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.
2,686 total articles
Since a federal tax and spending law took effect last July, more than 4.7 million people have lost Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits nationwide, with Arizona experiencing the steepest proportional decline. The law reduces SNAP funding by $187 billion over 10 years and expands work requirements and documentation rules that st…
European natural gas benchmarks weakened as tanker movements through the Strait of Hormuz began to normalize. The return of Qatari-laden carriers into the waterway reduced the geopolitical risk premium that had been supporting elevated prices, sending front-month futures toward the 40 euro per megawatt-hour area and pushing benchmark contracts lowe…
The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed inspections in Iran will proceed in the near term following an interim memorandum between the United States and Iran. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said modalities - including dates, procedures and locations - remain to be agreed with Tehran as the two countries enter a 60-day negotiating perio…
Aluminium prices declined to their weakest levels since late March after a drop in perceived Middle East risk and a stronger U.S. dollar. London Metal Exchange three-month aluminium fell to $3,208 per metric ton by 0701 GMT, while the most-traded Shanghai contract closed at 23,405 yuan per ton. Market participants expect Gulf-region supply to norma…
Israeli and Lebanese officials said a U.S.-backed proposal under discussion in Washington would transfer portions of territory occupied by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon to the Lebanese army after U.S. training and vetting. Israel would retain forces in a border buffer. The proposal is part of ongoing talks that began Tuesday and faces rejectio…
Gold declined for the fifth time in six sessions and approached the $4,000-per-ounce threshold as a stronger U.S. dollar and higher odds of Federal Reserve rate hikes reduced demand for the non-yielding metal. Traders are pricing in a high likelihood of additional tightening this year, while easing concerns over Middle East supply and ongoing U.S.-…
Oil prices fell further on Wednesday, trading close to four-month lows reached a day earlier, as indications mounted that tankers stranded in the Gulf since the start of the Iran war are beginning to transit the Strait of Hormuz. Market pressure also reflected a temporary sanctions waiver for Tehran and reduced hostilities in Lebanon, even as key q…
Oil futures fell for a third consecutive session in Asian trade as evidence of renewed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and nascent diplomatic progress between Washington and Tehran reduced the perceived risk of extended supply disruption. Brent and WTI slipped about 0.4% each as traders priced in the possibility of crude returning to global m…
India has prepared contingency measures for more than 300 districts at risk from a weak monsoon, the farm minister said after a meeting with state ministers, officials and scientists. Monsoon rains are running roughly 43% below average to date and the weather office has signalled continued weakness through the week ending July 2. Officials point to…
The U.S. Department of Energy announced $17.5 billion in conditional loan support intended to help utilities and energy firms procure reactors and related long-lead equipment to restart the domestic commercial nuclear supply chain. The program, overseen by the department's Energy Dominance Financing unit, targets up to five loans that would each ba…
Hedge funds enlarged their bearish wagers on U.S. crude in the week ended June 16, with gross short positions in West Texas Intermediate climbing to their highest level in nearly five months. Traders cited expectations that a preliminary U.S.-Iran agreement, along with U.S. sanctions waivers, could lift Iranian oil exports and ease shipping bottlen…
President Donald Trump asserted that Iran has accepted long-term, high-level nuclear inspections and said the United States is temporarily waiving sanctions and releasing funds to be placed in U.S.-controlled escrow for the purchase of American food and medical supplies. Iran has denied entering discussions on its nuclear program or inviting Intern…
U.S. and global equity markets opened the week under pressure as megacap technology names fell sharply, led by Alphabet and Amazon, while SpaceX drew attention after revealing plans to raise debt and suffering a steep share drop. A hawkish U.S. interest rate outlook and currency stress in Asia compounded weakness, even as chipmakers held up ahead o…
Norilsk Nickel projects small global surpluses in palladium for 2026 and 2027 and anticipates growing nickel surplus through 2027. The company expects Russian palladium output to resume growth to about 2.7 million ounces next year, supported by the Chernogorskoye deposit, and cautions that nickel market outcomes hinge on developments in Indonesia.
Deutsche Bank has trimmed its outlook for gold, attributing the downgrade to continued Federal Reserve hawkishness, stronger-than-expected U.S. economic data and a noticeable lack of traditional investment demand. The bank's analyst sets a revised base-case price for the fourth quarter and outlines a downside risk if the Fed tightens further.
A short-term U.S. sanctions waiver permitting the sale of Iranian-origin crude, petroleum products and petrochemicals through August 21 has so far failed to spur significant purchases from well-stocked Asian refiners, according to trade sources and analysts. Instead, independent Chinese refiners are expected to account for most demand, though their…
Ship-tracking data show increased vessel movements through the Strait of Hormuz, including two previously stranded supertankers and seven empty Qatar-linked LNG carriers returning to the Gulf. The pickup in traffic coincided with a round of U.S.-Iran talks and a U.S. sanctions waiver, while sanctioned and Iranian-linked tankers continued to transit…
The United Nations has asked major artificial intelligence firms to disclose the environmental impacts of their data centres and to commit to renewable power by 2030. The appeal, and a new U.N. initiative on transparency, were announced during London Climate Action Week, alongside a separate push to reduce methane emissions in the fossil fuel secto…
The U.S. announced a 60-day pause on a wide range of sanctions against Iran and issued a temporary general license permitting crude oil and related trade through August 21. While the move can deliver billions to Tehran in the near term, dismantling a sanctions framework built over more than four decades involves legal constraints, congressional opp…
Gold prices fell sharply in Asian trade as a stronger U.S. dollar and increasing expectations of Federal Reserve rate hikes weighed on demand for the non-yielding metal. Diplomatic progress between Washington and Tehran provided some optimism in the previous session, but the dollar's resilience and Fed projections pushed bullion lower.
The U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation into a small coffee shop chain in New York City after the business posted online that it would have refused service to Representative Dan Goldman had staff recognized him during a recent visit. The probe will assess whether federal public accommodation laws were viol…
New Zealand is accelerating approvals for gold projects and actively seeking mining investment as record bullion prices revive an industry that had been in decline. Government action aims to bolster a weak economy by increasing mineral exports and creating regional jobs. The expansion, however, is provoking concern from environmental groups, vintne…
Oil prices recovered slightly on June 23 after a sharp drop the previous session. Markets remain guarded as traders look for tangible evidence that a recent U.S.-Iran agreement will hold and that crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz will return to normal levels. Benchmark prices rose modestly, while two crude tankers transited the strait and U.…
Oil futures recovered modestly in Asian trade after a near 3% selloff, as a U.S. 60-day general license and reports of progress in U.S.-Iran negotiations raised prospects for increased Iranian crude and petrochemical exports. Traders remain attentive to whether the ceasefire framework and interim relief will hold and how quickly barrels could retur…
A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has enjoined the Trump administration's policy that permitted five states to bar Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients from purchasing sugary foods and beverages with their benefits. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled the U.S. Department of Agriculture lacked statutory authority to approv…
