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Archives: Reuters Articles

Gold pares gains after Trump shoots down talk of ousting Powell

Gold pares gains after Trump shoots down talk of ousting Powell

Gold prices jumped on Wednesday following news reports that US President Donald Trump planned to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, but trimmed gains after Trump denied the claim.

Trump said he was not planning to fire Powell, but declined to rule anything out, citing an investigation into cost overruns on a USD 2.5-billion Fed renovation project.

Spot gold rose 1% to USD 3,354.01 per ounce, as of 0153 p.m. EDT (1753 GMT) after rising as much as 1.6% earlier.

US gold futures settled 0.7% higher at USD 3,359.1.

“Headlines suggesting Trump was considering firing Powell drove gold prices higher… he later clarified it’s highly unlikely. Gold markets were whipsawed by the back and forth,” said Daniel Ghali, commodity strategist at TD Securities.

Israel launched powerful airstrikes in Damascus, damaging the Defence Ministry and striking near the presidential palace. The attack added to geopolitical worries and supported purchases of safe-haven gold.

On the trade front, the European Commission prepared to target USD 84.1 billion worth of US goods for possible tariffs if trade talks with Washington fail after Trump threatened last week to impose 30% tariffs on imports from the EU.

“With Israeli strikes and the US being more hawkish on trade tariffs, there is a little bit more uncertainty to the marketplace,” which is helping gold, said Jim Wyckoff, a senior analyst at Kitco Metals.

“I expect gold to trade between USD 3,250 and USD 3,476 in the near term.”

Adding support to gold was data that showed US producer prices were unexpectedly unchanged in June from a 0.3% rise in May.

It followed Tuesday’s data that showed overall consumer prices rose 0.3% in June, up from 0.1% in May, signalling the Federal Reserve may continue to exercise caution before cutting interest rates.

Gold thrives during uncertain times, and a low-interest rate environment boosts it further.

Spot silver added 0.5% to USD 37.89 per ounce.

Platinum gained nearly 3% to USD 1,412.55, and palladium rose 1.8% to USD 1,227.73.

(Reporting by Sarah Qureshi and Ashitha Shivaprasad in Bengaluru; Editing by Rod Nickel and Shailesh Kuber)

 

Oil slips as Trump’s 50-day deadline for Russia eases supply fears

Oil slips as Trump’s 50-day deadline for Russia eases supply fears

NEW YORK – Oil prices dropped by less than 1% on Tuesday after US President Donald Trump’s 50-day deadline for Russia to end the war in Ukraine and avoid sanctions eased concerns about any immediate supply disruption.

Brent crude futures settled down 50 cents, or 0.7%, at USD 68.71 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were down 46 cents, or 0.7%, at USD 66.52.

“The focus has been on Donald Trump. There was some fear he might target Russia with sanctions immediately and now he has given another 50 days,” said UBS commodities analyst Giovanni Staunovo. “Those fears about an imminent additional tightness in the market have dissipated. That’s the main story.”

Oil prices had climbed on the potential sanctions, but later gave up gains as the 50-day deadline raised hopes that sanctions could be avoided.

In the event the proposed sanctions are implemented, “it would drastically change the outlook for the oil market,” analysts at ING said in a note.

“China, India and Turkey are the largest buyers of Russian crude oil. They would need to weigh the benefits of buying discounted Russian crude oil against the cost of their exports to the US,” ING said.

Trump announced new weapons for Ukraine on Monday and had said on Saturday that he would impose a 30% tariff on most imports from the European Union and Mexico from August 1, adding to similar warnings for other countries.

Tariffs raise the risk of slower economic growth, which could reduce global fuel demand and drag oil prices lower.

Also on the tariff front, Brazil will work to get the US to reverse “as quickly as possible” the 50% tariff it announced on all goods from that country, but does not rule out asking for more time to negotiate, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin said.

China’s economy slowed in the second quarter, data showed on Tuesday, with markets bracing for a weaker second half as exports lose momentum, prices continue to fall and consumer confidence remains low.

