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☆ Oil falls as US holds off refilling strategic reserve
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Yuka Obayashi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, March 24 (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Friday, extending the previous day's losses, on worries about potential oversupply after U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said refilling the country's Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) may take several years. The White House said in October it would buy back oil for the SPR when prices were at or below about $67-$72 per barrel. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said a previously announced cut of 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) in Russia's oil production would be from an output level of 10.2 million bpd in February, the RIA Novosti news agency reported. That would mean Russia is aiming to produce 9.7 million bpd between March and June, when the production cut will be in force, according to Novak - a much smaller reduction in output than Moscow previously indicated. On the supportive side, Goldman Sachs said commodities demand was surging in China, the world's biggest oil importer, with oil demand topping 16 million bpd.

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index (.GSPTSE) ended down 72.86 points, or 0.4%, at 19,459.92, preliminary data showed. The energy sector fell 1.8% as the price of oil settled 1.3% lower at $69.96 a barrel. Oil fell after U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told lawmakers that refilling the country's Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) may take several years. Heavily weighted financials were down 0.7% as concerns about the global banking sector lingered following interest rate hikes by the Swiss National Bank and the Bank of England. Bombardier shares ended up 2.8% after the company raised its 2025 revenue and free cash flow targets at its investor day, banking on strong demand for private flights.

☆ Oil drops as oversupply concerns overshadow demand hopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Shariq Khan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Brent crude futures fell 46 cents, or 0.6%, to $76.23 a barrel by 2:15 p.m. EDT (1815 GMT), while the U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures slid by 57 cents, or 0.8%, to $70.33 a barrel. Oil benchmarks were slightly higher before the news on hopes that a lower dollar and higher gasoline prices would spur more demand for the commodity. A weaker greenback makes dollar-denominated oil more attractive to holders of foreign currencies, lifting demand. Higher gasoline demand will encourage refiners to use more crude oil to turn it into the road transportation fuel, Mizuho analyst Robert Yawger said. Also supportive, Goldman Sachs on Thursday said demand from China, the world's biggest oil importer, continued to surge across the commodity complex, with oil demand topping 16 million barrels per day.

March 17 (Reuters) - Oil prices took a dive on Friday, reversing early gains of more than $1 a barrel and falling by more than $3, as banking sector fears set crude on course for its biggest weekly decline in months. Brent was on track for its biggest weekly fall since December at more than 10%, with WTI heading toward a loss of more than 11%, its biggest since last April. Pressure this week followed the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank and trouble at Credit Suisse and First Republic Bank. The drop in prices highlights "the continued fragile state of the market", said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank. Analysts still expect constrained global supply to support prices in the foreseeable future.

Companies Signature Bank FollowSINGAPORE, March 17 (Reuters) - Oil prices firmed on Friday after a meeting between Saudi Arabia and Russia calmed markets amid strong China demand expectations, but were headed for their biggest weekly falls since December as a banking crisis rocked global financial and oil markets. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude went up by 21 cents to $68.53 a barrel, after closing 1.1% higher in the previous session. China's demand rebound will be positive for oil prices if upcoming data shows a good recovery of the country's economy, said analyst Tina Teng of CMC Markets. However, contagion risks among banks are still keeping investors on edge, curbing their appetite for assets such as commodities, as they fear a further rout could trigger a global recession and cut oil demand. These issues regarding inflation, the central bank's rate hikes, and confidence in financial systems cannot be settled quickly," Teng said.

☆ Oil steadies as investors take stock of banking crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Florence Tan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, March 17 (Reuters) - Oil prices were little changed on Friday after a meeting between Saudi Arabia and Russia calmed markets, but crude benchmarks were still headed for a second weekly fall after a banking crisis sparked a sell-off in global financial markets this week. Brent crude futures edged up 2 cents to $74.72 a barrel by 0133 GMT, having snapped three days of losses to settle 1.4% higher on Thursday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $68.33 a barrel, down 2 cents after closing 1.1% higher in the previous session. Contagion risks among banks are still keeping investors on edge, curbing their appetite for assets such as commodities as they fear a further rout could trigger a global recession and cut oil demand. "The sudden failure of SVB and Signature Bank forced a rethink about the health of the broader economy and spooked markets," JPMorgan analysts said in a note.

