Commodities (Crude Oil & Copper) & Macro Outlook

According to President Zelensky, Ukrainian forces struck Russian targets on July 19, with Ukraine's Security Service destroying three oil storage facilities and another fuel depot in the Stavropol region. Ukrainian military also accurately hit three Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea, Zelensky

According to Zhongzheng Gold Bull, China's nonferrous metals sector delivered strong earnings growth in the first half of 2026. Among listed companies in the sector on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, 26 firms predicted

US President Donald Trump stated on the 19th (local time) that Aberdeen, Scotland residents are celebrating after new Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced plans to fully open North Sea oil fields. Trump described the North Sea as one of the highest quality oil sources on Earth with centuries of res

According to Financial Times, UK Prime Minister-in-waiting Keir Starmer will maintain Labour's controversial ban on new North Sea oil and gas exploration licenses. The decision dashes hopes within the energy sector that the incoming government might significantly reverse fossil fuel

According to Iran's Farsnews Agency, on July 19, the Strait of Hormuz transit volume has dropped to zero, with no ships currently passing through the waterway. Iran declared it will keep the strait closed as long as the U.S. continues provocative actions, and warned that any attempt to transit will

U.S. President Donald Trump recently claimed that North Sea oil is among the world's finest oil sources and expressed skepticism toward the United Kingdom's energy approach. Trump stated that the UK's significant potential stems from North Sea oil development, and criticized Britain's reliance on

According to recent remarks, U.S. Energy Secretary Wright stated that the United States will ensure oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz regardless of Iranian assistance. The seven-day rolling average of oil flow through the strategic waterway currently stands below 7 million barrels per day.

According to Guru Club, WTI crude oil surged above $82 on Friday (July 18), amid escalating Middle East tensions, fully recovering losses from a ceasefire roughly a month ago. Brent crude returned above $84.60, marking a five-week high, with a weekly gain of nearly 16%, the largest single-week

Alphabet's second-quarter earnings release on July 22 will be a key focus for US stocks during the week of July 20-24, as investors assess the company's AI capital expenditure plans amid concerns over the semiconductor sector's profitability. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index fell 9.97% last week

According to Yonhap News, Alphabet will report second-quarter earnings on July 22, with the market closely monitoring cloud growth and AI capital expenditure guidance. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index fell 9.97% last week and 18.06% this month as

U.S. stock indices fell sharply on July 17, with the Nasdaq Composite declining 1.4%, the S&P 500 dropping 1.01%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average losing 0.77%. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index fell 1.63% into bear territory, reflecting a decline of at least 20% from recent highs. Semiconduc

Strategy Inc. maintained a $3 billion U.S. dollar reserve alongside 843,775 BTC worth approximately $55 billion this week, while the Commodity Futures Trading Commission intervened to block Kalshi from liquidating sports event contracts a Michigan court ordered voided. Separately, venture

The SEC and CFTC face lobbying pushback over a joint interpretive release addressing crypto commodity classification. The dispute centers on which agency should oversee key segments of the digital-asset market, a jurisdictional question that affects trading platforms, compliance obligations, and

According to the CFTC product database, Underdog's exchange entity Aristotle Exchange DCM Inc. (operating as UDX) self-certified seven sports event-contract templates on July 15. The filings target first contract listings no later than July 17. The certifications cover three baseball and three

According to the financial sector, on July 17, the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 406.55 points, or 0.77 percent. Major semiconductor companies saw sharp losses, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index down for a third consecutive trading day. The selloff came as investors reacted to

According to BlockBeats, international crude oil prices surged on July 18, with Brent crude climbing to $86.75 per barrel and WTI rising to $82.33 per barrel, recovering from recent lows near $70. Data released by Kpler on July 17 showed vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped to 8

Energy Development Corporation (EDC) was established March 5, 1976 via Presidential Decree 927 as a state response to the 1973 oil embargo. The crisis quadrupled crude prices and left the Philippines, which imported 95% of its energy as oil, facing gasoline rationing and widespread brownouts. The

According to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Strait of Hormuz has been completely closed as of today, July 18, following explosions and fires that engulfed two tankers transiting a mined zone south of the strait. The Iranian military cited recent U.S. military operations as the

According to overseas brokers, the USD/KRW 1-month non-deliverable forward (NDF) rate rose to 1,487.15 won (mid-price) overnight on July 18, up 9.50 won from the previous Seoul forex market spot close of 1,478.50 won after accounting for swap points. The bid was set at 1,487.00 won and the ask at 1,

According to Bloomberg, on July 18, Bank of America appointed Sonali Theisen as global digital assets platform head, tasked with designing, developing, scaling and governing the platform while driving integration with traditional financial infrastructure. Theisen will maintain her concurrent role as