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☆ An HGTV Star’s Party Inspires a Question: What Makes a Home?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Melissa Kirsch | Dolly Faibyshev | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

What makes a house a home? On Tuesday night, that question floated in the delicately candle-scented air of a three-story penthouse apartment on lower Fifth Avenue in Manhattan where the interior designer Jeremiah Brent lives with his husband and fellow designer, Nate Berkus, and their two children. An intimate gathering of about 30 guests had assembled to celebrate the publication of Mr. Brent’s first book, “The Space That Keeps You,” a collection of photos and stories of interesting people and their enviable houses. For Mr. Brent, who along with Mr. Berkus is a mainstay on HGTV with shows like “The Nate & Jeremiah Home Project,” a home is a “weird blend of space and place.”

Persons: Jeremiah Brent, Nate Berkus, Brent’s, Brent, Berkus, Nate, ” Organizations: HGTV, Jeremiah Locations: Manhattan

But 18-24 months later, the acute phase of the adjustment is complete, with energy inventories comfortable and prices reverting towards long-term inflation-adjusted averages. Chartbook: Europe's energy supplies and pricesThere will undoubtedly be more shocks in future, but the disruption associated with the end of the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is over. Europe’s residual issue is that it has swapped relatively cheap Russian pipeline gas for relatively expensive LNG, putting its industrial competitiveness at risk, but that is a chronic problem rather than a crisis. OILIn the oil market, U.S. domestic crude and condensates production has continued to increase and surpassed its pre-pandemic peak in August 2023. Related columns:- China braces for record winter electricity demand (November 24, 2023)- Europe’s gas crisis is over, but not the painful adjustment (November 21, 2023)- Oil prices slump as fundamentals reassert themselves (November 9, 2023)- Europe's record gas stocks start to pressure prices (November 7, 2023)John Kemp is a Reuters market analyst.

Persons: John Kemp, Jan Harvey Organizations: U.S, Brent, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Europe, Asia, Ukraine, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Italy, France, Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Poland, Northwest Europe, China, Russia, South, East Asia, Brazil

☆ Markets in Q3: Gains, pains and oil reigns
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The chimneys of the Total Grandpuits oil refinery are seen just after sunset, southeast of Paris, France, March 1, 2021. Gold has lost its shine too meaning that only oil and gas, cash and the dollar have proved reliably profitable. “If you are going above $100 a barrel and staying there you are starting to create that inflation narrative again”. Athens’ main stock market is up 26.5% this year, even if it is down 11% since July. “The comforting news for Q4 though is that we should be close to peak (global) interest rates,” Metcalfe said.

Persons: Christian Hartmann, It’s, Salman Ahmed, Japan’s, ”, Robert Alster, El Salvador’s, Tayyip Erdogan’s, Argentina’s, Michael Metcalfe, ” Metcalfe Organizations: REUTERS, Christian, Federal Reserve &, Macro, Deutsche Bank, Management, Russia, U.S, Athens ’, Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Tesla, Meta, Street Global Markets, Indicators Locations: Paris, France, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Ukraine, Greece, Athens, Pakistan, Britain’s, Turkey, Nigeria, Colombia, Mexico, U.S, Poland, Ecuador, Japan

LONDON, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia’s oil minister denied the kingdom’s recent production cuts have been intended to boost prices, in remarks at the World Petroleum Congress in Calgary on Sept. 18. jacking up prices, it’s about making the decisions that are right when we have the data,” he said (“Saudi Arabia’s energy minister says oil cuts not about jacking up prices”, Financial Times, Sept. 18). Relative contributions from production cuts and faster economic growth are impossible to establish with any certainty. Even after the rise in crude prices, however, they remain moderate compared with periods of high prices in 2007-2008 and 2011-2014 once inflation is taken into account. Related columns:- Oil prices surge as stocks drain away from Cushing (Sept. 15, 2023)- Depleting U.S. crude stocks draw in hedge funds (Sept. 11, 2023)- Depleting U.S. crude inventories lift oil prices (Aug. 31, 2023)John Kemp is a Reuters market analyst.

Persons: “ It’s, ”, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, It’s, ‘, Brent, John Kemp, Jan Harvey Organizations: World Petroleum Congress, Financial, . Energy, Reuters, International Energy Agency, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Calgary, China, Europe, North America, Saudi Arabia, Russia, U.S, Cushing

☆ Russian oil tops price cap set by Western countries for first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

London CNN —The price of Russian crude oil has risen above a price cap set by the Group of Seven nations, in the first “real test” of whether the West can enforce one of its key sanctions against Moscow. “This is the first real test of the price cap sanctions,” Matthew Wright, a senior freight analyst at Kpler, told CNN. “High interest rates, declining economic activity in China, and a potential recession in the West,” have depressed oil prices globally. The smaller gap shows that the G7 price cap is “having a diminishing impact on Russian oil revenues,” Richard Bronze, co-founder and head of geopolitics at Energy Aspects, told CNN. Despite rising oil prices, buyers like India are unlikely to turn their backs on Russian oil, said Wright at Kpler.

