MARKET REACTION:- Oil prices surged, with Brent crude trading at $87.25 a barrel - up over 3% on the day. COMMENTS:MOHIT KUMAR, CHIEF EUROPE ECONOMIST, JEFFERIES, LONDON:“The coming days are likely to be driven by geopolitical risks, rather than fundamentals. “Second, OPEC countries do have spare capacity that they restrict willingly to maintain oil price at above $80 (per barrel), but they don’t necessarily think of tripling oil prices – which would only accelerate the energy transition. “This being said, potential retaliation against Tehran is a serious upside risk for oil prices. We will keep an eye on developments, but don’t speculate on a full-blast rise in oil prices for now.”

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Persons: Mohammed Salem, Israel’s shekel, MOHIT KUMAR, JEFFERIES, ”, ” CHRIS BEAUCHAMP, Brent, WTI, CAROL KONG, JPY, ” MICHAEL HEWSON, ALVIN TAN, Blinken, “, ” IPEK OZKARDESKAYA, Israel Organizations: Oil, REUTERS, Brent, U.S, Treasury, British Airways, LONDON, Russo, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF, CMC, U.S ., OF, OF ASIA FX, RBS, SWISSQUOTE BANK Locations: Israel, Gaza, Egypt, Yom, EUROPE, Iran, Ukrainian, SYDNEY, Asia, Japan, Straits, Hormuz, OF ASIA, ” “, GENEVA, OPEC, U.S, Tehran