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.
2,723 total articles
The market rally in AI-related semiconductor names continued this week as U.S.-listed Micron Technology and South Korea’s SK Hynix each reached or briefly touched $1 trillion in market value. Sharp gains in memory-chip shares followed strong demand and persistent supply shortages, while a labor agreement at Samsung helped soothe strike concerns and…
Three months into the Iran war, a roughly 40% rise in oil has reshaped inflation and interest-rate outlooks, strengthened the dollar as a safe-haven and left many Asian currencies under pressure. Stocks have generally held up thanks to renewed AI optimism, but airlines, luxury goods and government bonds have been hit. The energy shock is weighing p…
Chinese authorities have granted export quotas for urea fertiliser, according to sources with direct knowledge. The move could relieve international price pressure caused by supply disruptions related to the Iran war. Two domestic producers confirmed they received quotas; an Indian importer said a government notification permitted exports. China sh…
Oil prices pared gains on Wednesday as traders sought clarity on fragile U.S.-Iran negotiations after new military strikes raised doubts around efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Brent was trading near $98.16 a barrel and U.S. WTI near $92.23 as uncertainty around regional hostilities and shipping access weighed on markets.
Gold gained modestly in early Asian trading as markets continued to focus on ongoing peace negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. The metal has traded in a narrow band over the past 10 days amid mixed signals from the conflict, with recent military strikes and inflation data pushing investors to weigh the prospect of higher interest rates.
Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda warned that central banks should not treat rising oil prices as an isolated input. He said a temporary energy shock can become persistent if it propagates through wages, inflation expectations and firms' price-setting behavior, while the same oil price rise may have different macro effects depending on initial cond…
Oil prices declined in early Asian trading as indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran proceeded, even after both sides reported exchanges of fire earlier in the week. West Texas Intermediate for July fell 0.5% to $89.95 a barrel by 19:22 ET (23:22 GMT). Media accounts indicated the ceasefire remained intact as talks centered on a f…
Brent crude futures rose roughly 4% following U.S. military strikes in southern Iran, dealing a blow to recent optimism that a memorandum between the United States and Iran could end the three-month war and restore transit through the Strait of Hormuz. While Brent rallied to close near $99.58 a barrel, U.S. West Texas Intermediate fell as markets a…
Wheat futures in Europe climbed as markets weighed the potential impact of unusually high May temperatures on winter crops across Western Europe. Benchmark September milling wheat on Euronext rose 1% to 214.75 euros a metric ton by 1520 GMT, while meteorologists warned the intense heat is expected to persist through the week. Export data from Russi…
The Baltic Exchange's main dry bulk freight index rose on Tuesday after increases in capesize and panamax rates. The main index added 94 points to 3,085, while capesize and panamax segments posted notable gains, with average capesize daily earnings climbing as Chinese coking coal and coke prices strengthened.
The rouble price of Russian oil declined by 11% in May compared with April, driven by a firmer rouble and lower international crude prices linked to expectations of a deal to halt the conflict in Iran. The average rouble price between May 1 and May 22 stood at 6,518 roubles per barrel, down from April's 7,299 roubles. That level remains roughly 20%…
Oklo has been chosen by the U.S. Energy Department for advanced discussions about using plutonium from dismantled Cold War nuclear warheads as fuel for commercial nuclear reactors. The development follows a policy change ordered by the president that redirects surplus plutonium from dilution and disposal programs toward potential use in advanced nu…
Uzbekistan resumed shipments of non-monetary gold in April following a halt that began after September 2025. Official statistics show $1.5 billion in exports in the first four months of 2026, with central bank reserve movements suggesting sales activity in April. The restart coincides with record average gold prices and occurs alongside increased g…
Markets reopened after a long holiday weekend amid reports of progress toward an Iran ceasefire and the possible reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, sending crude nearly 7% lower to below $100 per barrel. New U.S. military strikes on Iranian targets and political provisos from the U.S. president tempered optimism. Stocks were mixed, inflation and Fe…
UBS analysts say that since the joint U.S. and Israeli assault on Iran in late February, gold has moved from being driven primarily by geopolitical risk to reacting to economic signals. Rising oil prices, surging government bond yields and a firmer U.S. dollar have increased the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets like gold, pressuring …
UBS has reduced its palladium price target across all tenors to $1,400 per ounce from $1,600, forecasting a return to surplus in 2026 after 14 straight years of deficits. The move follows data showing an undersupply in 2025, strong investment inflows that supported shortages, and indicators — including falling ETF holdings and rising scrap potentia…
Governments in the United States, Australia, Europe and Japan are deploying tens of billions of dollars to develop critical minerals and build strategic stockpiles to reduce dependence on China. Industry executives, investors and analysts caution that well-intentioned incentives and purchase guarantees can produce excess capacity and depressed pric…
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said negotiations with Iran could take "a few days" as Washington conducted fresh strikes it described as defensive in southern Iran. Diplomats were meeting in Doha to discuss a potential deal addressing the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's highly enriched uranium, while regional tensions persisted with Israeli strike…
Gold and other precious metals slipped in Asian trade after reports that U.S. forces carried out fresh strikes on Iran. The moves damped earlier optimism about a potential framework agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while the dollar steadied and oil prices rebounded, raising concerns about energy-driven inflation and its implications for ce…
Foreign ministers from Australia, India, Japan and the United States meet in New Delhi aiming to restore momentum within the Indo-Pacific-focused Quad. The session, the third ministerial meeting since September 2024, will seek concrete measures on maritime security and critical minerals, and explore a leaders' summit later this year amid regional t…
Oil prices climbed in early Asian trading after reports that the United States carried out new attacks targeting missile launch sites and mine-laying vessels in southern Iran. The moves undercut earlier market optimism that a framework deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz was imminent and follow a sharp decline in Brent on Monday. Key price benchmar…
Prime Minister Mark Carney warned that Alberta’s planned non-binding referendum in October on whether to pursue separation from Canada could become a 'dangerous bluff' that would not be helpful to national unity or negotiations with Ottawa. Citing his experience during the Brexit process, Carney argued the vote could produce unintended consequences…
Farmers across Sudan report that higher global fuel and fertilizer prices linked to the Iran conflict will force them to reduce planting this summer, intensifying food shortages in a country already experiencing acute hunger due to civil war. The nation depends on imports for more than half of its fertilizer and is fully reliant on fuel imports. An…
European natural gas benchmark prices fell on Monday, tracking a decline in oil as reports suggested Washington and Tehran may be close to a framework agreement that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The move sent the Dutch TTF front-month contract lower, while analysts cautioned that both sides have signaled the path to a formal deal remains unce…
Former U.S. President Donald Trump called for a group of countries including Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan and Turkey to join the Abraham Accords en masse as a condition tied to reaching an agreement with Iran. Trump said he spoke with leaders of those nations as well as Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, and that negotiations with Iran were "proceeding ni…
