WTI soars to near $74.50 as supply concerns deepen after US airstrikes on Houthi group

The oil price rises significantly as airstrikes from the US and its allies on Houthi rebels have deepened supply disruption concerns.
The likelihood of a retaliation from Iran-backed Houthis is high, which could widespread conflicts in Middle East.
Investors are optimistic about interest rate cuts by the Fed in March.

Sagar Dua FXStreet

West Texas Intermediate (WTI), futures on NYMEX, has climbed strongly to near $74.50 as investors worry about deepening oil supply concerns due to mounting tensions for merchant vessels through Red Sea. The US military has launched multiples airstrikes on Iran-backed Houthi group in retaliation for attacking commercial shipments of oil.

The airstrikes from the US military and its allies are expected to disrupt trade flows through Suez Canal and will also escalate Middle East tensions. A widespread conflict in the Middle East will elevate oil supply disruptions this 2024 and will keep prices of WTI higher.

The upside risks to oil prices have elevated amid a likelihood of oil supply disruption in times when the global economy is recovering from pessimism of restrictive interest rate environment and high price pressures.

Meanwhile, investors’ confidence towards a rate cut by the Federal Reserve (Fed) in March despite higher consumer price inflation has provided some strength to the oil price. A sharp recovery in the global economy is highly anticipated if the Fed plans an early rate cut as predicted by market participants. This will also spurt the global oil demand and eventually its prices.

Going forward, investors will focus on China’s Q4 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Industrial Production data for further action. The Chinese economy has been struggling for a firm-footing due to lower export orders and vulnerable domestic demand post Covid. It is worth noting that China is the leading importer of oil in the world and an economic slowdown in the Asian giant impacts the oil price.

WTI US OIL

Overview
Today last price	74.57
Today Daily Change	2.10
Today Daily Change %	2.90
Today daily open	72.47

Trends
Daily SMA20	72.79
Daily SMA50	74.15
Daily SMA100	80.07
Daily SMA200	77.6

Levels
Previous Daily High	73.8
Previous Daily Low	71.23
Previous Weekly High	74.28
Previous Weekly Low	69.41
Previous Monthly High	76.79
Previous Monthly Low	67.97
Daily Fibonacci 38.2%	72.82
Daily Fibonacci 61.8%	72.21
Daily Pivot Point S1	71.2
Daily Pivot Point S2	69.93
Daily Pivot Point S3	68.64
Daily Pivot Point R1	73.77
Daily Pivot Point R2	75.06
Daily Pivot Point R3	76.33

Author

Sagar Dua

FXStreet

Sagar Dua is associated with the financial markets from his college days. Along with pursuing post-graduation in Commerce in 2014, he started his markets training with chart analysis.

AUD/USD bulls seem hesitant below 0.7050 ahead of RBA on Tuesday

AUD/USD reverses an Asian session dip on Monday as renewed optimism over Iran diplomacy boosts investor confidence, keeping a lid on the safe-haven US Dollar and supporting the risk-sensitive Aussie. Spot prices, however, remain below the one-month high, touched last Thursday, as bulls wait for the crucial RBA decision before taking fresh positions.

USD/JPY climbs to 158.00 neighborhood as BoJ uncertainty weighs on the JPY

The USD/JPY pair gains some positive traction at the start of a new week, recovering further from Friday's post-Bank of Japan (BoJ) swing low to sub-157.00 levels. The momentum lifts spot prices to the 158.00 neighborhood during the Asian session and seems unaffected by fresh intervention warning from Japan's Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama.

Gold trims intraday gains; trades below $3,900 as Fed hike bets counter weak USD

Gold trims part of its modest intraday gains, trading with a mild positive bias below the $3,900 mark during Monday’s early European session. The US Dollar attracts fresh sellers amid optimism over a potential diplomatic breakthrough to end the US-Iran war and offers some support to the commodity. Meanwhile, US Federal Reserve rate-hike bets remain firmly on the table amid energy-driven inflation concerns, keeping the non-yielding yellow metal near the October 2025 low touched on Friday.

Dogecoin risks deeper slide as whales diverge

Dogecoin hovers around $0.075 on Monday after falling for the fifth consecutive week since the end of September. Santiment data shows diverging whale activity, as large holders reduce their positions while smaller whale wallets accumulate tokens. Meanwhile, weakening on-chain metrics and a deteriorating technical outlook suggest that DOGE could remain vulnerable to further losses.

Middle East War updates: Iran warns of expanded strikes against US despite progress in talks

Here’s a brief recap of the key developments in the Middle East war that occurred over the weekend, which are expected to have a significant impact on markets in the upcoming week.

The 2% inflation target came from a throwaway remark. It now moves trillions

The Federal Reserve's 2% inflation goal grew out of an off-the-cuff remark by a New Zealand politician in 1988. Bond investors still price long-term US debt as if 2% holds, so a change in how the Fed measures inflation would move markets.