EUR/USD
1.17452
0.043%
Gold
4333.79
-0.103%
Oil
56.343
-0.624%
USD/JPY
155.874
0.119%
GBP/USD
1.33684
-0.045%
GBP/JPY
208.383
0.082%
Real-time News
1. WTI crude oil futures trading volume was 907,831 lots, a decrease of 62,999 lots from the previous trading day. Open interest was 1,890,371 lots, a decrease of 26,067 lots from the previous trading day. 2. Brent crude oil futures trading volume was 164,614 lots, an increase of 6,734 lots from the previous trading day. Open interest was 218,903 lots, an increase of 1,529 lots from the previous trading day. 3. Natural gas futures trading volume was 505,068 lots, a decrease of 141,552 lots from the previous trading day. Open interest was 1,555,333 lots, a decrease of 19,290 lots from the previous trading day.On December 18th, Jim Smigiel, Chief Investment Officer of SEI, stated in a report that the war against inflation is not yet won, which could keep inflation-sensitive assets in demand. While the worst concerns about tariffs have not yet materialized, SEI expects the lagged effects of tariff increases to continue pushing up inflation in the coming months and quarters. He stated, "We believe investors should continue to invest in inflation-sensitive assets in 2026. The reflationary environment should favor commodities and value stocks, as the Great Beauty Act boosts U.S. consumer spending."On December 18th, Futures News reported that an armed attack on a mine in Plateau State, central Nigeria, may have resulted in at least 12 deaths, 5 injuries, and 3 kidnappings. Reuters, citing the head of a Belom youth organization, reported that the attackers, possibly Fulani militants, attacked a mine in Atoso village, Plateau State, on the evening of the 16th. The organization also urged the government to deploy more security forces and enforce the ban on open grazing. Plateau State police have launched an investigation into the incident. In Plateau State, Fulani herders and Belom farmers frequently clash over land control.The head of a Japanese banking lobbying group said that the Bank of Japan is highly likely to raise interest rates this time.On December 18th, the Peoples Bank of China (PBOC) conducted 88.3 billion yuan of 7-day reverse repurchase operations in the open market, maintaining the interest rate at 1.40%, and simultaneously conducted 100 billion yuan of 14-day reverse repurchase operations. Wang Qing, chief macro analyst at Orient Securities, stated that with the year-end approaching, the PBOCs decision to conduct 14-day reverse repurchase operations at this time is customary. This is mainly due to increased liquidity disturbances caused by factors such as bank assessments, fiscal revenue and expenditure, and residents cash withdrawals around the year-end. The PBOCs 14-day reverse repurchase operations can effectively smooth out fluctuations in the money market and guide market liquidity to a relatively stable and ample state. The market has high expectations that the PBOC may implement a new round of reserve requirement ratio (RRR) cuts early next year. Considering the current economic and financial situation and monetary policy orientation, it is expected that the PBOC may announce an RRR cut in January 2026, with an estimated reduction of 0.5 percentage points, injecting approximately 1 trillion yuan of long-term liquidity into the market. This would support large-scale bank lending at the beginning of next year while also taking into account liquidity arrangements for the Spring Festival, signaling a strengthening of pro-growth policies.
