Oil slips amid poor China data
One area where traders are paying attention to the Chinese data is clearly commodity markets, with crude off 2% on Monday. The figures from China really are a concern and the authorities have a big job on their hands arresting flagging domestic demand. That doesn’t bode well for oil demand especially when the country remains so committed to zero-Covid. And with cases continuing to rise, the downward pressure on oil prices could intensify.
Throw in a deal between the US and Iran and we may be able to wave goodbye to triple-digit oil prices for a while. Of course, it doesn’t matter how close the two are, a deal can never be assumed to be done until it’s signed. If it does get over the line, we could see oil slip below $90 and perhaps even stay there.
A technical reversal?
Gold has tried and failed again to sustainably break above $1,800 despite closing slightly above here on Friday. The yellow metal has slipped almost 1% so far today to trade back around $1,785 amid a strengthening dollar. This could just be a technical move, with the dollar seeing some support after pulling more than 4% off its highs. Similarly, it’s been a strong rebound in gold and $1,800 is looking like an increasingly significant barrier.
This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.
Based in London, Craig Erlam joined OANDA in 2015 as a market analyst. With many years of experience as a financial market analyst and trader, he focuses on both fundamental and technical analysis while producing macroeconomic commentary.
His views have been published in the Financial Times, Reuters, The Telegraph and the International Business Times, and he also appears as a regular guest commentator on the BBC, Bloomberg TV, FOX Business and SKY News.
Craig holds a full membership to the Society of Technical Analysts and is recognised as a Certified Financial Technician by the International Federation of Technical Analysts.
