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.
2,960 total articles
Freight rates for very large crude carriers and liquefied natural gas tankers have climbed sharply after Iran attacked ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz and declared the waterway closed. The route, which carries roughly one-fifth of global oil and substantial LNG volumes, has seen activity largely halted, driving record-high tanker charter rate…
Goldman Sachs has raised its forecast for the Dutch TTF benchmark in the first half of 2026 after strikes on Iranian-linked facilities triggered a halt in Qatari LNG production. The bank now expects April TTF to average 55 euros/MWh and the second-quarter average to be 45 euros/MWh, up from prior forecasts of 36 euros/MWh, citing supply uncertainty…
Israeli forces advanced additional units into southern Lebanon overnight to occupy defensive positions intended to protect civilians and key locations from potential attacks by Hezbollah. A military spokesperson described the deployment as limited to the borderline area and defensive in purpose. Defence Minister Israel Katz authorised the move afte…
An Israeli military spokesperson said forces have prepared for an operation against Iran that could last several weeks, while noting that deploying ground troops to Iran is unlikely. The comments came amid ongoing air strikes carried out by Israel and the United States and subsequent Iranian retaliation. Israeli leaders have said the conflict could…
U.S. President Donald Trump told a British newspaper he was "sad to see" the U.S.-UK relationship had weakened after Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially refrained from offering military support for strikes against Iran. Starmer later permitted the United States to use British military bases for defensive strikes, while senior British ministers st…
Following intense strikes on Iranian targets over the weekend, the US dollar strengthened broadly. Market moves were driven principally by energy price repercussions and the relative exposure of other economies to supply disruptions, rather than a straightforward return of the dollar's traditional haven role.
Saudi Arabia’s non-oil private sector continued to expand in February but at the slowest pace in nine months, with the Riyad Bank PMI dipping to 56.1 from 56.3. Strong domestic demand and new project approvals supported activity, while employment rose and staff cost inflation reached a record high for the survey. Regional security incidents have di…
Oil prices continued to rise in Asian trading following a more than 7% surge in the previous session, as an escalation in the Middle East and threats to passage through the Strait of Hormuz kept supply disruption concerns at the forefront of markets. Brent and WTI maintained gains, while investors and analysts assessed how much of the geopolitical …
Oil prices extended gains for a third session as the U.S.-Israeli military campaign involving Iran and related strikes on energy infrastructure and tankers heightened concerns over supply through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent and U.S. West Texas Intermediate rose, refined fuels rallied, and insurers and shippers altered operations amid warnings from …
Gold extended gains into a fourth consecutive session in Asian trading as investors reacted to an expanding conflict in the Middle East, while a firmer U.S. dollar limited how far prices could rise. Spot gold and U.S. futures advanced, supported by safe-haven flows after heavy military action in West Asia and rising oil-price risks that bolstered i…
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 …
