Commodities (Crude Oil & Copper) & Macro Outlook

U.S. stock indices ended mixed on Friday, concluding their second consecutive week lower as investors assessed big-tech earnings amid elevated oil prices and geopolitical tensions. The S&P 500 rose 0.1% to 7,411.98, while the Nasdaq 100 fell 1.2% to 28,128.34, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average

Kyobo Securities warned that international oil prices could surge to $160 per barrel within the third quarter if geopolitical blockades of key shipping routes persist. According to the securities firm's report on the 25th, escalating hostilities between the United States and Iran this month have

According to Kyobo Securities, on July 25, escalating U.S.-Iran tensions have put both the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea shipping routes at risk of closure, as a ceasefire agreement (MOU) remains unimplemented. The brokerage warned that prolonged geopolitical blockades could push oil prices to as

Bitcoin and Ethereum paused their July rebound as Middle East tensions reignited and uncertainty mounted over the US Clarity Act's passage in early August. Bitcoin, which hit its lowest point of the year at 88 million won on the 1st of last month, climbed over 10% to the 97 million won range by the

South Korean President Lee met with executives from Anthropic, OpenAI, NVIDIA, and Broadcom on May 24 (local time) in San Francisco to discuss potential semiconductor and AI data center contracts, according to Policy Chief Kim Yong-beom's briefing on May 22. Kim stated that announcements could

According to South Korea Investment Securities analyst Jeong Hyun-jong on July 25, Brent crude oil has broken through the $100 per barrel mark amid escalating risks in both the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea corridor. The Strait of Hormuz handles 25-30% of global seaborne oil transport, with 21 mi

According to the Korea Exchange, inverse WTI crude oil ETNs listed on domestic markets dropped as much as 83.64% from January 2 through July 23, 2026, as Brent crude surged to $100.69 per barrel on July 23. WTI crude reached $92.28 per barrel. The Meritz Inverse 2X WTI Crude Futures ETN recorded the

According to Korea Exchange, crude oil inverse exchange-traded products plummeted 83% on July 24 as international oil prices surged due to escalating US-Iran military tensions and ongoing Houthi blockades in the Red Sea. Investors holding bearish crude oil positions suffered significant losses

Colombia's government is urging schools and businesses to shift to remote work from next week onward due to natural gas rationing caused by maintenance at the country's only LNG import terminal. The facility will close from July 30 to at least August 3, with possible extension to August 6,

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will open the Douglas port of entry in Arizona for cattle trade starting August 24, according to the agency announcement.

Hong Kong stocks declined on Friday following a sharp selloff in US technology stocks, with the Hang Seng Index closing down 247 points at 24,963. The downturn was triggered by Tesla and Alphabet reporting disappointing quarterly earnings on Thursday (23rd), causing their stock prices to

The Economist issued a retraction on July 2 after mocking investors in late April for predicting Brent crude oil would reach roughly $88 per barrel by year-end, as spot Brent prices fell to slightly over $70. The publication's retraction committed a new forecasting error by comparing year-end

According to Hkej Investment Research, Tesla and Alphabet tumbled 14.5% and 7.1% respectively on Thursday, July 23, following disappointing quarterly earnings, triggering broad weakness across the Magnificent Seven, which collectively shed $797 billion in market value—equivalent to more than two

According to Rappler, The Economist retracted its April forecast for Brent crude to reach $88 per barrel by year-end on July 2, after spot prices plummeted to slightly over $70. The publication's reversal reflects the failure of linear oil forecasts during wartime, when supply disruptions,

According to Yonhapnews, the Dow Jones 30 Industrial Average rose 235.60 points (0.46%) to 51,947.25 on July 24 (local time), as weakness in semiconductor stocks offset gains from a six-day oil price decline. The market showed mixed performance across indices amid diverging sector

According to financial industry sources, South Korea's stock market triggered circuit breaker mechanisms (side car) on all five trading days of the week of July 20-24, marking an unusual volatility pattern where both sell-side and buy-side circuit breakers activated intermittently. On Friday, July 2

South Korean government's second-half inflation target faces mounting pressure as international oil prices surged past $100 per barrel on July 23 amid escalating Middle East tensions. Brent crude futures for September delivery closed at $100.69 per barrel on July 23, marking the first time the

Bitcoin and Ethereum posted gains in the fourth week of July despite surging oil prices driven by Middle East geopolitical tensions, according to Xangle on the 25th. Bitcoin rose 1.79% to $65,045 during the week, while Ethereum climbed 1.96% to $1,877, supported by continued institutional inflows th