empty
21.02.2023 10:25 AM
Oil to get rid of Fear

If there is no hard landing of the U.S. economy in 2023, what are investors afraid of? Why are American stock indices falling? Why is oil going down, despite all the positive forecasts from Goldman Sachs regarding commodities? The problem is that the current strength of the U.S. economy allows the Fed to continue aggressively raising the federal funds rate. And that raises the fear of a longer and deeper recession. If not this year, then next. How long will Brent be afraid?

According to A/S Global Risk Management, sooner or later the market will take into account the Fed's tighter monetary balance in quotes and turn its attention to China, whose oil imports will reach a record level this year, and rising demand in India, the third largest consumer of oil in the world. This will likely happen in the second half of the year. In my opinion, a little earlier – in the second quarter.

Data showing the worst traffic jams in China's major cities since early 2022 and a return to pre-pandemic levels in the number of people using the subway suggest that the recovery of the Chinese economy is in full swing. Further evidence is the People's Bank China keeping key interest rates at current levels because activity is already high.

China's irrepressible demand for oil is evidenced by the growth of oil imports from Russia to 1.52 million bpd, just below the record set almost three years ago. Total purchases of oil and fuel oil reached 1.66 million bpd, which is a new historical peak. The previous one was recorded in April 2020, when Asia's largest economy was coming out of quarantine.

Dynamics of Chinese imports of Russian oil and fuel oil

This image is no longer relevant

Thanks to China, Russia managed to avoid severe export losses. The market is not worried about supply problems because the reduction in oil supply to Europe from the Russian Federation decreased in 2022 by only 300,000 bpd. The figure should fall to zero within a year of the embargo in early December. Moreover, the message about Moscow's intention to reduce production by 5%, which initially caused the growth of Brent quotes, actually turned out to be not so terrible. Despite this, producers intend to maintain exports at current levels.

This image is no longer relevant

The rapid recovery of Chinese economy may soon make itself felt. In the meantime, the market is fixated on the Federal Reserve's monetary restriction cycle and cautiously looking at the minutes of the February meeting. If its language turns out to be more hawkish, strengthening U.S. dollar will put additional pressure on oil.

Technically, there was a fourth rebound from the trend line on Brent's daily chart, after which an inside bar was formed. As a rule, it is won back by placing pending buy orders from $84.4 and sell orders from $82.9 per barrel. At the same time, a failed test does not mean abandoning the strategy. The optimal option is a fiasco with sales followed by a return to the bar's highs and the formation of longs.

Marek Petkovich,
Analytical expert of InstaForex
© 2007-2025
Select timeframe
5
min
15
min
30
min
1
hour
4
hours
1
day
1
week
Earn on cryptocurrency rate changes with InstaForex
Download MetaTrader 4 and open your first trade
  • Grand Choice
    Contest by
    InstaForex
    InstaForex always strives to help you
    fulfill your biggest dreams.
    JOIN CONTEST

Recommended Stories

USD declares war on EUR

What's new is often just what's been forgotten. As spring draws to a close, the long-dismissed mantra "sell America" is making a comeback in markets. The phrase gained traction following

Marek Petkovich 14:59 2025-05-23 UTC+2

USD/JPY: what happens with yen?

The USD/JPY pair is experiencing heightened price turbulence. At the end of April, the pair sharply declined, hitting a 7-month low at 139.90. Then, last week, a northbound impulse pushed

Irina Manzenko 13:52 2025-05-23 UTC+2

Market Chaos to Continue (There is a likelihood of continued local declines in #USDX and gold prices)

Markets continue to act blindly amid the chaotic actions of Donald Trump, who is trying to pull the U.S. out of a deep, all-encompassing crisis like Baron Munchausen pulling himself

Pati Gani 10:19 2025-05-23 UTC+2

The Market Tucks Its Tail

A necessary project at the wrong time. The House of Representatives has approved Donald Trump's tax cut initiative. The President hopes it will help stimulate the economy and offset shortcomings

Marek Petkovich 09:29 2025-05-23 UTC+2

GBP/USD Overview – May 23: No Talks, but Hang in There

On Thursday, the GBP/USD currency pair traded relatively calmly, but like EUR/USD, it has been rising for two weeks. At first glance, one might wonder what reasons traders have

Paolo Greco 08:15 2025-05-23 UTC+2

EUR/USD Overview – May 23: The Rebellion Against the Dollar Continues

The EUR/USD currency pair traded relatively calmly on Thursday, yet it has risen significantly over the past two weeks. This movement can be interpreted in several ways. From a technical

Paolo Greco 08:15 2025-05-23 UTC+2

What to Pay Attention to on May 23? A Breakdown of Fundamental Events for Beginners

Very few macroeconomic reports are scheduled for Friday. Only two are noteworthy: the final estimate of Germany's Q1 GDP and April's UK retail sales data. The German GDP report

Paolo Greco 05:58 2025-05-23 UTC+2

The "Big, Beautiful Bill" vs. Import Tariffs

At present, Donald Trump is focused on promoting what he calls the "Big, Beautiful Law." In the trade war, Trump has done everything he could—he imposed tariffs, then lowered them

Chin Zhao 00:23 2025-05-23 UTC+2

The Fed Is Not Ready to Act Before the Second Half of the Year

In recent reviews, I have repeatedly addressed the topic of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy, market expectations, and the reality we all live in. I believe the market's expectations

Chin Zhao 00:23 2025-05-23 UTC+2

Canadian Inflation Resumed Growth. USD/CAD Overview

Core inflation in April unexpectedly rose higher than forecast, rising from 2.2% to 2.5% year-over-year. Headline inflation slowed from 2.3% to 1.7%, slightly above the forecast. The decline in headline

Kuvat Raharjo 00:23 2025-05-23 UTC+2
Can't speak right now?
Ask your question in the chat.
Widget callback
 

Dear visitor,

Your IP address shows that you are currently located in the USA. If you are a resident of the United States, you are prohibited from using the services of InstaFintech Group including online trading, online transfers, deposit/withdrawal of funds, etc.

If you think you are seeing this message by mistake and your location is not the US, kindly proceed to the website. Otherwise, you must leave the website in order to comply with government restrictions.

Why does your IP address show your location as the USA?

  • - you are using a VPN provided by a hosting company based in the United States;
  • - your IP does not have proper WHOIS records;
  • - an error occurred in the WHOIS geolocation database.

Please confirm whether you are a US resident or not by clicking the relevant button below. If you choose the wrong option, being a US resident, you will not be able to open an account with InstaForex anyway.

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by this message.