Brent Oil Exchange rate
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD extends slide toward 1.0300, touches new two-year low
EUR/USD stays under bearish pressure and trades at its lowest level since December 2022 below 1.0350 on Thursday. The pair turned south amid a resurgent US Dollar demand and worsening market mood. Investors stay cautious at the onset of 2025, awaiting the US jobs data for fresh incentives.
GBP/USD slumps to multi-month lows below 1.2450
Following an earlier recovery attempt, GBP/USD reversed its direction and declined to its weakest level in nearly eight months below 1.2450. The renewed US Dollar (USD) strength on worsening risk mood weighs on the pair as markets await mid-tier data releases.
Gold benefits from risk aversion, climbs above $2,640
Gold gathers recovery momentum and trades at a two-week-high above $2,640 heading into the American session on Thursday. The precious metal benefits from the sour market mood and the pullback seen in the US Treasury bond yields.
XRP rockets 11% as Bitcoin starts New Year with bullish bang
Crypto majors zoomed higher in the past 24 hours as the market entered a widely expected bullish year, with Bitcoin inching above $95,000 to shake off losses from last week. XRP surged 11% to lead growth among majors as of Thursday, led by $1.3 billion worth of trading volumes on Korea-focused exchange UpBit.
Three Fundamentals: Year-end flows, Jobless Claims and ISM Manufacturing PMI stand out Premium
Money managers may adjust their portfolios ahead of the year-end. Weekly US Jobless Claims serve as the first meaningful release in 2025. The ISM Manufacturing PMI provides an initial indication ahead of Nonfarm Payrolls.
Majors
Cryptocurrencies
Signatures
BRENT OIL, ENERGY COMMODITY
Brent Oil (or Brent Crude) is a major trading classification of sweet light crude oil that serves as a major benchmark price for purchases of oil worldwide. It is extracted from the North Sea. Brent oil contracts in the ICE (Intercontinental Exchange) are quoted in US dollars. It is the benchmark used primarily in Europe though it is also mixed in with the OPEC Reference Basket which is used around the world. Brent blend makes up more than half of the world's globally traded supply of crude oil. Crude oil is the highest volume contract that is traded worldwide for a physical commodity.
USD/CAD, AUD/USD and NZD/USD are called “commodity pairs” because they are highly correlated to commodity (especially oil) fluctuations.
When making trading decisions in the commodity pairs, it might be a good idea to take a look at the correlated commodities because it can help to predict future up or down movements.
HISTORIC HIGHS AND LOWS FOR BRENT OIL
- All-time records: Max:147.27 on 07/07/2008 - Min: 9.75 on 31/03/1986
- Last 5 years: Max:86.71 on 03/10/2018 - Min: 26.08 on 11/02/2016
* Data as of February 2020
ASSETS THAT INFLUENCE BRENT OIL THE MOST
- Currencies: USD.
- Commodities: Natural Gas.
- Bonds: T-Bond (Treasury bond is a marketable, fixed-interest U.S. government debt security).
- Indices: BRENT Index (the cash settlement price for the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) Brent Future based on ICE Futures Brent index at expiry) and WTI (West Texas Intermediate is a grade of crude oil used as a benchmark in oil pricing, the underlying commodity of NYMEX's oil futures contracts).
ORGANIZATIONS, PEOPLE AND ECONOMIC DATA THAT INFLUENCE BRENT OIL
Weekly crude inventories (that represent the supply of oil) are very closely watched by traders, in particular those reported by the EIA (Energy Information Administration) and the API (American Petroleum Institute).
On the other hand, an important indicator of underlying oil demand growth is the world GDP growth rates (in periods of recession, the consumption of oil tends to fall).
On how supply (inventories) and demand affect the price of oil, we recommend you to watch this short video.
In terms of influent people and organizations for the brent oil, we highlight:
- Mike Sommers is the 15th chief executive of the American Petroleum Institute (API) since its founding. API is the largest national trade association representing all aspects of America's oil and natural gas industry. Before being named API's president and CEO, Sommers led the American Investment Council, a trade association representing many of the nation's leading private equity and growth capital firms and other business partners.
- Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, OPEC’s Secretary General since August 2016. He previously served as Acting Secretary General in 2006, represented Nigeria on OPEC's Economic Commission Board during 1993–2008, led the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation during 2009–2010, and has headed Nigeria's technical delegation to UN climate negotiations since 1991. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is a permanent, intergovernmental Organization, created at the Baghdad Conference in 1960, by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.
- US Oil & Gas Association, was founded in October 1917 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, following the United States’ entry into World War I. This trade association “promotes the well-being of the oil and natural gas industries in the United States”.
- Vladimir Putin, who has served as the president of Russia since 2012, previously holding the position from 2000 until 2008.