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Energy services company Baker Hughes said Thursday that U.S. energy companies added the number of oil and gas rigs this week for the first time in three weeks. As an early indicator of future production, the number of oil and gas rigs increased by five in the week ending April 2, reaching 548. Baker Hughes said that despite this weeks increase, the total number of rigs is still 42 fewer than the same period last year, a decrease of 7.1%. Baker Hughes said that two oil rigs were added this week, reaching 411; and three gas rigs were added, reaching 130. Due to falling U.S. oil prices, prompting energy companies to focus more on improving shareholder returns and paying off debt rather than increasing production, the number of oil and gas rigs is projected to decline by about 7% in 2025, 5% in 2024, and 20% in 2023.Amazon (AMZN.O) will begin charging sellers using its fulfillment services a 3.5% "fuel and logistics" surcharge later this month, joining a growing number of logistics companies raising shipping costs due to rising oil prices caused by the Iran war. For Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) customers, the fee will take effect on April 17 in the United States and Canada. Starting May 2, Amazon will charge the surcharge on goods shipped by merchants selling on its own website or through other retailers. An Amazon spokesperson said in a statement Thursday, "Rising fuel and logistics costs have increased operating costs across the industry. We have absorbed these cost increases so far, but like other major logistics companies, we implement temporary surcharges to partially offset these costs when they remain high." More than 60% of the products on Amazons platform are sold by independent merchants who pay Amazon sales commissions as well as warehousing and fulfillment fees. This additional fee demonstrates that Amazon is using its marketplace model to pass on rising costs to merchants rather than consumers.The Federal Reserve accepted a total of $327 million from three counterparties in its fixed-rate reverse repurchase operations.Baker Hughes: U.S. drilling companies have increased the number of oil and gas drilling rigs for the first time in three weeks.According to CNN: US President Trump has dismissed Pam Bondi from her post as US Attorney General.

AUD / USD Rises To 0.6640 As Australian Employment Improves

Daniel Rogers

Mar 16, 2023 14:12

As a consequence of the upbeat Employment data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the AUD/USD pair has extended its recovery to near 0.6640. The Australian economy added 64,600 new employment in February, exceeding the consensus estimate of 48,500. The Australian economy reported 11.5K unemployment in January. From estimates of 3.6% and the previous issuance of 3.7%, the unemployment rate has been further reduced to 3.5%.

 

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), which is drafting a plan to reduce inflation, will encounter additional challenges as a consequence of positive Australian labor market data. As a larger labor force in action would exacerbate inflationary pressures, RBA Governor Philip Lowe may continue to target higher rates.

 

Earlier, Australian Consumer Inflation Expectations (Mar) data indicated that inflation projections for the next 12 months decreased to 5.0% from the consensus of 5.4% and the previous release of 5.1%.

 

In the meantime, S&P500 futures are showing modest gains during the Asian session, which could be considered a dead cat bounce following the volatility on Wednesday. The debacle of Credit Suisse following the failure of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) has increased the risk of global banking turmoil. According to one school of thought, the Federal Reserve (Fed) and other western central banks' rapid and precipitous interest rate increases contributed to the collapse of the global banking system.

 

As investors anticipate a less hawkish interest rate decision from the Federal Reserve (Fed) next week, the US Dollar Index (DXY) is looking to extend its correction below 104.60. After a fleeting upswing in January, the United States' inflation has retreated, dampening expectations for a hawkish stance from Fed chair Jerome Powell.