March 17 (Reuters) - Oil prices settled lower Friday, reversing early gains of more than $1 a barrel as banking sector fears caused both benchmarks to reach their biggest weekly declines in months. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell $1.61, or 2.4%, at $66.74. Oil prices tracked equity markets lower, dogged by the banking sector crisis and worries about possible recession. Pressure stemmed from "the continued fragile state of the market", said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank. Analysts still expect constrained global supply to support oil prices in the foreseeable future.

Companies Signature Bank FollowSINGAPORE, March 17 (Reuters) - Oil prices rebounded by about 1% on Friday after a meeting between Saudi Arabia and Russia calmed markets amid strong China demand expectations, after a banking crisis sparked a sell-off in global financial and oil markets this week. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude climbed 78 cents to $69.13 a barrel, after closing 1.1% higher in the previous session. China's demand rebound will be positive for oil prices if upcoming data shows a good recovery of the country's economy, said analyst Tina Teng of CMC Markets. However, contagion risks among banks are still keeping investors on edge, curbing their appetite for assets such as commodities, as they fear a further rout could trigger a global recession and cut oil demand. These issues regarding inflation, the central bank's rate hikes, and confidence in financial systems, cannot be settled quickly," Teng said.

European gas prices rallied in the run-up to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine begun almost exactly a year ago and they leapt to record highs when Russia subsequently cut supplies of relatively cheap pipeline gas. Although European prices have eased to around 50 euros ($53) per megawatt hour (MWh) from last August's peak of more than 340 euros, they remain above historic averages. That was even when they had received significant levels of Russian gas on long-term contracts prior to the shut down of the Nord Stream pipeline to Germany in August. Nord Stream's closure drove up European gas prices, as well as liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices, which also hit record levels of around 70 million British thermal units (mmBtu), compared with around $16 now . That could be tricky as the fall in gas prices this year has reduced the incentive to avoid the fuel.

☆ Oil prices slide as the US says it will sell millions more barrels of oil from its strategic reserve into the global market
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Oil prices fall Tuesday after the US said it plans to sell more oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The Energy Department will start the sale of 26 million barrels of sweet crude in April. Brent crude oil, the global benchmark, fell 1.5% to $85.40 a barrel but was off lows of the session. The drop in oil prices Tuesday was also taking place as US consumer price inflation data showed prices eased in January, but it was by less than anticipated. OPEC, meanwhile, on Tuesday, raised its 2023 oil demand forecast by 100,000 barrels per day, to 2.3 million barrels, as China reopens its economy after strict COVID-related restrictions.

☆ Oil prices fall on U.S. crude reserve release
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

OPEC+ has recently hinted it could impose deeper output cuts to spur a recovery in crude prices. Oil prices fell on Tuesday after the U.S. government said it would release more crude from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) as mandated by lawmakers, defying expectations from some traders that the release could be canceled or delayed. Brent crude futures fell by 70 cents, or 0.81%, to $85.91 per barrel by 0256 GMT, while U.S. crude futures fell by 93 cents, or 1.16%, to $79.21 per barrel. "Any higher-than-expected data may cause a renewed sell-off in risk assets, including oil," Tina Teng, an analyst at CMC Markets said. "Oil is on the defensive and it could get uglier if inflation proves to be harder to tame," OANDA's Moya said.

