Market Commentary
Crude oil falls on rising U.S gasoline inventories.
Crude is hovering near one week low as the U.S gasoline inventories have increased which has increased the pressure on crude oil prices. U.S gasoline inventories are hovering near eleven years high levels which have increased the pressure on fuel markets. Energy Department said gasoline stockpiles rose 7.86 million barrels last week, the most since Sept. 21, 2001. However U.S crude oil inventories are on lower side which is the only bullish factor for red metal prices. Crude for January delivery was at $87.73 a barrel, down 15 cents, in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices fell 62 cents yesterday to close at $87.88 a barrel, the lowest since Nov. 28. Futures have dropped 11 percent this year. Brent oil for January settlement on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange was at $108.73 a barrel, down 8 cents, after sliding $1.03 yesterday. The European benchmark crude was at a premium of $21 to New York-traded WTI. It closed at $20.93 yesterday, the narrowest gap since Nov. 2.
Gold falls on strengthening dollar.
Gold is trading near one month low as the demand of the safe haven assets have started receding due to strengthening U.S dollar. Gold twelve year bull phase is expected to end as the major markets players are predicting so which might be a bear phase initiation in gold. However gold ETF investment is still near record high levels which are the only bullish factor for gold prices. Holdings in ETPs climbed to 2,627.59 metric tons yesterday. Spot gold was at $1,692.70 after falling to $1,684.93 yesterday, the least expensive since Nov. 6. Gold for December delivery gained as much as 0.2 percent to $1,697.80 an ounce on the Comex in New York, before trading at $1,696.30. The contract slipped to $1,686 yesterday, also the lowest level since Nov. 6. Cash silver fell for a third day, losing 0.2 percent to $32.8038 an ounce.
Copper is steady on U.S budget approval talks.
Copper is maintaining it weekly high levels as the U.S budget talks may be the crucial factor for copper’s either side movement. U.S fiscal cliff talks are another major event for the industrial metal demand which might decide the fate of the red metal prices. However Chinese demand is still high which might support the demand of the red metal in near future. Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was little changed at $8,027 a tonne, after rising to a six-week high of $8,068 in the previous session. The most-traded March copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange inched up 0.3 percent to 57,520 yuan ($9,200) a tonne.