U.S. Black Friday Online Spending Surges to $8.6 Billion, Boosted by Mobile Shoppers 
Goldman Predicts 50% Odds of 10% U.S. Tariff on Copper by Q1 Close 
U.S. Stocks vs. Bonds: Are Diverging Valuations Signaling a Shift? 
U.S. Banks Report Strong Q4 Profits Amid Investment Banking Surge 
Urban studies: Doing research when every city is different 
China's Refining Industry Faces Major Shakeup Amid Challenges 
Moody's Upgrades Argentina's Credit Rating Amid Economic Reforms 
Energy Sector Outlook 2025: AI's Role and Market Dynamics 
Oil Prices Dip Slightly Amid Focus on Russian Sanctions and U.S. Inflation Data 
Indonesia Surprises Markets with Interest Rate Cut Amid Currency Pressure 
Bitcoin Defies Gravity Above $93K Despite Missing Retail FOMO – ETF Inflows Return & Whales Accumulate: Buy the Dip to $100K 
European Stocks Rally on Chinese Growth and Mining Merger Speculation 
Fed May Resume Rate Hikes: BofA Analysts Outline Key Scenarios 
China Vanke Hit with Fresh S&P Downgrade as Debt Concerns Intensify 
US crude and product demand at seasonal highs now. Crude supply flattening out.
The oil markets will be focused on several key supply questions in the coming weeks and months. How much production will OPEC and Russia actually cut? How quickly will US crude supply return to growth in a $50-60 world? How much of a recovery in output will we see out of Libya and Nigeria? Of course, we have our views, as discussed in recent publications. But until we start to get answers, the debates will continue. In the meantime, the markets have priced in significant OPEC cuts.
While tanker tracking data should give some indications on OPEC as January unfolds, it will be mid-February before there are decent IEA and OPEC figures for January. Until then, we believe that markets will enter a “wait and see” mode; crude prices are likely to start trading within a relatively wide range. We wouldn’t be surprised to see Brent test $50 during this “data vacuum” period.
Option-trade recommendation: Strangle Shorting
As we foresee narrow range trend is puzzling this pair on both intraday and weekly charts,
At current spot at 52.50 with range bounded trend keeping in consideration, we would like to remain in the safe zone by achieving certain returns though shorting a strangle.
Naked Strangle Shorting
Overview: Slightly bearish in short term but sideways in the medium term.
Time frame: 14 days
Volatility: lower volatility expected
The execution: As shown in the diagram, short 2W OTM put (1% strike difference referring lower cap) and short OTM call simultaneously of the same expiry (1% strike referring upper cap) (we reiterate, preferably short term for maturity is desired).
Maximum returns for this strategy is achieved when the WTI spot price on expiry is trading between these OTM strikes as both the instruments have to wipe off worthless. So that the options trader gets to keep the entire initial credit taken as profit.
Remember, this strategy exclusively for the speculative purpose. Maximum loss for this strategy is to the extent of when the underlying spot FX on expiration date is trading beyond the strike prices of the options written.
