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Commodities and Cryptos: Crude's wild ride, Gold rallies, Bitcoin edges higher

Oil Crude prices initially rose as the Ukraine-Russia conflict persisted and as short-term supply issues remained. Energy traders were fixated over the move above $100 for the Dated Brent benchmark.

16-02-2022 16:16 GMT by Edward Moya

US Close: US Stocks eke out a gain, Fed Minutes, Strong Retail Sales Rebound

US stocks erased earlier losses and eked out a gain after the Fed Minutes showed policymakers were not any closer to signaling aggressive policy tightening. Risk aversion returned as geopolitical tensions remained the focal point as no confirmation happened with a de-escalation with Russia-Ukraine concerns. The Fed Minutes were less hawkish than many expected and that helped risk appetite return a little.

16-02-2022 16:15 GMT by Edward Moya

Japanese yen drifting, Fed minutes next

The Japanese yen continues to have a quiet week and is trading at 115.46 in the North American session, down 0.12% on the day. What next for Ukraine? The US dollar enjoyed a boost earlier in the week as tensions between Russia and the West reached a fever pitch. Now that the situation has stabilized somewhat, investors are breathing easier and the dollar has lost ground.

16-02-2022 10:26 GMT by Kenneth Fisher

Euro steady as Ukraine takes a breath

The euro is flat on Wednesday, as investors keep a close eye on developments on the Ukraine/Russia border. The euro has been acting as a barometer of the crisis, and the currency's lack of movement today reflects a lack of clarity on the part of the markets as to what will happen next. Russia says that it has moved some troops away from attack positions, but the US says there is no proof of this.

16-02-2022 09:43 GMT by Kenneth Fisher

Oil edges up on Ukraine, gold supported

Oil edging higher again as NATO questions Russian withdrawals Oil prices are trending higher again on Wednesday, despite tensions in Ukraine appearing to ease. They spiked late on Friday and at the start of the week as the perceived risk of a Russian invasion increased, threatening to impact supplies in an already extremely tight market. While crude has pulled back from the highs as Russian troops began leaving the border - NATO remains unconvinced by those assurances - the market remains extr

16-02-2022 07:32 GMT by Craig Erlam

Mixed trade ahead of Fed minutes

Stock markets are a little flat on Wednesday as we await the Fed minutes and digest more inflation data from China and the UK. We saw a strong rebound on Tuesday as some Russian troops completed military drills near the Ukrainian border and returned to their normal bases in what was the first de-escalation in the region in weeks. It came at a time when various world leaders were warning about the threat of invasion this week, something Russia repeatedly denied. Friday's warnings carried an add

16-02-2022 07:28 GMT by Craig Erlam

Canadian dollar eyes CPI

Canada's CPI report looms Inflation remains the bane of the economy for many industrialized nations, and Canada has not been immune to this trend. CPI took a step backwards in December, with a reading of -0.1% m/m. However, inflation is expected to have jumped in January, with a consensus of a strong gain of 0.6%.

16-02-2022 07:09 GMT by Kenneth Fisher

Pound edges higher as UK CPI rises

UK inflation rises to 5.5% UK consumers continue to feel the cost-of-living squeeze, as inflation climbed to its highest level in 30 years. January CPI rose to 5.5% y/y, up from 5.4% in December and ticking above the consensus of 5.4%.

16-02-2022 04:59 GMT by Kenneth Fisher

Oil plunge could be short-lived, gold lower

Oil drops as Ukraine crisis eases Crude prices declined over expectations that Russia may soon pull some troops and on optimism that an Iran nuclear deal is within reach. Profit-taking with oil was inevitable after Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that some troops are starting to return to their regular bases after completing drills. Talks between German Chancellor Scholz and President Putin supported market expectations that an imminent Russian invasion seems less likely. The Ukraine situat

15-02-2022 15:23 GMT by Edward Moya

Stocks rebound on easing geopolitical tensions, PPI remains very hot, bitcoin rallies

US stocks rallied on optimism that it doesn’t seem like Russia will invade Ukraine this week and despite another hot PPI report, as many on Wall Street are still not convinced the Fed will be as aggressive as some are calling for this year. The bond market selloff resumed as risk appetite returned following an easing of geopolitical tensions with both the Ukraine situation and Iran nuclear talks.

