Connect with us

Business

Oil prices slides 3% as US-China trade war escalates

Published

on

NEW YORK — Oil prices fell on Friday after China unveiled retaliatory tariffs against about $75 billion worth of U.S. goods including crude oil, another escalation of a protracted trade dispute between the world’s two largest economies.

Brent crude futures fell 58 cents, or 1%, to settle at $59.34 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell $1.18, or 2.1%, to settle at $54.17 a barrel. WTI lost 1.3% for the week, while Brent rose 1.2% during the week.

China’s commerce ministry said it would impose additional tariffs of 5% or 10% on a total of 5,078 products originating from the United States, including crude oil, agricultural products such as soybeans, and small aircraft.

In retaliation, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was ordering U.S. companies to look at ways to close operations in China and make products in the United States.

“We still view the U.S.-Chinese trade standoff as a major bearish consideration that will likely be requiring additional downward oil demand adjustments as this year proceeds,” said Jim Ritterbusch, president of Ritterbusch and Associates.

Investors also focused on a speech by U.S. Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell at an annual economic symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The U.S. economy is in a “favorable place” and the Federal Reserve will “act as appropriate” to keep the current economic expansion on track, Powell said.

The remarks gave few clues about whether the central bank will cut interest rates at its next meeting.

St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President James Bullard said policymakers will have a “robust debate” about cutting U.S. interest rates by half a percentage point at their next policy meeting in September.

Exacerbating concern over the possibility of recession, U.S. manufacturing industries registered their first month of contraction in almost a decade.

“Some have blamed the hesitant tone (for oil prices) on an end-of-summer lull. Yet, in truth, the sense of unease stems from ongoing worries about the global economy,” said Stephen Brennock of oil broker PVM.

Tensions in the Middle East have kept investors on edge as well. Iran’s foreign minister said talks held on Friday with French President Emmanuel Macron about a landmark 2015 nuclear deal were “productive.”

Iran has said it will scale back compliance with the pact unless the Europeans find a solution enabling Tehran to sell its oil despite U.S. sanctions.

U.S. energy firms this week cut the most oil rigs in about four months, with the rig count falling to the lowest since January 2018, as producers cut spending on new drilling and completions.

Hedge funds and other money managers raised their bullish wagers on U.S. crude to a three-month high in the latest week, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said.

The speculator group raise its combined futures and options position in New York and London by 17,541 contracts to 217,104 during the week ended Aug. 20.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Business

Apple is giving a huge discount on its gadgets: Details inside

Published

on

If you want to buy an iPhone and were waiting for a nice offer, then we have a piece of good news for you! Amazon Summer Sale May 2022 has begun and they are offering major discounts on various smartphones, laptops, and smart TVs, among others.

The sale is live now on the e-commerce platform with no-cost EMI options and exchange discounts on various products. In addition to this, Amazon has also partnered with several banks including ICICI, Kotak Bank, and RBL so that customers get instant discounts of up to 10% using their cards and EMI transactions.

Customers can easily enjoy this summer sale and get massive discounts on iPhones. They can also compare prices on Flipkart Big Saving Days Sale 2022 before making a purchase.

 

Amazon Summer Sale May 2022: Discount offer on iPhone 13 

Apple’s coveted phone model iPhone 13 in the 128 GB storage model will be available during the Amazon Summer Sale May 2022 for Rs 64,900. The MRP of the phone is Rs 79,900. This means that the customers will be able to enjoy a discount of up to Rs 15,000 on the purchase of the iPhone 13.

If you have an old iPhone in working condition then you will also be eligible to receive another additional discount worth up to Rs 17,000 on the iPhone 13.

Buy at Rs. 64,900 (MRP – Rs. 79,900)

Features of Apple iPhone 13 

The iPhone is powered by an A15 Bionic processor with 6 core CPU. Apart from this, it has 16 core neural engines. With the iPhone 13, up to 512 GB of storage will be available. The iPhone 13 has a 6.1-inch Retina XDR display with 1000 nits brightness.

The iPhone 13 has a 12-megapixel dual rear camera setup. This time a new wide-angle camera has been given, whose aperture is f/1.6. With this, there is support for sensor optical stabilisation. Night mode has been made better than before. The second lens is also 12 megapixels ultra-wide and has an aperture of f/2.4.

Continue Reading

Trending