Oil slips further, gold treading water

Oil remains under pressure after Saudi cut

Oil prices are falling again today as Saudi Arabia’s attempt to dress up a unilateral move as a group cut fails to have the desired impact. Crude is now trading below the level it ended at Friday which suggests that, despite the knee-jerk reaction on Monday, traders were hedging against broader action from OPEC+ and got a light version of the deal they feared.

While Saudi Arabia remains price-driven, the market is more concerned with the economic outlook, and the rest of the alliance seemingly isn’t interested in taking more action in anticipation of what may come. The commitment from the start of the next year could easily change depending on what unfolds whereas markets are forced to respond to current risks and as far as the economy is concerned, they are tilted to the downside.

Gold awaiting further data following inconclusive reports

Gold is treading water again this morning, sitting right in the middle of the roughly $1,940-$1,980 range it found itself in these past weeks. The economic data we’ve had recently has been far from conclusive and that creates a lot of uncertainty around the policy path for interest rates and therefore appetite for the yellow metal.

Inflation has proven to be more stubborn than hoped while the labour market remains resilient, a combination that doesn’t point to US rate cuts later this year as traders currently hope. This is a big summer and all of that may soon change but for now, that uncertainty is creating this choppiness and range trading we’re seeing in gold.