Tony Sycamore News

Oil prices were little changed in early Asian trading on Tuesday, hovering close to three-week highs on heightened Middle East tensions and recovering China demand. Brent futures ticked down 8 cents to $83.48 a barrel by 0133 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for April delivery inched down 10 cents to $78.36 a barrel. The March WTI contract rose 26 cents to $79.45 a barrel as traders prepared for that contract to expire during the day.

Bitcoin climbed past $51,000 in a broad cryptocurrency rally that saw Ether, the second-biggest token, advance back to where it was before the TerraUSD stablecoin collapsed almost two years ago. Bitcoin's 21% year-to-date gain pushed its market capitalization above $1 trillion for the first time since December 2021, data from CoinGecko show. Ether rose 4.1% in London on Wednesday, and altcoins like Avalanche, Polkadot and Polygon also climbed.

By Natalie Grover

Bitcoin posted its worst streak in about a month after the US Securities and Exchange Commission approved spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs.

Brent crude slipped 0.93%, or 73 cents, to $78.03 a barrel by 0753 GMT after falling more than 1% earlier in the session, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures shed 1.04%, or 77 cents, to $73.04 a barrel. «Saudi Aramco slashing its February OSPs bolsters the weak demand narrative,» said Vandana Hari, founder of oil market analysis provider Vanda Insights. Rising supply and competition with rival producers prompted Saudi Arabia on Sunday to cut the February official selling price (OSP) of its flagship Arab Light crude to Asia to the lowest level in 27 months. «If we were just to focus on the fundamentals including, higher inventories, higher OPEC/non-OPEC production, and a lower-than-expected Saudi OSP, it would be impossible to be anything other than bearish crude oil,» IG analyst Tony Sycamore said. «However, that doesn't take into account the fact that geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are undeniably rising again which will mean limited downside.» Both contracts climbed more than 2% in the first week of 2024 after investors returned from holidays to focus on geopolitical risk in the Middle East following attacks by Yemeni Houthis on ships in the Red Sea. U.S.

By Florence Tan

Oil prices rose nearly 1% in early Asian trade on Monday, supported by lower exports from Russia and as attacks by the Houthis on ships in the Red Sea raised concerns of oil supply disruption. Brent crude futures climbed 69 cents, or 0.9%, to $77.24 a barrel by 0037 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $72.08 a barrel, up 65 cents, or 0.9%. «The bad weather in Russia has played a part in the stronger open this morning as has the Houthis attack on ships close to Yemen,» IG analyst Tony Sycamore said. Russia said on Sunday it would deepen oil export cuts in December by potentially 50,000 barrels per day or more, earlier than promised, as the world's biggest exporters try to support global oil prices. This comes after Moscow suspended about two-thirds of loadings of its main export grade Urals crude from ports due to a storm and scheduled maintenance on Friday. Shipping firms, including the world's biggest container shipping lines MSC and A.P.

By Stella Qiu

Bitcoin delivered another bout of its notorious volatility in a sharp tumble toward $40,000 amid a broader crypto selloff. The largest token sank as much as 7.5% to $40,521 before paring some of the losses to trade 4% lower at $42,095 as of 11:12 a.m. in Singapore on Monday. Smaller tokens like Ether, XRP, Polkadot and Avalanche also fell. A gauge of the largest 100 digital assets shed about 4%, the largest drop since Nov. 22.

inflation report later in the day that will set the tone for the week filled with central bank meetings. The U.S. Federal Reserve is widely expected to hold rates on Wednesday, with the spotlight squarely on comments from Chair Jerome Powell during his press conference as well as the central bank's dot plot and summary economic projections.

By Paul Carsten

Bitcoin’s longest winning run since May lifted the token past $44,000, sparking questions about whether the breakout increasingly reflects a conviction that looser Federal Reserve monetary policy lies ahead. The largest digital asset climbed for six days through Tuesday, adding roughly 16%, and was consolidating the gains in early Asian trading on Wednesday. Its 2023 rebound from last year’s crypto rout now stands at 165%. Much of the rally is pegged to the prospect of the US allowing its first spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds, paving the way to a wider investor base. BlackRock Inc. and Fidelity Investments are among those awaiting the outcome of their applications, with some analysts expecting a green light by January. But ETF hype has shadowed Bitcoin since June, when asset managers began seeking approval to roll out the funds. That’s leading some to ask if the token’s surge is now drawing more succor from wagers on Fed rate cuts next year.

Bitcoin traded close to $44,000 after notching its longest winning streak since May, a rally driven in part by expectations of looser monetary policy. 

bond yields continued to decline. Japanese government bond yields dipped to the lowest since mid-August as U.S. Treasury yields hovered close to a three-month trough. Meanwhile, crude oil sank to a nearly five-month low, while bullion held steady after dropping back from an all-time high.

Bitcoin topped US$42,000 as frenzied speculation in cryptocurrencies gathers pace, extending the largest digital token’s rally to more than 150 per cent this year.

Bitcoin surpassed $40,000 for the first time since May 2022. In the early hours of Monday morning, the token added about 1% to trade at $40,005 on Monday in Singapore, taking its 2023 jump to 142%. Before the TerraUSD stablecoin collapse, Bitcoin was last at $40,000, contributing to a rout in digital assets.

By Florence Tan

Brent crude futures were up 42 cents at $81.84 a barrel by 1459 GMT, having settled 0.7% down in the previous session. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude were down 33 cents from Wednesday's close, dropping to $76.77.

By Colleen Howe

By Paul Carsten

By Florence Tan and Colleen Howe