Market Sentiment Shifts Crude Oil Futures Amidst Plant Overhauls
Crude oil futures rallied for the fourth consecutive session on Friday, marking their inaugural weekly gain in five weeks. This surge was propelled by diminishing inventories, notably within the U.S., coupled with an underlying risk premium triggered by escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Financial analysts highlighted the positive impact of the drop in the weekly U.S. jobless claims figures released early on Thursday, which provided reassurance to investors concerned about prevailing labor market conditions.
Global Factors Influence Oil Prices
Furthermore, the manifestation of support for oil prices came from China’s robust consumer price index, demonstrating an acceleration in the previous month that surpassed market expectations.
ActivTrades analyst Pierre Veyret mentioned the flourishing momentum backed by the exceeding Chinese inflation figures, illustrating a potential ascent of oil prices to test the $80 per barrel threshold, as per reports from Reuters.
Price Movements in Energy Market
The front-month Nymex crude for September delivery closed the week up by 4.5%, reaching $76.84 per barrel, inclusive of Friday’s 0.8% uptick. Similarly, the front-month October Brent crude surged by 3.7%, ending the week at $79.66 per barrel with a 0.6% gain on Friday.
Industry Response: U.S. Refiners Cut Q3 Production Amidst Profitability Concerns
Executives of various U.S. refiners revealed their decision to scale down production for the current quarter. This strategic shift comes as profit margins continue to dwindle, prompting companies to incorporate more maintenance downtime while the summer fuel demand recedes.
According to analysts, the hope is that reducing the supply may lead to an increase in profit margins. Marathon Petroleum, Valero Energy, and Phillips 66 are among the key players adjusting their operations to navigate these challenging market conditions.
Performance of Energy Sector in Stock Market
The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund ETF, representing the energy industry, emerged as the second-best performer in the stock market for the week, rising by 1.1%.
Market Watch: Top Gainers and Losers in Energy Sector
The past five days witnessed notable gains in energy and natural resources, with Indonesia Energy leading the charge at a staggering 41.5%. Conversely, NextDecade faced a significant downturn of 40.1%, leading the list of decliners in the sector.
Source: Barchart.com