Tony Sycamore, an analyst at IG, said economic growth in China came in above consensus, largely because of strong fiscal support and the frontloading of production and exports to beat US tariffs.

“The Chinese economic data was supportive overnight,” said Phil Flynn, senior analyst with Price Futures Group.

Elsewhere, oil demand is set to remain “very strong” through the third quarter, keeping the market balanced in the near term, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries’ secretary general said, according to a Russian media report.

In US supply, US crude stocks rose by 839,000 barrels last week, market sources said, citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday.

US government data on stockpiles is due on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Stephanie Kelly in New York; Additional reporting by Anna Hirtenstein in London, Anjana Anil in Bengaluru, and Sudarshan Varadhan in Singapore; Editing by Marguerita Choy, Matthew Lewis, and David Gregorio)

 

Gold falls as traders await tariff updates

Gold falls as traders await tariff updates

Gold prices fell on Tuesday as market participants awaited tariff updates, while an inflation report showed a widely expected increase in US consumer prices last month.

Spot gold fell 0.5% to USD 3,328.06 per ounce as of 0145 p.m. EDT (1745 GMT). US gold futures settled 0.7% lower at USD 3,336.7.

The dollar ticked up 0.6%, making gold more expensive for holders of other currencies.

“I think the market continues to be focused on tariffs, keeping gold underpinned. I remain bullish on gold, even though we’re well within the range that has been in place since the middle of May,” said Peter Grant, vice president and senior metals strategist at Zaner Metals.

Over the weekend, US President Donald Trump threatened higher tariffs, including 30% on imports from the European Union and Mexico.

Data out Tuesday showed the US Consumer Price Index increased 0.3% last month, in line with expectations, after edging up 0.1% in May. That was the largest gain since January.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that since consumer prices were low, the Federal Reserve should bring down interest rates. He has insisted on cutting rates for some time now.

The Fed will likely be able to start cutting short-term borrowing costs by September, traders continued to bet after the data.

“Honestly, gold should be perkier. This seems to reinforce the view that we need a new driver to push gold back up past USD 3,400,” said Tai Wong, an independent metals trader.

Investors await US Producer Price Index data on Wednesday for guidance.

Gold, a safe-haven asset during times of economic and geopolitical uncertainty, tends to thrive in low-interest-rate environments, as it offers no yield.

Elsewhere, spot silver slipped 0.9% to USD 37.79 per ounce after hitting its highest level since September 2011 on Monday.

“My next objective on the upside for silver is at USD 41.61/oz. I think the market is going to view any setback as a buying opportunity,” Grant said.

Platinum rose 0.6% to USD 1,371.49 and palladium added 0.5% to USD 1,198.97.

(Reporting by Sarah Qureshi and Ashitha Shivaprasad in Bengaluru; Editing by Richard Chang and Shailesh Kuber)

 

US yields climb to multi-week peaks after modest rise in June inflation

US yields climb to multi-week peaks after modest rise in June inflation

NEW YORK – US Treasury yields rose on Tuesday, with 30-year yields hitting six-week highs after data showed inflation increased in June, suggesting the Federal Reserve will likely remain cautious in cutting interest rates this year.

The benchmark 10-year yield gained 6.4 basis points (bps) to 4.487%, rising for four straight days. It earlier hit a high of 4.491%, its strongest level since June 11.

The 30-year yield hit a six-week peak of 5.022%, and was last up 4.5 bps at 5.018%. The 5% yield was a key technical level and when that was hit, it opened further selling in 30-year bonds that pushed yields higher, analysts said.

US two-year yields, which track interest rate expectations, also increased on the day, touching 3.963%, the highest since June 20. They were last up 5.6 bps at 3.957%.

Tuesday’s data showed the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 0.3% last month after edging up 0.1% in May. June’s gain was the largest since January. In the 12 months through June, the CPI climbed 2.7% after rising 2.4% in May.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast that the CPI would climb 0.3% and increase 2.6% on a year-over-year basis.

Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the CPI rose 0.2% in June after edging up 0.1% in the prior month. In the 12 months through June, core CPI inflation increased 2.9% after rising 2.8% for three straight months.

“Fed Chairman (Jerome) Powell has been pretty adamant about a couple things, including the fact that inflation is coming. It might not have shown up materially in this report,” said Jim Barnes, director of fixed income at Bryn Mawr Trust in Berwyn, Pennsylvania.

“They have to get through this summer in order to see where higher prices — what part of the product chain — are going to come from….You’ll get more clarity as to what the rate cut situation is going to be this year.”

Fed funds futures, which are tied to monetary policy, have priced in about 44 bps of easing by the end of the year, or less than two 25 bps of rate cuts each, according to LSEG estimates.

Traders also factored in that the Fed would likely cut rates at the October policy meeting with a roughly 79% probability. The September odds of a rate decline went down to about 53% from as high as 80% a few weeks ago.

“Despite a firmer core CPI print in June relative to May, we believe Federal Reserve officials will welcome this report: higher tariff-related goods inflation justifies their more cautious stance, while continued disinflation across services categories should support rate cuts in September and beyond,” wrote PIMCO economist Tiffany Wilding in emailed comments.

In other parts of the bond market, US breakeven inflation, which represents the difference between the yield on nominal Treasuries and the yield on Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) of the same maturity, rose across the board.

Breakevens reflect the market’s expected average inflation rate over the period until the securities mature.

Data showed that the US five-year breakeven inflation hit 2.501% on Tuesday following the CPI data, the highest since late March, while 10-year breakevens climbed to 2.411%, the highest since February.

Near-term breakevens such as those on the one-year and two-year sectors, also gained, hitting multi-week peaks.

The yield curve, meanwhile, marginally steepened on the day, with the spread between two-year and 10-year yields at 53.2 bps, from 53.1 bps late on Monday. The curve flattened to 44.5 bps following the CPI data, which reflected expectations that the Fed won’t be in a rush to cut interest rates.

(Reporting by Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Franklin Paul, Susan Fenton, and Cynthia Osterman)

 

Dollar holds near 3-week high before CPI; bitcoin eases back from record peak

Dollar holds near 3-week high before CPI; bitcoin eases back from record peak

TOKYO – The dollar hovered near a three-week high versus major peers on Tuesday as traders awaited the release of US inflation data later in the day that could provide clues on the path for monetary policy.

The US currency was also buoyed by elevated Treasury yields, with investors weighing a potential exit of Jerome Powell from the Federal Reserve as President Donald Trump continued his criticism of the central bank chairman.

Currencies showed little reaction to data showing China’s economy grew 5.2% last quarter, slightly topping analysts’ forecasts.

Bitcoin drifted further from Monday’s all-time peak of USD 123,153.22 following a seven-day, 14% surge as investors bet on long-sought legislative policy wins for the cryptocurrency industry this week. It changed hands at around USD 118,215 as of 0240 GMT.

The dollar was little changed at 147.68 yen, after earlier rising to the highest since June 23 at 147.89 yen.

The dollar index, which tracks the currency against the yen and five other major rivals, stood at 98.050, not far below the overnight peak of 98.136, the highest since June 25.

The euro edged up slightly to USD 1.1671 after slipping to USD 1.1650 on Monday for the first time since June 25.

Fed Chair Powell has said he expects inflation to increase this summer as a result of tariffs, which is seen keeping the US central bank on hold until later in the year.

Economists polled by Reuters expect headline inflation to increase to 2.7% on an annual basis, up from 2.4% the prior month. Core inflation is expected to rise to 3.0%, from 2.8%.

“Should inflation fail to materialise or remain steady, questions may arise regarding the Fed’s recent decision not to cut rates, potentially intensifying calls for monetary easing,” James Kniveton, senior corporate FX dealer at Convera, wrote in a client note.

“Calls from the White House for leadership changes at the Fed may increase.”

