Wall St slips as uncertainty surrounds U.S. election
U.S. stocks dip as election nears, with Trump and Harris in a tight race and investors bracing for Fed policy news.
Oil prices dropped 2% on Monday as OPEC revised down its expectations for global oil demand growth in 2024 and 2025, coinciding with China's oil imports declining for the fifth month in a row.
Investor confidence was not boosted by China’s stimulus efforts, while attention remained on potential Israeli strikes against Iranian oil facilities. Brent crude futures closed down $1.58, or 2%, at $77.46 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell $1.73, or 2.29%, to $73.83 per barrel. Last week, Brent had increased by 99 cents, and WTI rose by $1.18.
After-hours trading saw Brent drop more than $4, or 5%, following reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed the U.S. of Israel's willingness to target Iranian military sites, excluding nuclear or oil facilities. Additionally, U.S. heating oil futures fell 5%, and gasoline futures decreased by over 4%.
OPEC's forecast for global oil demand growth in 2024 has been revised down for the third consecutive time, largely due to lower expectations for China, which accounts for a significant portion of this year's downgrade. OPEC reduced its forecast for Chinese oil demand to 580,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 650,000 bpd.
In the first nine months of the year, China's crude imports fell nearly 3% from the previous year to 10.99 million bpd.
Decreasing demand in China is attributed to the rise of electric vehicles (EVs) and a slowdown in economic growth post-COVID-19, negatively impacting global oil consumption and prices. This negative outlook from China overshadowed market worries about potential disruptions in oil production following an Israeli response to Iran's missile attack on October 1.
The U.S. announced its decision to deploy troops and an advanced anti-missile system to Israel to enhance its air defenses. “While an attack by Israel into Iran is likely to happen, the latest reinforcing measures by the US military may have calmed the responses on both sides,” noted Dennis Kissler, senior vice president of trading at BOK Financial.
He added, “A nervous trade will remain with most fund managers remaining on the sidelines.” Meanwhile, U.S. officials have been discreetly advising Israel to carefully consider its response to avoid triggering a larger conflict in the Middle East.
President Biden has also publicly expressed his opposition to an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities and concerns over potential attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure.
Additionally, the dollar reached a nine-week peak on Monday during light trading, which can negatively impact demand for dollar-denominated oil among buyers using other currencies.
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris campaigns in Michigan on Sunday while her Republican rival Donald Trump stops in three eastern battleground states just two days before elections
Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump remain in a tight race in the country's seven battleground states
U.S. stocks dip as election nears, with Trump and Harris in a tight race and investors bracing for Fed policy news.
Ryanair has trimmed its passenger growth target for the year ending March 2026 from 215 million to 210 million due to Boeing delivery delays. Despite a reported after-tax profit of 1.79 billion euros, average fares dropped by 10% this year.
Ryanair cut its passenger target for March 2026 from 215M to 210M due to Boeing delays. Profits fell 18% to 1.79B euros as fares dropped, though CEO Michael O'Leary says declines are easing. Ongoing Boeing strikes may further impact deliveries.
As the EU considers new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, China is open to alternatives and welcomes the EU's delegation for discussions amid rising opposition among member states.
Volkswagen's opens new tab planned cost-cutting programme was unavoidable in order to remedy "decades of structural problems" at the German carmaker, CEO told
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