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.
825 total articles
S&P Global warned it may lower PacifiCorp’s credit rating from the lowest investment grade to non-investment grade as liability exposure grows following a $305 million jury award in an Oregon wildfire-related class action. The rating agency said multi-notch downgrades are possible if future jury awards average about $19 million per plaintiff. Pacif…
U.S. officials said the government will roll out measures beginning Tuesday to limit the impact on Americans from higher energy costs after a surge in oil and gas prices linked to military actions involving Iran. A senior U.S. official speaking at Capitol Hill said Treasury and Energy secretaries will announce the plan's phases as markets reacted t…
Average U.S. retail gasoline prices climbed above $3 per gallon for the first time since November amid intensified conflict in the Middle East that has disrupted oil flows. Brent crude rose more than 5% to nearly $77 a barrel as strikes and retaliatory actions affected production sites and shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Analysts warn higher crud…
Tens of thousands of travellers across the Middle East entered a third day of disruption after an escalation in regional conflict forced closures at major airports, including Dubai, and sparked widespread cancellations. Stranded passengers - many in transit - have been relocated to hotels, where they exchange practical advice on washing clothes, lo…
The Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) - the United States' largest emergency crude stockpile - has been periodically tapped by presidents facing supply shocks or sharp price moves. The Trump administration is not currently discussing a sale, but officials and analysts say the option could be revisited if oil prices climb after recent U.S.-Israeli a…
Analysts forecast that oil will remain pricey in the coming days as attention centers on the implications of heightened Middle East tensions for shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that carries more than 20% of global oil. Forecasts from major banks and consultancies show a range of outcomes depending on the duration and extent of an…
Escalating conflict tied to Iran has disrupted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, leaving at least 150 vessels anchored or stranded, four tankers damaged and one seafarer dead. Insurers have announced cancellations of war risk policies for Iranian and adjacent waters, while spot freight and oil prices have climbed as buyers and shipowne…
The World Health Organization reported that Gandhi Hospital in Tehran was evacuated following nearby explosions that caused collateral damage. The WHO is working to confirm reports that three other medical facilities - Motahari Hospital in Tehran and emergency centres in Sarab and Hamadan provinces - were hit since the start of the U.S.-Israeli air…
Goldman Sachs cautions that a one-month full halt of LNG tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz could push Dutch TTF natural gas to roughly 74 EUR/MWh - about 130% above current levels - and send shockwaves through global LNG and oil markets. Longer disruptions would raise European gas above 100 EUR/MWh and strain freight rates, spare producti…
A rapid escalation in the Middle East has driven sharp moves in energy and financial markets. Joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent Iranian retaliation have effectively halted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, sending oil prices sharply higher, unsettling global bond markets, strengthening the dollar and weighing on equities. The du…
Donald Trump expressed that he was "very disappointed" with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer after Britain initially denied permission for U.S. forces to use the Diego Garcia air base for strikes on Iran. Starmer later accepted a request for the bases to be used in any "defensive strikes" the U.S. might undertake against Iranian targets. Trump said t…
Bernstein analysts, led by Irene Himona, model three scenarios in which a full closure of the Strait of Hormuz lasting one, three or six months would add a $5-$10 per barrel risk premium to oil prices. Depending on duration, the firm finds the 2026 projected surplus could swing to deficits, lifting Brent toward $80 in a mid-case and above $110 in a…
Gold surged after U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran that resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, driven by safe-haven flows and concerns about oil shipments via the Strait of Hormuz. Pepperstone strategists, including Michael Brown, warned that an initial spike could fade as trading progresses but noted that fundamental deman…
RBC Capital Markets warns that silver is poised to remain in a structural deficit for a consecutive eighth year, driven by strong investment demand and record-low inventories. The brokerage projects the market ended 2025 with a 242 million ounce shortfall and expects ongoing undersupply in 2026. While limited secondary supply and softer jewellery a…
The escalation of hostilities involving Iran, the United States and Israel has disrupted crude and liquefied natural gas flows to several Asian countries, with ships anchoring outside the Strait of Hormuz, tanker freight rates expected to rise and global oil prices jumping. Industry participants and analysts say the interruption underscores Asia's …
Following coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, Texas Capital sees crude trading between $70 and $80 per barrel over the coming week as a heightened geopolitical risk premium lifts prices. The firm notes embedded risk premiums, limited likelihood of a long closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and potential market tightening if Iranian exports a…
Recent strikes on Iran have introduced fresh geopolitical volatility that is tilting outcomes across European infrastructure assets. While higher oil prices and rising bond yields - common consequences of Middle East escalation - tend to pressure the sector as a whole, many infrastructure earnings are insulated by long-term, fixed-rate debt and con…
Israel carried out strikes on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon following a missile and drone assault by the Iran-aligned group, which said it acted in response to the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and alleged repeated Israeli violations. The exchange marks the first projectile attack from Hezbollah since U.S. and Israeli strikes on Ir…
Gold rallied more than 2% in Asian trade after the United States and Israel carried out major strikes on Iran that resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Spot and futures contracts climbed to their highest levels since late January as investors sought refuge from escalating geopolitical risk, while other precious metals and…
Oil prices opened sharply higher in Asian trading after the U.S. and Israel launched a series of strikes against Iran, prompting retaliation and attacks on shipping routes. Brent futures rose about 13% to $82.0 a barrel before pulling back, as analysts and officials warned the risk to supply has increased and OPEC+ moved to raise production modestl…
Oil benchmarks jumped sharply on Monday after a new round of strikes between Iran and Israel damaged multiple tankers and disrupted shipments from a major producing region. Brent and U.S. crude touched multi-week highs as market participants reacted to the direct impact on shipping and heightened geopolitical uncertainty.
U.S. average gasoline retail prices are poised to top $3 per gallon on Monday for the first time in over three months after U.S. strikes on Iran and related disruptions to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz pushed crude prices sharply higher. Analysts say the move raises inflationary pressure that could carry political consequences, while inven…
The retaliatory strikes by Iran across Gulf states have produced the widest business interruption in the region since the pandemic, forcing airport shutdowns, partial port stoppages and sharp market declines. The attacks - which followed a joint U.S.-Israeli assault on Iran - struck airports, military facilities, ports and hotels across the Gulf, c…
Belgian forces, supported by France, boarded and seized an oil tanker on March 1 that Belgian authorities say is part of a Russian 'shadow fleet' and was operating with a false flag and suspect paperwork. The vessel, identified by Belgian officials as Ethera and listed on EU sanctions lists, is being diverted to Zeebrugge. Prosecutors confirmed sig…
Following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, market participants report heightened uncertainty and increased flows into gold. Traders expect an early spike in bullion and oil prices, with tokenised gold trading at a premium over the weekend. Analysts caution that initial rallies may fade as markets reassess the implications for oil supply and the du…