Trump on Monday renewed his attacks on Powell, saying interest rates should be at 1% or lower, rather than the 4.25% to 4.50% range the Fed has kept the key rate at so far this year.

Fed funds futures traders have been pricing in 50 basis points of interest rate cuts by year-end, with the first reduction expected in September.

“If Powell leaves, we expect the (US Treasury yield) curve to steepen sharply, with the short-end factoring in front-loaded rates cuts,” DBS analysts wrote in a note.

“Meanwhile, the loss of confidence in price stability should translate into sharply higher 10-year and 30-year yields.”

China’s economic growth topped market forecasts in the second quarter – even as it slowed slightly from the prior three months – in a sign of resilience against US tariffs.

At the same time, analysts warned of underlying weakness and rising risks that will ramp up pressure on Beijing to roll out more stimulus.

The Chinese yuan was flat at 7.1728 per dollar.

The Aussie was steady at USD 0.6546.

(Reporting by Kevin Buckland; Editing by Sonali Paul and Lincoln Feast.)

 

Wall Street ends with modest gains as investors await earnings, economic data

Wall Street ends with modest gains as investors await earnings, economic data

Wall Street stocks closed marginally up on Monday as investors sidestepped any meaningful moves following US President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threats, and held steady ahead of a busy week of economic data and the start of earnings season.

Trump ramped up trade tensions over the weekend, vowing to slap a 30% tariff on most imports from the European Union and Mexico starting August 1 – leaving the clock ticking for last-minute trade deals.

The EU extended its pause on retaliatory measures until early August, holding out hope for a negotiated truce. The White House said talks with the EU, Canada, and Mexico are still underway.

Despite the headlines, investor reaction was muted, having grown numb to Trump’s barrage of tariff threats and his frequent last-minute U-turns.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 88.14 points, or 0.20%, to 44,459.65, the S&P 500 gained 8.81 points, or 0.14%, at 6,268.56, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 54.80 points, or 0.27%, to 20,640.33.

Trading volume was also subdued, with 15.43 billion shares changing hands, compared with the 17.62 billion average for the last 20 trading days.

Markets have been buoyant in recent weeks even as Trump has rattled his tariff saber.

The Nasdaq Composite ended at a record high, its seventh such achievement since June 27. The S&P 500, which finished a dozen points below last Thursday’s best-ever close, has had five records in the same timeframe.

“If anything is holding the market back, it’s the fact we’ve had a pretty good run since April,” said Jason Pride, chief of investment strategy & research at Glenmede.

He noted that despite initial fears that Trump’s tariff policy would hurt the US economy, the levies unveiled so far and the passage of his signature economic legislation last week will broadly offset each other, meaning investors are starting to be more confident about the economy’s growth prospects.

Signs of how Trump’s policies are playing out will come this week, with a raft of new reports on the state of the US economy due up.

Second-quarter earnings season kicks off on Tuesday, when several Wall Street banking heavyweights are set to report.

Tuesday is also the scheduled release of the latest consumer price data, which is expected to reveal an inflation uptick in June as sellers started passing on the cost of sweeping tariffs.

Wednesday’s producer and import price reports will offer fresh insight into how supply chain pressures are shaping up.

One place where Trump’s tariff rhetoric still moved markets was crude prices, with US benchmark oil dropping 2.2% after he threatened levies on buyers of Russian exports, which may have knock-on effects on global energy supplies.

This pushed the energy index down 1.2%, the biggest decliner among the 11 S&P sectors.

A majority of the sectors closed in positive territory though, led by the 0.7% advance by communication services. It was helped by gains in Netflix, which reports earnings on Thursday, and Warner Bros. Discovery, whose latest Superman caper had a strong opening weekend at the box office.

Crypto stocks ticked up after Bitcoin topped USD 120,000 for the first time. Coinbase rose 1.8%, and MicroStrategy gained 3.8%.

Waters Corp. dropped 13.8% after the lab equipment maker agreed to merge with rival Becton, Dickinson and Company’s Biosciences & Diagnostic Solutions unit in a USD 17.5 billion deal.

