Saudi Aramco Halts LPG Exports Through May After Damage
Saudi Aramco announced it will suspend LPG exports from its Juaymah facility through May after a support structure collapsed in February, delaying repairs. The halt adds to regional supply constraints already strained by the near‑closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Buyers have been forced to seek alternative sources, pushing spot LPG prices higher. The suspension underscores the vulnerability of Saudi export infrastructure amid geopolitical tensions.
When Will Gasoline Prices Go Down?
Gasoline prices remain elevated as oil futures react to heightened geopolitical risk and a tightening global supply outlook. Uncertainty surrounding potential Iran‑U.S. peace talks and a recent halt in shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz have added volatility to...
High Costs, Weak Markets: Middle East Conflict Will Have Long-Term Impact on Asia’s Food Supply
Shipping disruptions in the Middle East have sharply curtailed energy and fertiliser flows through the Strait of Hormuz, pushing Asian input costs up 50‑80% while export prices stay flat. Gulf nations have slashed imports of Asian rice, meat and dairy,...
Daqo New Energy Corp (DQ) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Daqo New Energy Corp reported a full‑year turnaround in 2025, posting positive EBITDA of $1.7 million and generating $66.1 million of operating cash flow after a $435 million outflow the prior year. Revenue fell to $665 million as polysilicon ASP declined 7.2%, but the...
Turkmen Gas Is Back on Turkey’s Agenda
Turkey has lost its Iranian gas imports, which supplied about 15% of its demand, and is reviving interest in a trans‑Caspian pipeline to bring Turkmen gas to Turkey and Europe. Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar urged international talks on the never‑built...
Gold Outlook Stalls Amid War Inflation
Gold prices slipped to $4,628.88 per ounce, a three‑week low, as war‑driven inflation dampens expectations of U.S. rate cuts. Analysts now project the Fed will keep the federal funds rate at 3.50‑3.75% through 2026, limiting gold's upside. The near‑term support...
Manufacturing Demand and Infrastructure Drive Steady Growth in Australia Steel Market, IMARC Reports
The IMARC Group forecasts Australia’s steel market to grow from roughly $20.1 billion in 2025 to about $26.6 billion by 2034, a 3.03% compound annual growth rate. Steady demand is anchored by construction, infrastructure projects and a resilient manufacturing base, especially automotive...
Spot Prices Wrap: Northeast, Midwest Hubs Strengthen on Chilly Forecasts
Physical natural gas spot prices rose in the Northeast and Midwest on Tuesday as colder weather forecasts lifted heating demand. Seasonal maintenance at key production facilities and reduced export volumes constrained supply, while an unexpected uptick in power‑generation consumption added...
Iran War Disrupting Global Gas Markets
The International Energy Agency warns that the war in Iran has triggered a sharp supply shock in the global natural‑gas market. Production disruptions and transport bottlenecks are pushing spot prices higher and eroding the momentum of a planned surge in...
Climate Change Is Increasing Northern Ontario Cattle Herds—And Beef Prices
Canadian cattle herds showed a modest 2.5% rise in early 2026 after eight years of decline, but beef prices remain 23% above the five‑year average. Climate‑driven pasture stress and frequent droughts in the Prairies keep feed scarce, limiting herd expansion....
There Are 25 Days-Worth Of Oil Supply Left In The USA, But Don't Panic
The United States currently holds enough crude to cover roughly 25 days of gasoline consumption as the Strait of Hormuz remains partially blocked. Daily demand of 8‑9 million barrels is balanced by domestic output of about 13.9 million barrels and a strategic...
Asia Leads Global LNG Demand Destruction as Middle East Conflict Knocks Out Supplies
Asian LNG imports have fallen to their lowest level since the 2020 pandemic as the Middle East conflict forced the shutdown of Qatar and United Arab Emirates supply routes. Spot JKM futures hovered around $16.55 per MMBtu on April 27, 2026, reflecting...
Shell Sees Tight Oil Supplies as Hormuz Remains Blockaded
Shell CEO Wael Sawan warned that the Hormuz blockade has removed roughly 900 million barrels of oil from the market, forcing a drawdown of inventories and prompting demand curtailment and fuel switching. The disruption has pushed Brent crude up 2.8% to...