Persons: ” Matthew Wright, Wright, “ It’s, Russia —, That’s, ” Richard Bronze, Natalia Kolesnikova, “, Tim Lister Organizations: London CNN, Group, Moscow, Argus Media, European Union, Argus, EU, CNN, Organization of, Petroleum, Gazprom, US Treasury, International Energy Agency, IEA Locations: China, India, Europe, Russia, OPEC, Ukraine, Brent, Moscow, AFP, Western, Kpler, Russian, Saudi Arabia

Commercial inventories of crude oil and refined products in the OECD advanced economies were around 2,842 million barrels at the end of May, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). While the real price was a little low, it was not obviously mispriced or significantly below the long-term median price of $81. The spread was slightly high, but again not obviously mispriced, or significantly above the long-term median of a backwardation of 98 cents. Chartbook: Global oil stocks and pricesThere are no comprehensive estimates for OECD inventories in June as yet. Related columns:- Frustrated oil bulls made to wait for price recovery (June 22, 2023)- Saudi Arabia’s 'lollipop' has yet to sweeten oil prices (June 6, 2023)John Kemp is a Reuters market analyst.

Persons: Brent, John Kemp, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Global, OECD, U.S . Energy Information Administration, ⁺, Thomson, Reuters Locations: United States, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela, Iran, North America, Europe, China, Saudi

LONDON, May 12 (Reuters) - Global commercial oil inventories were close to their long-term seasonal average at the end of the first quarter of 2023 following massive releases from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) over the previous 12 months. In the countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), commercial stocks of crude and refined products stood at 2,804 million barrels at the end of March (“Short-Term Energy Outlook”, EIA, May 12). Commercial petroleum inventories had increased by 200 million barrels compared with the same month a year earlier but over the same time the U.S. SPR was depleted by 195 million barrels. The progressive normalisation of inventories took the upward pressure off oil prices and calendar spreads over the past year. Related columns:- Oil market has absorbed surprise production cut by OPEC⁺ (April 26, 2023)- Oil market has fully absorbed impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine (March 9, 2023)John Kemp is a Reuters market analyst.

☆ They Went to the Top of Manhattan to Find Two Bedrooms and a View. Which Option Did They Choose?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Joyce Cohen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Mr. Brent was renting the ground floor of an attached brick house across from Inwood Hill Park, at the top of Manhattan. [Also in Real Estate: E-Bikes Are Exploding Every Week in New York City, Causing Fires and Killing People. “I really need access to blue and green stuff — rivers and trees,” Mr. Brent said. Still, parts of the neighborhood were noisy, with revving motorcycles and loud music, which concerned Mr. Brent. “New York City creates unique challenges to recording environments.”Among their options:

Extreme backwardation implied traders expected the balance to remain tight, with a further drawdown of already depleted inventories, and more upward pressure on oil prices. In late November, after consultations with traders, the U.S. Treasury published regulations signalling a relatively relaxed approach to enforcement (“Guidance on implementation of price cap policy”, OFAC, Nov. 22). Following last-minute discussions, on Dec. 2 the cap was set at $60, with a commitment to review it by mid- January 2023 and every two months thereafter (“G7 agrees oil price cap”, European Commission, Dec. 3). SETTING THE PRICE CAP LEVELIn setting a price cap for Russia’s crude and products, U.S. and EU officials have been confronted by a menu of policy options and other considerations. Related columns:- Investors dumped Brent in anticipation of relaxed oil price cap (Reuters, Dec. 5)- Global recession a bigger risk to Russia’s oil revenue than price cap (Reuters, Nov. 11)- Recession would make tough oil sanctions on Russia more likely (Reuters, July 14)- Oil market confronts U.S. and EU policymakers with unpalatable choices (Reuters, June 29)John Kemp is a Reuters market analyst.

EU distillate inventories were just 360 million barrels at the end of September, the lowest seasonal level since 2004. The global petroleum and refining system has proved unable to keep up with rapid growth in fuel consumption as a result of the manufacturing and freight-led recovery after the coronavirus pandemic. In any event, accelerating refinery processing will simply push the shortage upstream from the fuel market to the crude market. But with spare capacity almost exhausted, a recession is the most likely route to rebalancing the distillate market in particular and the petroleum market in general. Related columns:- OPEC+ risks overtightening the oil market (Reuters, Oct. 12).

In trying to keep inventories low through the cycle, OPEC+ risks worsening any global recession, and overtightening the market during the next upturn. Chartbook: Global petroleum inventoriesSEVERELY DEPLETED INVENTORIESThe extreme backwardation in Brent futures prices is a symptom global petroleum inventories have become uncomfortably low. BALANCING RISKS AMID UNCERTAINTYWhen spare capacity and inventories are both low, the volatility-reducing course is to put whatever spare capacity there is into production immediately to accumulate inventories pre-emptively. But the timing, duration and depth of the next downturn remains uncertain as does any reduction in oil consumption, either in absolute terms or relative to trend. Related columns:- OPEC+ cut draws hedge funds back into the oil market (Reuters, Oct. 10)- Oil investors ready for recession (Reuters, Oct 3)- Recession will be necessary to rebalance the oil market (Reuters, Sept. 22)- Oil prices and financial markets brace for recession (Reuters, Sept. 15)- John Kemp is a Reuters market analyst.

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