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Oman’s oil minister said he supports the output cut recommendations made by OPEC+ technical panel

The oil minister speaking with Reuters, supports the production cuts proposed and continuing to monitor the viral outbreak impact

  • “Oman supports the recommendation of OPEC+ JTC for a potential short, deeper cut agreement, where OPEC+ would reduce oil output immediately until the end of the second quarter, while we continue monitoring the impact of the coronavirus on oil demand growth” 
The oil minister speaking with Reuters, supports the production cuts proposed and continuing to monitor the viral outbreak impact 

It was a big week for the US dollar but one currency managed to hang with it

USD was the top performer this week, GBP lagged

USD was the top performer this week, GBP lagged
The top performing currencies this week help to demonstrate the power of technical support and central banks. It’s no surprise that the high-flying US dollar was on top but right behind it was the Australian dollar.
The main reasons AUD was able to hold up was an improvement in sentiment around coronavirus. The RBA decision also briefly lent support, despite Lowe warning that Q1 GDP was possible.
The final factor was that AUD/USD was springing from support levels at the start of the week. That gave bulls a way to manage risk and encouraged buyers.
The warning sign is that the pair peaked mid-week and broke that support today, at least tentatively. If the extension continues next week, the same technical buying support will quickly become selling pressure and this week’s AUD outperformance could be next week’s underperformance.
AUDUSD chart

Apple extends coronavirus store closures in China

Apple pushes back reopening

Apple had intended to reopen stores on Feb 10 but now says it plans for Feb 13-15, according to a statement sent to Bloomberg.
The market is using Apple and Starbucks as a bit of a barometer for Chinese commerce. This really shouldn’t be a surprise, the streets in Shanghai are empty.
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