Third Straight Decline in Benchmark Diesel as Futures Trend Higher
The U.S. Department of Energy’s weekly diesel benchmark slipped 5.2 cents to $5.351 per gallon, marking the third consecutive weekly decline and a total 29.2‑cent drop over three weeks. Despite the pullback, the AAA retail diesel index and CME ULSD...
Nucor’s Q1 Beat Wall Street Estimates on Higher Pricing, Steel Demand
Nucor Corp. reported first‑quarter net sales of $9.5 billion, up 23% from a year ago, and net earnings of $743 million, or $3.23 per share, surpassing the $2.82 consensus estimate. The surge stemmed from higher steel prices and volumes, with shipments rising...
India’s Fertilizer Production Drops as Iran War Disrupts Supplies
Fertilizer production in India for March‑April 2026 is projected at about 64 lt, roughly 12 lt (≈ 15 %) lower than a year earlier. The decline is driven by a 24 % fall in urea output to 35.42 lt, as LNG feedstock supplies were disrupted after...
Gov’t Handling Crisis Well
The Philippine government swiftly declared a national energy emergency amid the Middle East conflict, unlocking powers to procure fuel and curb hoarding. It released roughly $357 million from the Malampaya gas fund, secured a 400,000‑barrel crude shipment that provides about 50...
Faisal Islam: Why the UAE's Exit From Opec Is a Big Deal
The United Arab Emirates announced an abrupt exit from OPEC, ending its 3‑3.5 million barrel‑per‑day production quota. As the OPEC member with the second‑largest spare capacity, the UAE could boost output to roughly 5 million barrels daily and ship oil through new...
U.A.E. Quits OPEC: Here’s What It Means for Oil Prices and the Economy
On May 1, 2026 the United Arab Emirates will withdraw from OPEC and its OPEC+ alliance, citing a strategic decision to expand its own energy output. The move follows heightened geopolitical tension from the Iran‑Israel conflict, which has already driven down global...
Pre-Markets Down on Oil Prices, Q1 Earnings Results
Pre‑market trading on Tuesday shows a mixed picture: the Dow nudges higher while the Nasdaq, S&P 500 and Russell 2000 slip as oil prices climb amid the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The Iran‑related shipping disruption fuels a 36% earnings...
France at Risk of Fuel Shortages, Energy Chief Says
France’s energy minister warned that the country faces imminent fuel shortages as refinery outages, maintenance schedules, and dwindling strategic reserves converge. National gasoline inventories have slipped below the 30‑day safety threshold, prompting officials to consider activating emergency stockpiles. The government...
Oil and Gas Execs Don’t Expect Hormuz Traffic to Normalize Until August
American oil and gas executives surveyed by the Dallas Fed expect Strait of Hormuz traffic to remain disrupted until at least August, with 79% forecasting no normalization before then. Only 39% anticipate a return to normal by August, while 26%...
Rise in Copper Sulphate Prices Increase Cultivation Costs for Coffee, Arecanut Growers
Copper sulphate prices in India have surged about 70% year‑on‑year, climbing from roughly ₹270 ($3.3) per kilogram to over ₹450 ($5.5) now, driven by higher copper and sulphuric‑acid costs. The chemical is essential for Bordeaux‑mixture fungicide used on coffee and...
Ghana Gambles On Gold Royalties
Ghana introduced a sliding‑scale gold royalty that rises to 12% once the spot price passes $4,500 per ounce, immediately placing the country’s major miners in the highest tax bracket as gold traded above $5,000. The sector, which produced a record...
U.S. Oil Hits $100 As Iran Stalemate Keeps Hormuz Shut; S&P 500 Falls
U.S. crude oil futures surged past $100 a barrel, the first breach in three weeks, as a stalemate with Iran raised the risk of a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The supply‑shock fears lifted Brent to $111 and...
