Oil Prices Climb as Trump Escalates Iran Pressure, Strait of Hormuz Risks Grow 
Asian Stocks Rally as Cooling U.S. Inflation Boosts Fed Rate Cut Hopes 
China Home Prices Fall Again in June Despite Slower Pace of Decline 
U.S. Imposes 25% Tariff on Select Brazilian Imports After Section 301 Trade Investigation 
ECB's Kocher Says No Inflation Spillover Yet From Iran Conflict, Warns Risks Remain 
Dollar Slides as Softer US Inflation Dims Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
South Korea’s KOSPI Enters Bear Market Despite Remaining 2026’s Best-Performing Major Stock Index 
China Q2 2026 GDP Misses Forecast as Weak Domestic Demand Offsets Export Strength 
Oil Prices Set for Weekly Surge as U.S.-Iran Conflict Fuels Supply Fears 
US Stock Futures Hold Steady as Soft Inflation Data Eases Fed Rate Hike Fears 
Asian Currencies Hold Steady as Middle East Tensions Offset Weaker US Dollar 
Gold Price Holds Near Record High as Cooling U.S. Inflation Offsets Fed Caution 
US Stock Futures Fall as Netflix Outlook, Chip Selloff and Iran Tensions Weigh on Markets 
Gold Prices Head for Biggest Weekly Loss Since June as Fed Rate Outlook Weighs 
UBS Boosts China Tech Bets, Adds Kuaishou and Meituan to Focus List 
IEA Warns China Rare Earth Export Curbs Could Threaten $6.5 Trillion in Global Production 
Oil prices fell on Thursday as optimism over potential peace talks between Ukraine and Russia raised hopes of easing sanctions, while U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threats fueled economic concerns.
Brent crude dropped 55 cents (0.73%) to $74.63 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) fell 52 cents (0.73%) to $70.85. This followed a more than 2% decline on Wednesday after Trump stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy were open to peace talks. The U.S. has begun discussions to end the war, which has disrupted global oil supplies.
Russia, the world’s third-largest oil producer, has faced sanctions since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Analysts at ANZ noted that oil prices declined due to optimism that supply risks could ease. U.S. and EU sanctions have constrained Russia’s oil output, tightening supply and pushing up prices.
In addition to geopolitical factors, Trump’s proposal for reciprocal tariffs raised fears of a global trade war, potentially slowing economic growth and reducing oil demand. He pledged to impose new duties on countries taxing U.S. imports, adding to inflation concerns.
A larger-than-expected build in U.S. crude inventories also pressured prices. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported a 4.1 million-barrel increase in crude stockpiles to 427.9 million barrels for the week ending Feb. 7, surpassing analysts' forecast of a 3 million-barrel rise.
Market watchers continue to monitor geopolitical developments and economic policies that could impact global oil prices in the coming weeks.
