Asian Markets Mixed as Fed Rate Cut Bets Grow and Japan’s Nikkei Leads Gains 
Apple Loses Top Spot in China's Smartphone Market Amid Rising Competition 
Dollar Slips as Weak U.S. Manufacturing Data Increases Pressure for Fed Rate Cuts 
Gold Soars to One-Month High as Weak Jobs Data Fuels Fed Rate Cut Speculation 
Lithium Market Poised for Recovery Amid Supply Cuts and Rising Demand 
South Korea Inflation Edges Up in November as Food and Service Costs Climb 
Japan’s Finance Minister Signals Alignment With BOJ as Rate Hike Speculation Grows 
Gold Prices Set to Hit New Highs in 2025 Amid Market Volatility 
Equities Face Uncertain Outlook in 2025 Amid High Valuations and Risks 
U.S. Stocks Slip as Investors Await Fed Rate Decision and Monitor Market Shifts 
RBA Signals Possible Rate Implications as Inflation Proves More Persistent 
S&P 500 Relies on Tech for Growth in Q4 2024, Says Barclays 
Dollar Holds Steady as Markets Shift Focus to 2026 Rate Cut Expectations 
Asian Stocks Fall as U.S. Rate Cut Expectations Fade 
Tech Stocks Surge in Asia; Experts Warn ‘Cooling AI Boom May Hit NVIDIA’s Gains Hard’ 
Tesla, Apple, Nvidia Boost Nasdaq to Record High as Jobs Report Ignites Fed Rate Cut Hopes 
Markets Steady as Fed Signals Caution on Rate Cuts 
Saudi Arabia has raised its official selling price for Arab Light crude to Asia by 90 cents per barrel amid rising market volatility and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. This move, surpassing market expectations, comes as oil prices surge in response to escalating regional conflicts.
Saudi Aramco Raises Arab Light Crude Price for Asia, Lowers Costs for U.S. and Europe Amid Tensions
Saudi Arabia increased its primary oil prices for Asian consumers in response to the increased volatility in the crude market, as traders closely monitor the progress of the Middle East conflict.
According to a price list obtained by Bloomberg, Saudi Aramco, the state producer, has raised the official selling price of its primary Arab Light crude grade by 90 cents, resulting in a premium of $2.20 per barrel over the regional benchmark for purchasers in Asia. According to a survey of merchants and refiners, the company anticipated increasing the premium by 65 cents per barrel.
Simultaneously, Aramco reduced the cost of all grades in the United States and Europe.
Oil prices have surged since the beginning of October as Iran responded to the devastating assaults in Lebanon that nearly eliminated the Hezbollah leadership by launching missile strikes on Israel. This week, benchmark Brent crude increased by over 8% in response to the strikes and anticipation of a potential Israeli reprisal, trading at approximately $78 per barrel.
OPEC+ Suspends Output Increase Amid Concerns Over China’s Sluggish Oil Demand and Market Surplus
Currently, the markets have largely ignored most of the regional risks this year, as the conflict has not resulted in a reduction in supply, and traders have instead concentrated on exacerbating concerns regarding sluggish demand. Last month, the OPEC+ alliance, which Saudi Arabia and Russia lead, suspended a planned output increase for two months, until the beginning of December, in response to concerns that China's slow oil consumption will result in an excess of crude in the market.
Group members who made voluntary output adjustments will not implement the previous plan to begin rolling back the reductions in October and November. Due to the delay in the resumption of hydrocarbon production, Saudi Arabia may continue to export less than 6 million barrels per day, as it has for the past four months.