Iran Standoff Keeps Crude Near US$100 and Puts Strait Risk in Focus
Oil prices surged over 2.5% as the Strait of Hormuz remained effectively closed, keeping crude near the $100 per barrel threshold. Iran offered to reopen the waterway if the U.S. lifts its naval blockade, but President Trump rejected the proposal...
Russia’s Urals No Longer Cheap: India’s Refiners Face a Margin Squeeze
Indian public‑sector refineries now source 47‑50% of their crude from Russian Urals after Middle‑East deliveries fell 61% in March 2026. The disappearance of deep Urals discounts – now a $4‑5 per barrel premium to Brent – combined with higher freight...
Moroccan Tomato Exports Halted as Strike and Supply Concerns Grow
Moroccan authorities have suspended tomato exports, prompting exporters to halt operations. Exporters argue the ban won’t lower prices and points to deeper supply‑chain problems, while consumer groups demand priority for domestic availability amid rising food costs. The dispute threatens farmer...
Oil Price Climbs Above $110 for First Time in Three Weeks as US-Iran Peace Efforts Falter
Oil prices rose above $110 per barrel for the first time in three weeks as US‑Iran peace talks stalled, leaving the Strait of Hormuz largely shut. The lack of diplomatic progress revived fears that higher energy costs will force central...
Key Takeaways From EuroGrainExchange Bucharest Event 2026
The EuroGrainExchange 2026 conference highlighted a broadly balanced wheat outlook for Poland, but warned that a projected 1 million‑tonne drop in output and rising quality risks could pressure prices. Large carry‑over stocks and strong German demand keep the market stable, while...
Medium Duration Endures Woes, While Form’s Long Duration Grows, and Lithium Overflows (Part 2)
Medium‑duration storage firms EOS and ESS are feeling pressure from plunging lithium‑ion prices, even as EOS reports a record $58 million Q4 revenue and aims to drop below $100/kWh. Form Energy, however, is outpacing expectations, having landed Google’s 30 GWh iron‑air project...
Oil Climbs Above $110 as the World Awaits Trump’s Response on Iran
Oil prices surged to a three‑week high on Tuesday, with Brent crude trading above $111 per barrel and WTI above $98, pushing the weekly gain to nearly 6%. The rally follows Iran’s foreign minister presenting red‑line peace terms to mediators,...
Philippines’ Steel Inflection Point Shifts From Import Dependence to Low-Carbon, Supply-Secure Growth: SteelAsia
The Philippines steel market is entering an inflection point as construction‑driven demand surges under the Build Better More infrastructure program. SteelAsia is expanding capacity to 4.8 million tonnes by 2028, focusing on electric‑arc furnace (EAF) technology and scrap utilization to cut...
The Case for Gold in a Fractured Marketplace: How Institutional and Individual Investors Are Positioning Themselves to Position Gold
Gold set 53 new records in 2025, with demand exceeding 5,000 tonnes and a market value of roughly $555 billion—up 45% year‑over‑year. Institutional investors, led by central banks that bought 863 tons in 2025, are reshaping allocations, while Morgan Stanley now...
Gold Prices Tumble Toward $4,600 On Inflation Concerns
Gold prices slipped to a three‑week low near $4,600 an ounce on Tuesday, dropping 1.5% as higher oil prices stoked inflation worries. The dip coincided with a rebound in the U.S. dollar index and rising Brent crude above $111 per...
The World Needs Natural Gas Now, but the U.S. Is Exporting All It Can
The war in Iran has shut the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off Qatari LNG shipments and sending European and Asian prices soaring. The United States, now the world’s largest LNG exporter, is already operating its export terminals at full capacity,...
Why Are Gold, Silver Prices Falling as Crude Spikes?
Gold and silver prices slipped on April 28, 2026 as stalled US‑Iran peace talks and a 4.34% 10‑year Treasury yield dampened safe‑haven demand. MCX gold fell 0.64% to ₹151,721 (~$1,828) per 10 g and COMEX gold dropped 1% to $4,693.7/oz; MCX silver slid...
Gold (XAU/USD) Selloff Deepens: Technical Breakdown and Rising Oil Prices...