(Reporting by Pranav Kashyap in Bengaluru and David French in New York; Editing by Maju Samuel and Richard Chang)

 

Bitcoin climbs to record USD 123,000 as investors eye US policy boost

Bitcoin climbs to record USD 123,000 as investors eye US policy boost

NEW YORK – Bitcoin vaulted past USD 120,000 for the first time on Monday, the latest milestone for the world’s largest cryptocurrency as investors bet on long-sought policy wins for the industry this week, which has been dubbed “crypto week” by US Republicans.

Bitcoin rose more than 3% to register a record high of USD 123,153.22 before easing, and was last up 0.5% at USD 119,750.86. The cryptocurrency is now up more than 27% on the year.

The US House of Representatives is set to debate and likely pass a series of crypto-related bills this week. The bills could provide the digital asset industry with the nation’s regulatory framework it has long sought.

Those demands have resonated with US President Donald Trump, a Republican who has called himself the “crypto president” and urged policymakers to revamp rules in favour of the industry.

“It’s riding a number of tailwinds at the moment,” said IG market analyst Tony Sycamore, citing institutional demand, expectations of further gains and support from Trump as reasons for the bullishness.

“It’s been a very, very, strong move over the past six or seven days and it’s hard to see where it stops now. It looks like it can easily have a look at the USD 125,000 level,” he said.

Trump and his family have made a series of forays into cryptocurrencies in the past year, including a new crypto project, World Liberty Financial, and the launch in January of his own meme coin.

Last week, crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun, who was already a major investor in the USD TRUMP coin, announced that he was buying another USD 100 million.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sun’s investment in the president’s meme coin.

The coin, which hit a high of around USD 75 in the days after its January launch, fell 3.4% on Monday to USD 9.45, CoinMarketCap data showed.

The surge in bitcoin has sparked a broader rally across other cryptocurrencies over the past few sessions even as Trump’s chaotic tariff policies have knocked sentiment in other markets.

Ether, the second-largest token, reached a high of USD 3,081.94, its highest level since February 2, but is still down more than 10% on the year advanced 2.7% after climbing as much as 6.4% on the day.

The sector’s total market value has swelled to about USD 3.8 trillion, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Simon Peters, analyst at eToro, noted that bitcoin’s price had not hit a record high in other currencies such as the euro, suggesting that dollar weakness was behind some of the rise to a new record on Monday.

CRYPTO WEEK

US Republicans have declared the week of July 14 “crypto week,” during which members of Congress are set to vote on the Genius Act, the Clarity Act, and the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act.

The most significant bill is the Genius Act, which would create federal rules for stablecoins.

“Developments around these pieces of crypto legislation could provide a further tailwind to the current rally. We wait to see,” eToro’s Peters said.

Elsewhere, prices of crypto stocks and exchange-traded funds advanced.

Shares of crypto exchange Coinbase were up 1.8%, while bitcoin holder Strategy climbed 3.5%. Crypto miner Mara Holdings was up 0.1% in US trading.

Analysts at Oppenheimer said they are cautious on Coinbase ahead of its quarterly results scheduled for July 31, but believe a more attractive entry point could happen after the earnings, and increased their price target on the stock to USD 417 from USD 395 per share.

Hong Kong-listed spot bitcoin ETFs launched by China AMC, Harvest, and Bosera all hit record highs.

(Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak in New York, Rae Wee in Singapore, and Tommy Reggiori Wilkes in London; Additional reporting by Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru, and Alun John in London; Editing by Kate Mayberry, Bernadette Baum, and Matthew Lewis)

 

US yields rise as tariffs, inflation in focus

US yields rise as tariffs, inflation in focus

US Treasury yields rose on Friday as investors focused on next week’s consumer price inflation report that may show that price growth accelerated in June, with the Federal Reserve expected to keep interest rates on hold as it waits to see the impact of tariffs on price pressures.