☆ January was bitcoin's best month since 2021, but crypto isn't ready for a 'rocket ship rally' yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

For some investors, however, its strong month isn't necessarily a green light to jump back into the crypto market. As of Tuesday, bitcoin is set to finish the month up 38.39%, which would make it its best month since October 2021 and its best January in 10 years, according to Coin Metrics. Ether , which led the crypto recovery last summer ahead of the merge, has risen 31% this month, coming off a 67.06% decline for 2022. However, "we're not so sure bitcoin is ready for another rocket ship rally just yet." "Thus far, the rise in BTC dominance looks reminiscent of April 2019, during which a BTC rally marked a crypto market bottom, much akin to rising BTC dominance lately."

☆ Dry January was my entryway to sobriety. It's making me a better parent.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Annalise Mabe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

I realized that after just two glasses of wine, I felt the effects the morning after. To put it plainly, I was neglecting my family and well-being for the short-lived relief: a little buzz to take the edge off. But I started to feel the accumulation of cashing in each day with alcohol. I've found that sobriety, or my sober-curious path, is so worth it. I feel more present and able to play with my daughter when she invites me to chase her, running in our backyard.

☆ Gas prices have surged 40 cents in a month
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But something unusual is happening this year: Gas prices are rocketing higher. Although that’s a far cry from the record of $5.02 a gallon last June, gas prices have increased by 12 cents in the past week and 40 cents in the past month. AAA says some states have experienced much bigger gains over the past month, including Colorado (95 cents), Georgia (68 cents), Delaware (63 cents), Florida (60 cents) and Ohio (59 cents). That helps explain why gas prices in Colorado have surged by nearly $1 a gallon over the past month. Oil prices bounce off lowsBeyond the refinery problems, oil prices have crept higher, helping to drive prices at the pump northward.

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☆ EU Commission wants first joint purchases of gas by summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Jan 16 (Reuters) - The European Commission aims for EU countries to start jointly buying gas "well before summer", European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic said on Monday, an attempt to help countries refill storage and avoid a supply crunch next winter. Sefcovic asked industry to confirm if they are interested in joining the EU scheme to jointly buy gas, which the Commission hopes will help Europe refill depleted storage caverns and negotiate lower prices by using countries' collective buying power. Some EU officials said certain large energy firms have expressed reluctance to join, since they can already negotiate their own gas deals and doubt the EU scheme will yield lower prices. The Commission aims to publish the amount of gas European countries plan to jointly buy in early spring, to attract offers from suppliers. EU countries must ensure their local companies take part in the aggregation of gas demand with volumes equivalent to 15% of the gas needed to fill that country's storage facilities to 90% of capacity.

☆ Building self-discipline by age 27 is crucial, says psychiatrist from the Netflix doc 'Stutz': 3 ways to do it
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Leading a fulfilling life requires discipline, Stutz said on a recent episode of "Armchair Expert," hosted by Dax Shepard and Monica Padman. Structural disciplineThe act of taking those reactive habits and integrating them into your "baseline" routine is what Stutz called structural discipline. Structural discipline relies more on conscious decision-making, while reactive discipline relies on subconscious behavior. In her book, "Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes That Stick," Wood frames it like this: You have to make the decision to ask your boss for a promotion. In other words, habits — good and bad — are formed through routines over time, which is why Stutz says you would be wise to adopt daily routines that promote good habits.

☆ A Gen Z entrepreneur made $119,000 in vending-machine sales since graduating college. How she built her business.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Maya Ray started her vending-machine business a month after graduating college in 2020. She gave her tips for starting a vending-machine business. There she found Marcus Gram, who was selling a course on how to start a vending-machine business. Ray shared her tips for starting a vending-machine business and explained how she grew her business. Efficiency is keyTo scale her business, Ray learned to maximize her time by making regular tasks more efficient.

