- WTI edges lower to $71.45 in Thursday’s Asian session.
- The stronger US Dollar weighs on the WTI price.
- US crude inventories rose more than expected, according to the EIA.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the US crude oil benchmark, is trading around $71.45 on Thursday. The WTI price edges lower amid the rise in the US Dollar (USD) after Republican candidate Donald Trump won the US presidential election.
Trump's victory has boosted the Greenback and dragged the USD-denominated WTI price lower. Meanwhile, the US Dollar Index (DXY), an index of the value of the USD relative to a basket of foreign currencies, climbed to the highest level since July near 105.44 before retreating to 105.20.
Nonetheless, Trump's reelection could also mean the renewal of sanctions on Iran and Venezuela, which means the global market could become tighter and would be bullish for the WTI price. “Conceptually, the impact of a potential second Trump term on oil prices is ambiguous, with some short-term downside risk to Iran oil supply ... and thus upside price risk,” noted Goldman Sachs commodities analysts.
The Energy Information Administration's (EIA) weekly report showed US crude stocks rose more than expected last week. Crude oil stockpiles in the United States for the week ending November 1 increased by 2.149 million barrels, compared to a decline of 0.515 million barrels in the previous week. The market consensus estimated that stocks would increase by 1.8 million barrels.
WTI Oil FAQs
WTI Oil is a type of Crude Oil sold on international markets. The WTI stands for West Texas Intermediate, one of three major types including Brent and Dubai Crude. WTI is also referred to as “light” and “sweet” because of its relatively low gravity and sulfur content respectively. It is considered a high quality Oil that is easily refined. It is sourced in the United States and distributed via the Cushing hub, which is considered “The Pipeline Crossroads of the World”. It is a benchmark for the Oil market and WTI price is frequently quoted in the media.
Like all assets, supply and demand are the key drivers of WTI Oil price. As such, global growth can be a driver of increased demand and vice versa for weak global growth. Political instability, wars, and sanctions can disrupt supply and impact prices. The decisions of OPEC, a group of major Oil-producing countries, is another key driver of price. The value of the US Dollar influences the price of WTI Crude Oil, since Oil is predominantly traded in US Dollars, thus a weaker US Dollar can make Oil more affordable and vice versa.
The weekly Oil inventory reports published by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Energy Information Agency (EIA) impact the price of WTI Oil. Changes in inventories reflect fluctuating supply and demand. If the data shows a drop in inventories it can indicate increased demand, pushing up Oil price. Higher inventories can reflect increased supply, pushing down prices. API’s report is published every Tuesday and EIA’s the day after. Their results are usually similar, falling within 1% of each other 75% of the time. The EIA data is considered more reliable, since it is a government agency.
OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) is a group of 12 Oil-producing nations who collectively decide production quotas for member countries at twice-yearly meetings. Their decisions often impact WTI Oil prices. When OPEC decides to lower quotas, it can tighten supply, pushing up Oil prices. When OPEC increases production, it has the opposite effect. OPEC+ refers to an expanded group that includes ten extra non-OPEC members, the most notable of which is Russia.
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