Commodities (Crude Oil & Copper) & Macro Outlook

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

According to the filing, UDX, an exchange recently acquired by Underdog, self-certified 7 sports event contract templates to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on July 15, with plans to launch initial contracts by July 17. The templates comprise 3 baseball and 3 basketball contract

According to Baker Hughes, U.S. oil rig count increased by 7 this week to 588, marking the highest level since April 2025 and the fifth consecutive week of gains. The increase brings total rigs 44 units or 8% higher than the same period last year. Oil drilling platforms specifically rose 7 to 452, t

According to Panama's Ministry of Economy and Finance, on Friday the government announced it will acquire the remaining 41% private stake in Petroterminal de Panama, achieving complete national ownership of the strategic energy and logistics asset. The move aims to strengthen state control over

According to Iran's state television, two tankers exploded and caught fire after transiting a mine-laid route south of the Strait of Hormuz, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported. The incident occurred on a shipping lane in the region, according to the official

According to the New York Mercantile Exchange, on July 17, crude oil prices surged over 4% as military tensions between the U.S. and Iran intensified. WTI August delivery climbed $3.54 to $82.49 per barrel, up 4.48%, while Brent September delivery rose $3.87 to $88.10 per barrel, up 4.59%. The

The three major US stock indices fell for the second consecutive day on the 17th (US Eastern Time), driven by concerns over Chinese AI company Moonshot's new model. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 52,146.42, down 406.55 points (0.77%). The S&P 500 fell 76.08 points (1.01%) to 7,457.69,

According to Yonhapinfomax, U.S. stock indices closed lower for the second consecutive day on July 17. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 406.55 points (0.77%) to 52,146.42, the S&P 500 declined 76.08 points (1.01%) to 7,457.69, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 361.70 points (1.40%) to 25,520.24.

The USD-KRW exchange rate climbed 10.90 won to 1,491.30 won in overnight trading as of 2:07 AM on the 18th, compared to the previous session's Seoul daytime close of 1,480.40 won. The surge was driven by escalating US-Iran tensions and a sharp rise in international oil prices, which triggered risk-a

According to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), for the week ending July 14, speculators increased net short positions in CBOT 10-year Treasury futures by 17,413 contracts to 831,675 contracts. Speculators reduced net short positions in CBOT 2-year Treasury futures by 103,531 cont

According to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, speculators in NYMEX and ICE natural gas markets turned to a net short position of 50,296 contracts for the week ended July 14, down 57,662 contracts from the prior week.

The United States and Iran continued mutual retaliatory airstrikes for a sixth consecutive day on 17일 (local time), with attacks expanding beyond military facilities to critical infrastructure including bridges, ports, and power facilities. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed strikes on a

According to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), speculators increased their net long positions in NYMEX WTI crude oil by 11,704 contracts during the week of July 14, bringing the total to 86,383 contracts.

According to Edaily, on July 17, the United States and Iran continued reciprocal retaliatory strikes for a sixth consecutive day, with attacks expanding from military targets to critical infrastructure including ports, bridges, and power facilities. The U.S. Central Command destroyed surveillance to

According to Jin10, oil futures recorded two-digit gains this week as of July 18, driven by escalating Middle East tensions. The U.S. expanded military strikes on Iranian targets, while Iran launched attacks on neighboring Gulf states. Additionally, Houthi forces in Yemen pose a potential threat to

According to Bloomberg, on Friday (July 17), CBOT wheat futures rose 7.12% for the week to $6.8475/bushel. CBOT soybean oil futures climbed 5.06% over the same period. Corn futures gained 1.57% to $4.6825/bushel, while soybean futures edged up 0.90% to $12.0250/bushel.

According to Jin10, as of the overnight close on July 18 at 2:30, Shanghai gold futures rose 0.67% to 878 yuan per gram, Shanghai silver futures advanced 1.05% to 13,729 yuan per kilogram, and SC crude oil futures surged 5.23% to 543 yuan per