The European Union on Friday waited for a possible letter from US President Donald Trump outlining planned duties on his largest trade and investment partner after a broadening of his tariff war in recent days.

Yields rose overnight after Trump said the US would impose a 35% tariff on Canadian imports next month, said Tom di Galoma, managing director at Mischler Financial Group.

And now, “everybody’s got their eye on CPI next week. That could put the Fed into play if it comes in lower, or it could make them hold off if it comes in higher,” he said.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell has said he expects inflation to rise this summer, which makes the consumer price releases over the next few months key to Fed expectations.

“The CPI data from next week will be front and center,” said Jim Barnes, director of fixed income at Bryn Mawr Trust. “The market’s really not anticipating a move come July from the Fed and so from the market’s perspective they’ll be looking at the June, July, and August CPI data.”

“We have had a trend of somewhat benign inflationary data and if it maintains that, I think the market would view that as a positive. If you start to see that reverse out a little bit, that becomes somewhat problematic because is that the beginning of a new upward trend?” Barnes said.

Fed funds futures traders are pricing in 49 basis points of cuts by year-end, with the first rate reduction expected at the Fed’s September 16-17 meeting.

Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee said the new tariffs have further muddied the inflation outlook and might force the Fed to maintain its wait-and-see posture until the central bank gets more clarity.

US gross customs duties revenue grew to a record USD 27.2 billion in June as collections from the tariffs gained steam, combining with calendar shifts in receipts and outlays to produce a USD 27 billion federal budget surplus for the month, the US Treasury said on Friday.

The yield on benchmark US 10-year notes was last up 7.7 basis points on the day at 4.423%. Interest rate-sensitive two-year note yields rose 4.4 basis points to 3.912%.

The yield curve between two- and 10-year notes steepened by around three basis points to 51 basis points.

Traders pared expectations on how many times the US central bank will cut rates this year after data last week showed employers added more jobs than anticipated in June.

Trump has criticized Powell and said he is being too slow to cut rates.

The White House on Thursday launched a new attack on the Fed Chair, with a top Trump administration official saying Powell had “grossly mismanaged” the central bank, chastising him for running a deficit and for extensive cost overruns for building renovations.

The Treasury Department on Friday also sought dealer feedback on the market’s capacity to absorb additional issuance of Treasury bills as it rebuilds its cash balance following the increase in the debt ceiling and faces a worsening budget deficit.

The survey was part of Treasury’s normal procedure ahead of its quarterly refunding announcement, which is next due later this month.

US Congress last week passed a tax and spending bill that increases the debt ceiling by USD 5 trillion. Treasury said on Tuesday it will build its cash balance to  USD 500 billion by the end of July by increasing its issuance of Treasury bills.

(Reporting by Karen Brettell; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Diane Craft)

Gold climbs over 1% on safe-haven bids as Trump imposes fresh tariffs

Gold climbs over 1% on safe-haven bids as Trump imposes fresh tariffs

Gold prices rose more than 1% on Friday as investors sought safe-haven assets following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of new tariffs, while silver reached its highest level in over 13 years.

Spot gold gained 1% to USD 3,356.93 per ounce by 2:43 p.m. EDT (1843 GMT), after touching its highest level since June 24 earlier in the session. US gold futures GCcv1 closed up 1.4% at USD 3,371.20.

Global stocks fell after Trump ramped up his tariff assault on Canada, saying the US would impose a 35% tariff on imports next month and planned to impose blanket tariffs of 15% or 20% on most other trading partners. MKTS/GLOB

Trump this week also announced a 50% tariff on US copper imports and the same levy on goods from Brazil.

“We are in an environment where the uncertainty premium is back in the market and gold is getting a safe-haven bid,” said Aakash Doshi, global head of gold strategy at State Street Global Advisors.

“I think the range in the third quarter is most likely between USD 3,100 and USD 3,500. It’s been a very strong first half of the year, and I believe we’re now in a bit more of a consolidation phase.”