☆ Using Up America’s Oil Reserve Was Easy. Refilling It Won’t Be.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Jinjoo Lee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

It took less than a year to draw 180 million barrels of oil out of the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve. After President Biden authorized a historic emergency release last year, there were roughly 372.4 million barrels left in the SPR as of Dec. 30, the lowest level in 39 years. It is taking baby steps, starting with a 3-million-barrel pilot program under which it would offer market participants a fixed price for future delivery. This is a new approach for the DOE, which has typically purchased for more immediate delivery. The idea is to use the fixed-price contracts as a carrot for U.S. oil producers to invest in production.

Companies are increasingly working together to cut greenhouse-gas emissions but such collaboration faces the threat of antitrust action demanded by politicians who say it violates competition rules. There are now more than 150 business climate collaborations, according to research by Harvard Business Review. “There are a lot of ways to stay on the right side of antitrust laws,” says Justin Stewart-Teitelbaum, antitrust partner at Freshfields. Traditionally, in most jurisdictions, antitrust officials weigh whether the benefits of cooperation outweigh any economic harm caused by it. The anti-ESG movement in the U.S. bases its antitrust threats partly on an assertion that climate action provides little societal benefit to outweigh any economic harm of cooperation.

☆ Europe’s recession may not be as bad as feared
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

On Wednesday, France’s statistics institute said consumer price inflation was 5.9% in December, down from 6.2% in November. A drop in energy prices drove the decline, the institute said. In Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, provisional data released on Tuesday showed that inflation had fallen to 8.6% in December, from 10% the month before. “If we are seeing a continued flight to value, then the relative cheapness of European stocks is a big plus,” he said. Benchmark prices for European natural gas futures have tumbled 10% since Monday to €69 ($73) per megawatt hour.

☆ Oil trims losses as softer dollar offsets Chinese demand fears
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Rowena Edwards | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Oil prices pared losses after falling by over $2 earlier in the session, as a weaker dollar partially offset demand fears resulting from surging COVID-19 cases in China. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell $1.07, or 1.36%, to $77.89 a barrel, after reaching session lows of $76.79. A weaker dollar makes oil cheaper for holders of other currencies and can boost demand. U.S. crude oil inventories fell less than expected, by about 1.3 million barrels, in the week ended Dec. 23, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute figures. Markets, however, drew some support from Russian President Vladimir Putin's ban on exports of crude oil and oil products from Feb. 1 for five months to nations that abide by a Western price cap.

A large dent has also come from industrial sectors forced to curb output as high gas prices make production uneconomic with some firms shifting production to regions with cheaper energy. FIGHT FOR SUPPLIESThe obvious way to boost supplies is through liquefied natural gas (LNG). That may not happen next year, meaning Europe would face fierce competition for LNG that would drive up the cost. Record high prices in Europe, however painful, helped the region to secure record volumes of LNG imports this year. Benchmark European gas prices hit a peak in August of more than 300 euros/MWh.

☆ Biden begins to refill Strategic Petroleum Reserve, while Keystone Pipeline leak prompts new emergency exchange
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The new emergency exchange is aimed at addressing “potential supply disruptions” caused by the shutdown of the Keystone Pipeline due to a leak earlier this month, the Energy Department said. Unlike with emergency sales such as the record-setting release of 180 million barrels announced in March, this oil must be returned. “Small but a signal that pledges to refill are credible,” former Obama energy official Jason Bordoff said on Twitter in response to the new steps. Prices are currently in a “very useful” range to begin the process of refilling the SPR, the senior administration official said. Noting that gas prices are now at 15-month lows, the senior administration official said that historic release “helped provide some breathing room for American families at the pump,” the official said.

☆ Automakers desperately need new workers — with new skills — to build electric cars
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

They're looking for lots of workers — and the current automotive workforce can leverage its skills. There are a variety of new opportunities available, industry experts say. That means workers with skills in construction, manufacturing, and engineering, especially those willing to be flexible, could see plenty of opportunities, experts say. But first, the industry needs factories to build those batteries — and workers to construct them. You're not going to necessarily take somebody that's working on an assembly line and now you need software production experts," McCarthy said.

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