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Crude Conundrum: Will Oil Prices Reach $100pb Amid Supply Cuts and Inflation Concerns?

Crude Conundrum: Will Oil Prices Reach $100pb Amid Supply Cuts and Inflation Concerns?
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  1. More cuts 

    More cuts 

    Brent crude rallied past the $90pb yesterday, as US crude advanced above the $88pb mark as Saudi Arabia and Russia announce that they prolong their supply cuts. Saudi Arabia will continue reducing its own unilateral supply by 1mbpd to the end of the year, while Russia will be cutting 300'000 bpd. The kneejerk reaction to the news was a sharp jump in oil prices but the news was not a shocker per se, investors knew that something was cooking. What surprised the market, however, is the timeline: cuts are announced for another 3 months.  

    The million barrel question now is: is $100pb back on the table? It's unsure, and the road that could lead crude oil prices toward the $100pb psychological mark will likely be bumpy, because higher energy prices have already started being reflected in inflation and inflation expectations. As a result, the central banks, including the Fed, will have little choice but to keep their monetary policies sufficiently tight to prevent an uptick in inflation. That could mean further rate hikes, or keeping the rates at restrictive levels for longer, in which case, oil prices make a U-turn and cheapen due to recession and global demand concerns.  

    And when global demand worries kick in, and prices cheapen, Saudi will be losing money considering that the kingdom is shouldering the supply cut strategy for OPEC alone. For now, the demand outlook remains strong despite the slowing China and suffering Europe, but if it weakened, Saudi could easily change its mind, and the kingdom has a history of making sharp U-turns on its decision when winds turn against them. 


    Ipek Ozkardeskaya

    Ipek Ozkardeskaya

    Ipek Ozkardeskaya provides market analysis on FX, leading market indices, individual stocks, oil, commodities, bonds and interest rates.
    She has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked in HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist in Swissquote Bank. She worked as Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020.
    She is passionate about the interaction between the economy and financial markets. She has been observing and analyzing a wide variety of relationships between the economic fundamentals and market behaviour over the past decade. She has been privileged to live and to work in the world's most exciting financial hubs including Geneva, London and Shanghai.
    She has a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and a Master's Degree in Financial Engineering and Risk Management from the University of Lausanne (HEC Lausanne), Switzerland.


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