Crude Oil Futures: Further upside not favoured

Pablo Piovano FXStreet

CME Group’s flash data for crude oil futures markets noted traders reduced their open interest positions by around 5.8K contracts after four consecutive daily builds. On the other hand, volume added around 180.3K contracts to the previous daily advance.

WTI: Another drop to $72.00 is not ruled out

Tuesday’s marked advance in prices of WTI was on the back of shrinking open interest, which removes strength from a sustained bounce in the very near term. Against that, there is still scope for crude oil prices to revisit the area of November lows near the $72.00 mark per barrel (November 16).

Author

Pablo Piovano

FXStreet

Born and bred in Argentina, Pablo has been carrying on with his passion for FX markets and trading since his first college years.

GBP/USD rebounds above 1.3300 ahead of UK Retail Sales data

The GBP/USD pair recovers some lost ground to near 1.3325, snapping the five-day losing streak during the Asian trading hours on Friday. However, the potential upside might be limited amid heightened military tensions in the Middle East. Traders brace for the release of the UK Retail Sales data, which will be published later on Friday.

EUR/USD rises as US Dollar weakens despite rising Middle East tensions

EUR/USD gains ground after posting modest losses in the previous day, trading around 1.1380 during the Asian hours on Friday. However, the potential upside for the pair could be limited as the US Dollar may regain strength, largely driven by escalating conflicts in the Middle East that threaten to push crude oil prices higher.

Gold licks wounds near $4,050 on PMI day

Gold licks wounds near $4,050 in Asia on Friday, holding the previous day's heavy losses amid rising expectations of a Fed rate hike, bolstered by energy-driven inflation concerns. Moreover, the US-Iran standoff and US President Donald Trump's new tariffs keep the US Dollar's reserve-currency status alive, which continues to weigh on the bullion ahead of global flash PMIs.

Ethereum: Derivatives interest in ETH improves, but signs of caution remain

Ethereum is hovering slightly below the $1,900 level, down 3% on Thursday following a slight expansion in derivatives interest. The top altcoin's open interest has increased to 14.60 million ETH, marking a 600K ETH increase over the past two days and its highest level since June 7.

Silver's missing crisis trade: Why a war keeps pushing it down

The Strait of Hormuz has closed twice this year, and both times silver fell instead of rallying, because the crisis bid went into the US dollar rather than into metals. Silver trades near $58.77 an ounce as I write this, with the gold-silver ratio around 69.5.

US Dollar mid-year outlook: Exceptional currency, exceptional risks?

The US Dollar enters the second half of 2026 in a markedly different position from a year ago. The King currency has recovered, reflecting persistent US inflation, changing expectations for Fed policy, geopolitical tensions and renewed demand for defensive assets.