WTI turns red near $81.50 on Fed’s hawkish comments, a surprise jump in US crude stockpiles

TI trades on a softer note near $81.50 on Thursday.
The high-for-longer rate narrative from the Fed boosts the US Dollar.
US crude oil inventories rose by 3.165 million barrels for the week ending March 22 from a decline of 1.952 million barrels.

Lallalit Srijandorn FXStreet

Western Texas Intermediate (WTI), the US crude oil benchmark, is trading around $81.50 on Wednesday. WTI prices edge lower amid the recovery of the US Dollar (USD) and a surprise jump in U.S. crude and gasoline stocks.

The hawkish comments from US Federal Reserve (Fed) policymaker early Thursday lift the Greenback across the board. The Fed Governor Christopher Waller, one of the most hawkish Fed officials, said that the US central bank is not in a hurry to lower the benchmark interest rate and may need to retain the current rate target for longer than previously expected. A firmer USD weighs on WTI prices as it makes dollar-denominated oil more expensive for holders of other currencies, dampening oil demand.

Additionally, US crude oil inventories rose by 3.165 million barrels for the week ending March 22 from a decline of 1.952 million barrels, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). A surprise US crude inventories build also contributed to the pressure on WTI prices.

On the other hand, the escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and between Russia and Ukraine could raise the fear of tighter global supply and cap the downside of WTI prices. Ukraine has been striking Russia's oil infrastructure since the start of the conflict but intensified its attacks in late 2023. There have been seven drone attacks this month alone, and experts estimate that the disruptions have impacted almost 12% of Russia's total oil processing capacity.

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) decided to extend output cuts of around 2.2 million bpd until the end of June. OPEC+ is expected to affirm its production cuts policy until a full ministerial meeting in June.

Oil traders will watch the US Gross Domestic Product Annualized (GDP) for the fourth quarter (Q4) on Thursday, which is estimated to remain steady at 3.2%. On Friday, the US Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCE) data for February and Fed’s Powell will be in the spotlight.

WTI US OIL

Overview
Today last price	81.5
Today Daily Change	0.01
Today Daily Change %	0.01
Today daily open	81.49

Trends
Daily SMA20	79.78
Daily SMA50	77.63
Daily SMA100	75.65
Daily SMA200	78.56

Levels
Previous Daily High	81.51
Previous Daily Low	80.35
Previous Weekly High	83.05
Previous Weekly Low	80.24
Previous Monthly High	79.27
Previous Monthly Low	71.46
Daily Fibonacci 38.2%	81.07
Daily Fibonacci 61.8%	80.79
Daily Pivot Point S1	80.72
Daily Pivot Point S2	79.96
Daily Pivot Point S3	79.56
Daily Pivot Point R1	81.89
Daily Pivot Point R2	82.28
Daily Pivot Point R3	83.05

Author

Lallalit Srijandorn

FXStreet

Lallalit Srijandorn is a Parisian at heart. She has lived in France since 2019 and now becomes a digital entrepreneur based in Paris and Bangkok.

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