Oil price skyrockets on growing US optimism

On Thursday, the oil price sky-rocketed on growing optimism that the US political stalemate will soon come to an end. The White House and Republicans held yesterday first serious talks to resolve the fiscal impasse as they discussed ways to approve a short-term extension of the US debt limit. As a result, price of the front-month contract on Brent (ICE) gained about 2.5 percent and hit a one-month high.

Moreover, news that Libya’s PM (1 0760 CZK, -0,37%) Ali Zeidan was briefly kidnapped by a group of armed men employed by the state has probably added more upside pressure on the price in the morning as it suggests that the political and security situation in the country is far from being stable. Let us recall that oil production was only partially restored a few weeks ago after it had been stopped due to strikes lasting couple of weeks in August and September. According to Reuters, the country’s oil production is currently about 700 thousand barrels per day, that is, still less a half of post-war maximum levels.

Precious Metals
The gold price fell sharply yesterday as the market lost some support previously provided by US debt/deficit stalemate. In the evening, spot gold price fell as low as to support at 1283 USD per troy ounce (USD/toz) and is therefore set to post a relatively large loss in the second consecutive week. Adding more downside pressure on prices, outflow of the metal from gold backed exchange traded funds resumed in early September after a brief stabilization in August.