Gold prices deepened their sell‑off on April 28, slipping below the $4,800 mark and breaking both the 100‑day and 200‑day moving averages. The decline was amplified by rising oil prices, which rekindled inflation concerns and heightened sensitivity to geopolitical news...
Asia LNG Imports in March 2026 Lowest Since 2019
Asia’s LNG imports fell 4.3% in March 2026 to 21.12 million tonnes, the lowest March level since 2019. The drop was driven by reduced shipments from Qatar and the UAE amid the West‑Asia conflict, with China, India and Pakistan accounting for...
Gunnedah 28 Apr 2026: Cow Prices Cheaper, Feeders Lift in Smaller Offering
The Gunnedah saleyards auctioned 6,500 cattle on April 28, 2026, about 1,300 fewer than the previous week but maintained strong quality across all categories. Young cattle to trade rose roughly 40 cents per kilogram, reaching about $2.90 USD/kg for steers and $2.86 USD/kg...
Mideast Urea Output Slumps with Lack of Fertilizer Ships to Load
The Iran‑Israel conflict has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, halting 55‑60% of urea output in the Middle East. With roughly 45% of global urea trade sourced from Gulf facilities, the blockage has left 44 fertilizer vessels stranded and created...
Will Asean’s Scramble for Russian Oil Fuel Shift in Regional Alliances?
Southeast Asian nations are turning to Russian oil to fill shortages caused by the Strait of Hormuz blockage. Countries including Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Myanmar have secured U.S. sanctions waivers and signed energy deals with Moscow. The move...
Clear Street Initiates Buy Rating on REalloys as Rare Earth Crunch Intensifies
Clear Street initiated coverage on REalloys (NASDAQ: ALOY) with a Buy rating and a $35 price target, highlighting the company’s "mine‑to‑magnet" strategy that keeps rare‑earth processing entirely in North America. A U.S. defense ban on Chinese‑origin NdFeB magnets slated for...
U.S. LNG Faces Limits Replacing Lost Qatari Supply
U.S. LNG exporters have temporarily filled the gap left by Qatar’s shutdown, pushing U.S. shipments up 28% year‑over‑year to a record 32.15 million tonnes between January and April. Despite this surge, U.S. plants face maintenance schedules and the upcoming hurricane season,...
How Asia-Pacific Is Fighting a Fuel Shock that Could Get Worse
Asian economies are scrambling to blunt a fuel shock triggered by the ongoing Middle East conflict that has largely shut the Strait of Hormuz. Governments have deployed subsidies, export curbs and work‑from‑home mandates while hunting alternative oil and gas sources,...
Airlines Navigate Jet Fuel Price Volatility
Jet fuel prices have surged to $4.30 a gallon, a 72% jump since February, as the US‑Israel conflict with Iran disrupts the Strait of Hormuz. The spike has added $340 million in fuel expenses for United Airlines and driven a 17%...
Crude Futures Rise as Banks Price In Longer Disruptions
Crude futures climbed on Monday as traders priced in a longer‑than‑expected near‑closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The market shift reflects stalled US‑Iran negotiations that keep the strategic waterway’s status uncertain. Futures rose roughly 2% across benchmark contracts, signaling heightened...
Billion-Barrel Hormuz Oil Shock Threatens Demand as Supply Losses Mount
Prolonged blockage of the Strait of Hormuz has erased roughly one billion barrels of oil, equivalent to about 10% of global Gulf‑origin shipments. The loss now exceeds the emergency inventories released earlier in the crisis, forcing markets to curb consumption rather...
Large Corn Supplies May Limit Price Gains, Analyst Warns
Analyst Kent Thiesse highlighted that U.S. corn inventories surged 11% year‑over‑year, with stocks exceeding 9 billion bushels at the start of the third marketing quarter. While many farmers are still holding unpriced grain in hopes of a price rally, Thiesse cautioned...
Natural Gas Spot Prices, Apr. 27, 2026
On April 27, 2026, U.S. natural‑gas spot prices edged lower despite the inaugural cargo from Golden Pass LNG, signaling modest price softness amid rising export volumes. Shell announced a $16.4 billion acquisition of Arc Resources to expand Canadian shale assets and...