Non-yielding gold tends to perform well during economic uncertainty and in a low interest rate environment.

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller on Thursday reaffirmed the possibility of a rate cut this month, with investors pricing in 50 basis points of cuts by year-end. USDIRPR

Elsewhere, spot silver rose 3.9% to USD 38.46 per ounce, its highest level since September 2011.

The premium of the US futures for silver, platinum and palladium against the London benchmarks rose after Trump’s copper tariff announcement this week, leading to a spike in lease rates.

“Traders unwound open positions on NYMEX/COMEX and had to borrow on the other side,” said a precious metals trader, adding that this activity in the so-called white metals did not affect gold.

Platinum 2.8% to USD 1,399.13 and palladium climbed 6.5% to USD 1,216.12.

The rally in palladium is likely driven by speculation that Trump’s upcoming ”
major” statement
on Russia, expected on Monday, could involve sanctions that impact the metal, said Tai Wong, an independent metals trader.

“Fundamentally palladium isn’t great but if Russian supplies are interrupted this could run for a bit.”

(Reporting by Anushree Mukherjee in Bengaluru and Polina Devitt in London; additional reporting by Sarah Qureshi; Editing by Paul Simao, Shailesh Kuber and Mohammed Safi Shamsi)

Oil rises over 2% as investors weigh market outlook, tariffs, sanctions

Oil rises over 2% as investors weigh market outlook, tariffs, sanctions

Oil prices rose over 2% on Friday as the International Energy Agency said the market was tighter than it appears, while US tariffs and possible further sanctions on Russia were also in focus.

Brent crude futures settled up USD 1.72, or 2.5%, at USD 70.36 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate crude gained USD 1.88, or 2.8%, to USD 68.45 a barrel.

For the week, Brent rose 3%, while WTI had a weekly gain of around 2.2%.

The IEA said the global oil market may be tighter than it appears, with demand supported by peak summer refinery runs to meet travel and power generation.

Front-month September Brent contracts were trading at about a USD 1.20 premium to October futures.

“The market is starting to realize that supplies are tight,” said Phil Flynn, senior analyst with Price Futures Group.

US energy firms this week cut the number of oil and natural gas rigs operating for an 11th straight week, energy services firm Baker Hughes said. The last time that happened was July 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic cut demand for fuel.

Short-term market tightness notwithstanding, the IEA boosted its forecast for supply growth this year, while trimming its outlook for growth in demand, implying a market in surplus.

“OPEC+ will quickly and significantly turn up the oil tap. There is a threat of significant oversupply. In the short term, however, oil prices remain supported,” Commerzbank analysts said. OPEC+ is the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries plus allies including Russia.

Further adding support to the short-term price outlook, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Russia will compensate for overproduction against its OPEC+ quota this year in the August-September period.

Another sign of robust short-term demand was the prospect of Saudi Arabia shipping about 51 million barrels of crude oil in August to China, the biggest such shipment in more than two years.

On a longer-term basis, however, OPEC cut its forecasts for global oil demand in the 2026-2029 period because of slowing Chinese demand in its 2025 World Oil Outlook, published on Thursday.

Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry said on Friday the kingdom had been fully compliant with its voluntary OPEC+ output target.

On Thursday, both benchmark futures contracts lost more than 2% as investors worried about the impact of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on global economic growth and oil demand.

Trump told NBC News on Thursday that he will make a “major statement” on Russia on Monday, without elaborating.

Trump has expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin due to the lack of progress in ending the war in Ukraine and Russia’s intensifying bombardment of Ukrainian cities.

The European Commission is set to propose a floating Russian oil price cap this week as part of a new draft sanctions package, but Russia said it has “good experience” of tackling and minimizing such challenges.

(Reporting by Stephanie Kelly in New York, Robert Harvey in London, Colleen Howe in Beijing and Siyi Liu in Singapore; Editing by Edwina Gibbs, Mark Potter, Elaine Hardcastle, Paul Simao, Kevin Liffey and David Gregorio)

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