MADRID | The Corner | In Spain, the fall in oil prices will be crucial for households throughout 2015. Market watchers at Afi say that the drop in the oil price will have a positive impact of 0.5% on the real income of households next year.
MADRID | The Corner | The ruble plummeted on Monday, suffering its worst daily fall since Russia’s 1998 crisis, plunging more than 6% against the dollar before recovering to losses of around 4% Lowering oil prices are killing the currency, and yet Moscow does not intend to cut production in 2015, leaving output at the current 525-526 million metric tons. Russian analysts commenting for The Corner explained there is enough currency liquidity in the market to handle the shock. At least for now.
MADRID | The Corner | Oil prices continue to fall ahead of the much-awaited OPEC meeting today, which will start at 9:00GMT –a press conference will be held at 15:00GMT. Brent crude and WTI both fell to four-year lows on concerns that oil producers will not make the large supply cuts needed to contain the slide. Analysts at Barclays believe that with an absence of basing signals for WTI crude, the risk remains lower towards 70.76. Will the oil cartel react?
MADRID | The Corner | Regarding the corporate bond purchases by the European Central Bank, market watchers at Barclays consider that it won’t be enough to expand the balance sheet by €1trillion. Expert Alberto Vigil notes that, since investors are already buying corporate bonds, it doesn’t make much sense for the ECB to also purchase them, especially given the fact that asset risks are not exactly cheap. (Graph by Bruegel)
LONDON | By Keith Parker at Barclays | The recent risk aversion episode has raised concerns that global growth and inflation are continuing to fall. While the collapse in oil is flashing red, copper prices and industrial metals have had a more measured decline. Copper has historically been a good barometer for global production and is pointing to continued sluggish growth, but not another leg down.
MEXICO FD | By David Brunat | Odd as it may sound, tropical storm Karen, expected to hit the Gulf of Mexico in the coming hours, has come to stabilize oil prices and ease concerns that a prolonged U.S. government shutdown would hurt demand. Crude rose to near $104 a barrel Friday.
NEW YORK | By Ana Fuentes | With the Syrian crisis dominating the G20 summit agenda, investors are expectant about the coming events and looking for the best plan. For many analysts oil is a better bet than sovereign bonds, since crude oil prices could jump more than 20 percent if a U.S. military strike drags other countries into the Syrian conflict.
By Carlos Días Guell, in Madrid | In the Middle East, drums of war have for months now been sounding and this has triggered potential risks that could push oil prices higher than ever seen before. The worst scenario, though the least likely, would be one in which the tensions between Iran and the West rise to such an extent that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and oil supplies cut. The last…