Oil prices dropped from a two-month high on Friday due to uncertainty on the demands of oil futures. The market remains anxious of the prospect of a US-China trade deal and of the global economy.
These uncertainties are enough for major producers to likely extend production cuts. In the previous session of discussing the possibility of a tight crude supply, prices were raised.
Brent crude futures LCOcl had slipped 0.5%, or 30 cents, priced at $63.67 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate crude CLcl slid 0.6%, or 34 cents, at $58.24 a barrel.
“The key factor for the demand outlook for oil is the (US-China) trade negotiation currently going on,” Michael McCarthy, chief market strategist at CMC Markets and Stockbroking in Sydney said.
“With oil near the top of recent trading ranges it’s no surprise to see a bit of selling pressure during the session today.”
Oil prices had their peak since September when the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies including Russia (OPEC+) were reported to likely extend production cuts until mid-2020.
Oil was also kept steady by news from Chinese commerce ministry saying that China will strive to come up with an initial agreement of the deal with US. This will effectively bring an end to the 16-month trade war. However, the trade deal’s first phase could be finalized by next year.
In other parts of the world, traders keep an eye on oil production amid protests in Iran and Iraq.
On Friday, the Chinese technology company ByteDance said that it would consider listing its domestic businesses in Hong Kong or Shanghai due to rising Sino-U.S. tensions. The company's standalone listing in Hong Kong or Shanghai might value ...
Oil traded higher on Friday, further reclaiming lost ground from three-week lows in the previous session as the COVID-19 situation continued to dent the global economy as well as oil consumption. Brent crude gained 0.3%, trading at $43.08 ...
European shares traded lower earlier on Thursday after underwhelming earnings reports dampened a U.S. Fed vow to continue rolling out stimulus plans in a bid to soften the economic blow of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pan-European STOXX lost ...
Oil prices fell on Thursday as the rising global coronavirus cases weighed on fuel demand recovery just as OPEC+ producers are set to increase supply. The Brent contract for October slid 0.05%, or 2 cents, at $44.07 per barrel, while the September ...
The outlook for India’s struggling economy has darkened further on weak business activities and surging virus cases. This will likely prompt the Reserve Bank of India to lower interest rates again, a Reuters survey showed. According ...