empty
13.08.2024 12:40 PM
Oil markets stabilize

When everyone is selling, it's a great opportunity to buy. Over the past five weeks, hedge funds and asset managers have liquidated six major oil and oil product futures contracts totaling 372 million barrels. Brent was being liquidated at the fastest pace since 2011 due to fears of a U.S. recession and financial market turmoil. But as the storm subsided and fears dissipated, investors turned their attention back to geopolitics.

Federal Reserve officials do not believe that the U.S. is facing a downturn and are debating whether it's even necessary to lower the federal funds rate. The Bank of Japan does not intend to tighten monetary policy during periods of increased financial market turbulence, and the sharp decline in jobless claims is a sign that the U.S. labor market is in better shape than expected. As a result, fears of a sharp drop in global demand amid a slowdown in the global economy have eased, and Brent has started moving north.

Investors were not deterred by OPEC+'s decision to lower global demand forecasts by 140,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2024 due to a slowdown in China's demand for crude oil. The alliance has long been considered far more optimistic than the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the International Energy Agency (IEA), and the cut was rather insignificant.

Oil Demand Forecasts

This image is no longer relevant

The specifics reveal the true impact. Despite lowering its forecast for China by 80,000 bpd, the projection suggests that China's appetite for oil should increase in the near future after an underwhelming first few months of the year. In July, oil imports dropped from 11.3 million bpd to 9.97 million. Overall, from January to July, the figure was weaker than expected.

In addition to easing concerns about a U.S. recession and global oil demand, the rise in geopolitical tensions in the Middle East became a strong argument in favor of buying Brent. Israel's invasion of Gaza continues, and Iran has vowed to retaliate for the killing of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders. The armed conflict threatens an embargo on Iranian oil exports of about 1.5 million bpd. Moreover, as retaliation, Jerusalem might target Tehran's oil infrastructure. In a worst-case scenario, Iraq could also be affected.

This image is no longer relevant

Thus, the reduction of risks related to a significant slowdown in global demand and fears of worsening supply issues from the Middle East have become catalysts for the rally in North Sea crude. The only factor that has slowed it down is the anticipation of key U.S. inflation statistics for July. These data will influence the Federal Reserve's monetary policy and provide clues about the state of the U.S. economy.

Technically, on the daily Brent chart, the buy signal triggered by the breakout of the important $78.1 per barrel level, in accordance with the Wolfe Wave pattern, has been precisely followed. It makes sense to hold long positions and increase them on pullbacks or during a test of the pivot level at $82.5.

Marek Petkovich,
Analytical expert of InstaForex
© 2007-2025
Select timeframe
5
min
15
min
30
min
1
hour
4
hours
1
day
1
week
Earn on cryptocurrency rate changes with InstaForex
Download MetaTrader 4 and open your first trade
  • Grand Choice
    Contest by
    InstaForex
    InstaForex always strives to help you
    fulfill your biggest dreams.
    JOIN CONTEST

Recommended Stories

XAU/USD. Analysis and Forecast

Gold continues to show a positive tone today, but conviction behind the upward movement remains weak. Market uncertainty, driven by the tariffs announced by Donald Trump—set to take effect

Irina Yanina 10:54 2025-03-26 UTC+2

USD/JPY. Analysis and Forecast

The Japanese yen remains under pressure today due to weak domestic economic data. In February, Japan's leading inflation indicator in the services sector rose by 3.0% year-over-year, slightly below

Irina Yanina 10:42 2025-03-26 UTC+2

Looks Like It's Time to Focus on the Euro and Yen (EUR/USD May Fall, USD/JPY May Rise)

Since mid-month, financial markets have been trying to recover while frantically analyzing all possible developments surrounding the trade war the U.S. launched against its largest trading partners. Investor sentiment continues

Pati Gani 08:52 2025-03-26 UTC+2

Markets Won't Rush Headfirst into the Fire

Donald Trump has dealt such a heavy blow to globalization that conditions and outlooks for the future have changed—now divided along territorial lines. While European banks believe the S&P 500's

Marek Petkovich 07:00 2025-03-26 UTC+2

What to Pay Attention to on March 26? A Breakdown of Fundamental Events for Beginners

Very few macroeconomic events are scheduled for Wednesday, and only one important report is expected. The UK will release what may seem like a significant inflation report. Inflation remains

Paolo Greco 06:03 2025-03-26 UTC+2

GBP/USD Pair Overview – March 26: The Pound Isn't Even Trying. Inertial Growth Continues

The GBP/USD currency pair resumed its upward movement on Tuesday. It did so on a day when there were no significant events in the UK, and the only noteworthy report

Paolo Greco 02:40 2025-03-26 UTC+2

EUR/USD Pair Overview – March 26: No News, No Movement

The EUR/USD currency pair traded with low volatility on Tuesday. There have been times when the euro would crawl just 40 pips a day, and while current volatility isn't extremely

Paolo Greco 02:40 2025-03-26 UTC+2

EUR/USD: The Southward Trend Stalls, but Long Positions Remain Risky

A mixed situation has developed around the EUR/USD pair. On the one hand, the bearish sentiment prevails: last week, the price reached a 5-month high at 1.0955, while on Tuesday

Irina Manzenko 23:59 2025-03-25 UTC+2

USD/JPY. Analysis and Forecast

The USD/JPY pair is retreating from the psychological level of 151.00, reached earlier on Tuesday, though this pullback is not accompanied by significant selling pressure. The Japanese yen is attracting

Irina Yanina 18:09 2025-03-25 UTC+2

The Market Has Turned Everything Upside Down

Is the worst behind us? As the S&P 500 surged to a three-week high amid easing tariff threats from Donald Trump, banks and investment firms rushed to the bulls' side

Marek Petkovich 08:18 2025-03-25 UTC+2
Can't speak right now?
Ask your question in the chat.
Widget callback
 

Dear visitor,

Your IP address shows that you are currently located in the USA. If you are a resident of the United States, you are prohibited from using the services of InstaFintech Group including online trading, online transfers, deposit/withdrawal of funds, etc.

If you think you are seeing this message by mistake and your location is not the US, kindly proceed to the website. Otherwise, you must leave the website in order to comply with government restrictions.

Why does your IP address show your location as the USA?

  • - you are using a VPN provided by a hosting company based in the United States;
  • - your IP does not have proper WHOIS records;
  • - an error occurred in the WHOIS geolocation database.

Please confirm whether you are a US resident or not by clicking the relevant button below. If you choose the wrong option, being a US resident, you will not be able to open an account with InstaForex anyway.

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by this message.