gold and silver, citing supportive macro drivers and heightened option volatility that make put-selling strategies attractive. The bank projects a constructive outlook for gold and targets USD 6,200/oz in the coming months while suggesting selling downside exposure below USD 4,700/oz for gold and…
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reports a rebound in world food prices in February, with the FAO Food Price Index rising to 125.3 points. Gains in cereals, meat and vegetable oils outweighed falls in cheese and sugar. The FAO also slightly raised its 2025 global cereal production forecast to a record 3.029 billion metric tons.
The administration has decided not to direct the Treasury Department to actively trade oil futures for the moment, concluding that the agency would have limited ability to change market dynamics. Officials are also hesitant to immediately tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, citing recent heavy use, reduced stock levels and maintenance needs at sto…
Senior U.S. officials have decided not to deploy the Treasury Department to execute oil futures trades at this time, according to a report citing an informed source. While the Treasury’s involvement was considered amid surging crude prices after the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, officials judged the department’s ability to move markets t…
Fuel oil supplies bound for Asia have been severely disrupted after shipments through the Strait of Hormuz declined sharply due to the Iran war. Traders are scrambling for replacement cargoes from the West and regional refiners, but high tanker rates, sanctions, and constrained volumes are limiting options. The shortfall is driving up bunker fuel p…
Residents of coastal Veracruz towns have found oil on beaches and in fishing gear, disrupting livelihoods and raising fears that a nearby lagoon used for fish and shrimp farming could be contaminated. Locals organized manual clean-up of hardened tar as the viscous substance spread along the Gulf of Mexico coastline. Authorities have not identified …
Oil prices retreated in Asian trade after five consecutive sessions of gains, but remain positioned for a steep weekly rise as escalating hostilities in the Middle East raise the prospect of supply disruptions. Traders took profits following a rapid rally, yet the market remains supported by ongoing attacks and infrastructure risks in the region. A…
Oil prices slipped for the first time in six trading days after U.S. officials signaled potential intervention in the oil futures market to dampen rising prices and issued waivers allowing purchases of sanctioned Russian crude held on tankers. Brent and West Texas Intermediate both fell, reversing a multi-session rally tied to disruptions in Middle…
Senate Democrats announced they will reopen negotiations on legislation intended to accelerate permitting for large infrastructure projects, citing recent federal action to review stalled renewable energy applications. The move follows concern from both parties about delays to projects already fully permitted and comes as the House-passed SPEED Act…
Gold held near recent lows in Asian trading on Friday, with a firmer U.S. dollar and climbing Treasury yields dampening demand for the metal despite escalating conflict in the Middle East. Spot gold traded around $5,080.37 an ounce by 20:25 ET (01:25 GMT), while U.S. gold futures rose 0.3% to $5,091.040. The metal slipped 1% in the prior session an…
A senior White House official indicated the U.S. Treasury could announce measures as soon as Thursday to address surging energy prices, and those actions might include direct engagement in the oil futures market. Market observers caution that such financial interventions could moderate speculative activity but cannot replace lost physical supply am…
After a two-day visit to Caracas, U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum expressed optimism that a forthcoming mining law and the issuance of licences will spur foreign investment in Venezuela’s mineral and oil sectors. Burgum said the interim government led by Delcy Rodriguez pledged to provide security for companies conducting due diligence and reop…
Escalation of conflict in the Middle East has disrupted shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and forced production cuts at regional fertiliser facilities, sending fertiliser and fuel prices sharply higher just as Northern Hemisphere farmers prepare for spring planting. The squeeze is prompting some growers to consider changing crop plans or cutti…
