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Middle East crisis: Oil tops $100, nears 4-year high as Saudis cut production – The Times of India

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Middle East crisis: Oil tops 0, nears 4-year high as Saudis cut production – The Times of India


Oil prices surged to $120 a barrel before retreating to $102 Monday as Saudi Arabia was reported to be cutting output, adding to the supply squeeze due to disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.Finance ministers of developed G7 nations, who met Monday evening, deferred plans to tap their strategic reserves to cool down the global flare-up in prices, while vowing to keep close tabs on the evolving supply situation.Although Brent prices touched the highest level seen since mid-2022, govt officials said there was no immediate plan to increase pump prices of fuel in India. “We are nicely placed vis-a-vis crude. There is unlikely to be a rise in petrol and diesel prices in the foreseeable future, even if prices remain at $110-120 a barrel,” said a senior govt official.

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Iran conflict sends Brent soaring 65% since Feb 28

The Indian basket was on the verge of hitting $100 a barrel after having reached $99.12 on Friday, almost 40% higher than the Feb 27 level of $71.19. Since Feb 28, when the US and Israel bombed Iran, global benchmark Brent has surged as much as 65%.The statement came amid reports that Saudi Aramco had begun reducing production from two of its fields, joining Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE, as they ran out of storage due to blocked shipments.Govt officials, however, reiterated that India has sufficient stock of oil and gas to meet domestic requirements. They also sought to dispel rumours of a scarcity of fuel and dismissed reports of shortages anywhere in the country. Officials also maintained there are adequate stocks of aviation turbine fuel. “India is also a producer and exporter of ATF; there is no need to worry,” said one of them.The disruptions have prompted govts to initiate emergency action. For instance, Japan, which imports around 95% of its oil from West Asia, has instructed a national oil reserve storage site to prepare for a possible crude release, while China has asked refiners to halt fuel exports. South Korea has capped prices for the first time in 30 years, while Vietnam removed import tariffs on fuels. Bangladesh has shut universities to conserve electricity and fuel.Panic across markets prompted G7 finance ministers to consider releasing crude from strategic reserves, a step officials said was not being considered by India as it sought to secure its supply lines.India, world’s third-largest oil-importing and consuming nation, has 5.3 million tonnes of underground strategic reserves, which are at 80% of their capacity. “The crisis (that led to a rise in prices) is not our creation. Those responsible have to deal with it and create situations to ease (prices). Ours is an India first policy,” said a govt functionary.India is not a full member of IEA and does not have an obligation to follow the diktat of the international body, officials added.



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India’s FDI inflow may cross $90 billion in FY26, says DPIIT secretary – The Times of India

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India’s FDI inflow may cross  billion in FY26, says DPIIT secretary – The Times of India


India’s total foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows are likely to cross $90 billion in 2025-26 after already surpassing $88 billion during April-February, a top government official said on Thursday.DPIIT Secretary Amardeep Singh Bhatia said the government had undertaken a series of policy measures to attract foreign investments into the country, PTI reported.He said that during April-February 2025-26, inflows had crossed $88 billion and were “hopefully crossing $90 billion” for the full fiscal year.According to Bhatia, reform measures, free trade agreements and India’s fast-growing economy are helping the country attract strong investment flows.This reflects continued momentum in foreign investment inflows amid the government’s push to improve ease of doing business and expand global trade linkages.



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Oil jumps to highest price since 2022 after report Trump to be briefed on new Iran options

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Oil jumps to highest price since 2022 after report Trump to be briefed on new Iran options


“It does seem as though escalation in the war is back on the table, be it in the guise of the US continuing its blockade in Iran, but also reports and rumours that in order to get out of this bind, Iran may start to strike again,” said Naveen Das, senior oil analyst at Kpler.



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Gold, silver price prediction: Will gold head down to Rs 1.40 lakh/10 grams & silver hit Rs 2.20 lakh/kg? – The Times of India

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Gold, silver price prediction: Will gold head down to Rs 1.40 lakh/10 grams & silver hit Rs 2.20 lakh/kg? – The Times of India


Looking ahead to the coming week, the region around the weekly low of 140,000 is anticipated to emerge as a pivotal support zone. (AI image)

Gold and silver price prediction today: Gold and silver are exhibiting a slightly bearish bias, according to Abhilash Koikkara, Head – Forex & Commodities, Nuvama Professional Clients Group.

MCX Gold Price Outlook

MCX Gold, on the weekly timeframe, has retreated from its recent highs and remained under selling pressure over the past week. From a technical standpoint, prices have faced resistance at a significant trendline, with the daily chart now forming a sequence of lower lows, a classically bearish pattern. A sustained breakout above the trendline, however, could shift sentiment and invite fresh upside. For now, the intermediate trend remains rangebound to negative, reflecting a broader corrective structure, with a firm break below key support potentially accelerating the downside.Looking ahead to the coming week, the region around the weekly low of 140,000 is anticipated to emerge as a pivotal support zone, highlighting its importance from a technical perspective. As the ongoing correction runs its course, prices are expected to test this level making any short-term uptick a potential opportunity for fresh short positions rather than a cause for bullish conviction.Conversely, gold faces a notable resistance wall around the recent peak of 155,500 in the near term. Should prices manage a convincing breakout above this threshold, it would effectively invalidate the current bearish momentum and pave the way for a fresh upside move. A consistent hold above this level, moreover, would offer stronger confirmation that the corrective phase has run its course, and bullish sentiment has reclaimed control.To summarize, gold’s overall bias remains tilted to the downside, supported by a determined negative trend that keeps further losses on the table. The intermediate bearish framework is expected to stay intact so long as prices fail to reclaim the key resistance threshold of 155,500. With momentum indicators reinforcing the bearish case and market sentiment echoing the downside narrative, the metal looks poised to sustain its corrective momentum and press lower in the near term.

MCX Gold Trading Strategy

  • CMP: 149,000
  • Target: 140,000
  • Stoploss: 155,500

MCX Silver Price Outlook

From a weekly standpoint, silver’s price action reflects a sideways to bearish bias, as the silver faces conflict at trendline resistance. The second straight week of negative closes reinforces the case for an intermediate bearish period taking hold. In this setting, we expect traders would be well-served to align their positions with the dominant trend while placing stop-loss levels around the prior weekly highs to effectively manage downside risk.The market opened the week on a weak footing, with prices trading below the 30-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA), a sign that the negative bias remains in force. The bearish outlook is likely to persist as long as prices stay capped under key weekly resistance levels. Immediate support and the near-term target converge around the recent swing lows at 220,000, and a decisive close below this level could further deepen bearish bias. In the interim, any short-term bounce back is expected to be treated as opportunities to sell.To the upside, silver appears poised to challenge the trendline resistance in the area of 255,000 in the coming sessions. If the prices manage a convincing and sustained close above this threshold, it will weaken the ongoing bearish trend, a view currently reinforced by momentum indicators. On balance, the bearish structure is likely to remain dominant as long as 255,000 continues to act as a ceiling, paving the way for additional downside corrections ahead.

MCX Silver Trading Strategy

  • CMP: 240,500
  • Target: 220,000
  • Stoploss: 255,000

(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)



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