15-02-2022 15:19 GMT by Edward Moya

Canadian dollar flat, CPI next

It has been a quiet week for the Canadian dollar, despite the crisis between Ukraine and Russia, which has captivated the world's attention. The lack of movement could change on Wednesday, as Canada releases the inflation report for February. Canada CPI expected to rise Canada's CPI looked weak in December, with a reading of -0.1% m/m.

15-02-2022 09:58 GMT by Kenneth Fisher

Oil and gold dip as Ukraine crisis eases

USD 100 oil delayed as Ukraine tensions ease Oil prices have pulled back from yesterday's highs and are off more than 3% on the day as invasion fears recede. Brent and WTI had been on the march to USD 100 but the removal of troops has reduced the likelihood of conflict and, in turn, the risk premium.

15-02-2022 09:20 GMT by Craig Erlam

A big step in the right direction

Risk appetite is much improved on Tuesday following reports that Russia is pulling back some troops, a significant de-escalation that makes the prospect of an invasion this week much less likely. The Kremlin maintains that it never intended to invade Ukraine and the return of some troops to their regular bases following military exercises is proceeding as was always planned. While risks remain elevated, this looks like a big step in the right direction, and investors, like everyone else, are br

15-02-2022 09:09 GMT by Craig Erlam

Euro rebounds as Ukraine tensions ease

The euro has reversed directions on Tuesday, ending a mini-slide that saw the currency drop over 1%. EUR/USD is trading at 1.1353 in the European session, up 0.41% on the day. For those investors getting a headache from non-stop coverage of the Ukraine crisis on BBC or CNN, may I suggest an alternative.

15-02-2022 08:59 GMT by Kenneth Fisher

Pound edges higher as wages jump

Wage growth a warning sign for BoE The UK employment report showed a slight rise in wage growth, raising fears of a wage-inflation spiral, as the country struggles with inflation at its highest level in 30 years. Wage growth rose to 4.3% in Q4, up from 4.2% beforehand and well above the consensus of 3.8%. The upshot is that even though wage growth is rising, real wages are actually falling because inflation is running at a much higher clip than wage growth.

15-02-2022 06:07 GMT by Kenneth Fisher

Aussie rises after optimistic RBA minutes

The Australian dollar has reversed directions and is in positive territory on Tuesday. AUD/USD is trading at 0.7154 in the European session, up 0.37% on the day. RBA preaches patience on rate hikes The RBA released the minutes of the February meeting earlier today, providing a welcome distraction from the incessant news from the Ukraine.

15-02-2022 04:37 GMT by Kenneth Fisher

Oil eyes USD 100, gold shines

Oil rising on Ukraine tensions The possibility of war between Ukraine and Russia has put oil prices on a one-way road higher. The oil market is very tight and geopolitical tensions over Ukraine has energy traders eyeing a crude price move above the USD 100 level. OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo told reporters that OPEC+ is trying to ensure they will be able to supply oil to global markets.

14-02-2022 15:32 GMT by Edward Moya

An ‘All Right’ rebound was quickly faded, cryptos get a Super Bowl win

Wall Street remain jittery over Ukraine crisis US stocks tentatively rebounded on optimism that the Ukraine-Russia crisis will avoid a war after the Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said they will engage further diplomatically. Lavrov proposed to President Putin that Russia continue talks with the West and Putin answered, ‘all right’. The geopolitical risks still remain elevated as Russian troops remain at the Ukrainian border, but the risk of military conflict happening this week appears to ha

14-02-2022 15:18 GMT by Edward Moya

Oil edges lower, gold rallies

Oil pares gains but remains well supported Oil prices are a little lower today after spiking on Friday following reports of a potential Russian invasion. Crude prices are inching ever closer to USD 100, something that looked very possible prior to Ukraine risk-premiums being priced in.

14-02-2022 12:13 GMT by Craig Erlam

Another troubling start to the week

Ukraine jitters send markets tumbling Stock markets are getting pummelled on Monday, as investors prepare for a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine this week. Reports since Friday suggest an invasion has gone from being a risk to highly likely and the late sell-off in the US followed by today's plunge reflects that. Coming during a period of high anxiety in the markets and a cost-of-living crisis in many countries, the timing couldn't really be much worse. Europe now finds itself in a very

14-02-2022 12:10 GMT by Craig Erlam

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