Oil: Venezuela shift may pressure Oil prices – OCBC

EUR/USD continues to lack direction on Wednesday, stuck below the 1.1700 level as conviction remains in short supply on both sides. Softer Eurozone inflation is dragging on the Euro, while the US Dollar is offering little follow-through, even after December’s ISM services PMI surprised to the upside.

GBP/USD stays under pressure on Wednesday, dipping to fresh lows around 1.3470 and extending the pullback that began the previous session. Cable remains on the defensive, with the US Dollar nudging slightly higher in the wake of key US December data.

Gold remains on the back foot on Wednesday, hovering around $4,450 per troy ounce after bringing a three-day rally to an end. The metal’s advance seems to have run out of steam near the $4,500 area, with a firmer US Dollar after key US data weighing on prices. Still, the downside looks limited for now, thanks to falling US Treasury yields across the curve.

Bitcoin extends correction below the $93,000 mark at the time of writing on Wednesday, signaling a cooldown from the early-year rally that touched $94,789 on Monday. Altcoins, including Ethereum and Ripple, are also facing headwinds amid uncertainty in market sentiment.

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Ripple (XRP) is trading downward but holding support at $2.22 at the time of writing on Wednesday, as fear spreads across the cryptocurrency market, reversing gains made from the start of the year.