Oil prices are declining on Tuesday afternoon after rising in the previous two sessions amid a stronger dollar. In addition, investors continue to evaluate the prospects for fuel demand.
The price of June Brent crude futures on London’s ICE Futures exchange stood at $82.18 a barrel by 3:17 p.m. Tuesday, down $0.55 (0.66%) from the previous session’s closing price.
The price of June WTI futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) is down $0.51 (0.65%) to $78.25 a barrel by this time.
The DXY index, which shows the value of the U.S. dollar against six major world currencies, is up 0.2% in trading, making oil less attractive to holders of other currencies.
The market also fears further tightening of monetary policy by central banks, which could have a negative impact on global economic growth and demand for energy, writes Trading Economics.
Additional pressure on prices is reducing the profitability of processing at Asian enterprises. Analysts attribute the decline in profitability to, among other things, the increase in production at new refineries in the Middle East.