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January 2nd - According to the Ministry of Transport, on January 1st, 2026, the total number of cross-regional passenger flows in the whole society reached 208.13 million, an increase of 0.2% month-on-month and 21% year-on-year.The governor of Yemens Hadramawt province, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, said he would launch peace operations to retake military positions in the region, but these operations would not constitute a declaration of war.On January 2nd, Nationwide Chief Economist Robert Gardner commented on the December Nationwide House Price Report for the UK: UK house prices softened towards the end of 2025, with annual growth slowing to 0.6% from 1.8% in November, the lowest level since April 2024. The slowdown in year-on-year growth can be partly explained by the high base of comparison (house prices rose by as much as 4.7% year-on-year in December 2024). However, after adjusting for seasonal factors, house prices still saw a 0.4% month-on-month decline in December. Despite the weak year-end performance, the best word to describe the overall housing market in 2025 remains "resilient." Even with relatively weak consumer confidence, cautious household spending, and mortgage rates still at about three times their post-pandemic lows, mortgage approvals remain close to pre-COVID-19 levels. Overall, the fundamentals have not changed significantly, and housing demand remains robust.On January 2nd, BOC International released a research report stating that the State Council, in conjunction with several ministries, previously issued the "Notice on Subsidies for Large-Scale Equipment Replacement and Trade-in of Consumer Goods in 2026," continuing incentive measures for automobiles, home appliances, and digital products, and improving policy effectiveness through targeted optimization. The report believes that although the scale of the subsidy budget decreased as expected, the new policy clearly leans towards the mid-to-high-end market, with the reduction in subsidies for corresponding models far less than market concerns. Subsidies for digital products remain at 15% of the selling price, with a cap of 500 yuan, better than market expectations; subsidies for home appliances have been tightened, narrowing the target audience to six core categories, and only subsidizing those meeting the first-level energy efficiency standard, with the subsidy ratio decreasing from 20% to 15% of the selling price. The report indicates that with the early implementation of subsidy details and timely disbursement of subsidy funds, the automotive industry is expected to achieve a strong start in 2026. However, given the wait-and-see attitude of consumers in the fourth quarter leading to high channel inventory at the end of the year, the first quarter of 2026 may enter a destocking phase. At the individual stock level, the bank believes that Li Auto, Xiaomi, NIO, Wenjie, and Jike brands will be minimally affected by the adjustment of trade-in subsidies.The UK Nationwide house price index fell 0.4% month-on-month in December, the largest drop since June 2025.

Oil prices decline due to demand concerns; a Fed rate hike looms

Aria Thomas

Sep 21, 2022 10:28

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Wednesday oil prices declined as traders anticipated that a Federal Reserve interest rate hike would dampen oil consumption. Indications of a likely increase in U.S. gasoline stockpiles were also negative.


By 20:37 ET, Brent oil futures declined 0.6% to $90.37 per barrel and WTI futures declined 0.2% to $83.73 per barrel (00:37 GMT). Tuesday, both contracts dropped more than 1 percent.


On Wednesday, the Fed is poised to increase interest rates by at least 75 basis points. To combat inflation, the bank will hike interest rates for the eighth time this year.


The action will tighten monetary conditions in the United States, weighing on economic expansion and oil demand. High inflation and rising interest rates have a negative impact on the nation's oil consumption.


Dollar rose prior to the hike. A stronger dollar increases the cost of oil imports, hence decreasing global crude demand. A stronger dollar reduces crude demand in India and Indonesia.


The API statistics released on Tuesday suggested weak oil demand from U.S. consumers. Last week, the API reported that U.S. gasoline inventories increased by 3.2 million barrels.


Despite lowering gas prices, the estimate and data indicating a decline in U.S. vehicle traffic showed lackluster fuel consumption in the country.


Today's API statistics are a preview of the official EIA data. It is anticipated that gasoline inventories decreased by 0.4 million barrels last week.


Oil prices have declined significantly from their peaks during the Russia-Ukraine war due to expectations of a decline in demand. The continued depletion of the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve has also contributed to price declines.


A harsh European winter could increase this year's heating oil use. As a result of U.S. sanctions on Russian oil, the supply should tighten, causing prices to rise.