The company’s oil price is expected to remain stable on the last working day of the year amid low trading activity, ending the fourth quarter in negative territory, Interfax-Ukraine news agency Interfax reported on Thursday (Dec 2).
Fears that a sharp lifting of quarantine restrictions in China, which has already led to an increase in the incidence of COVID-19, will weaken the country’s economy and, consequently, the demand for oil, put pressure on the market. In addition, investors do not rule out a new wave of coronavirus infection in the world.
Earlier, the Chinese authorities announced that they would resume issuing documents for tourists wishing to travel abroad. The United States and Italy have already announced additional requirements for passengers arriving from China.
Data from the U.S. Department of Energy, released on Thursday, showed an unexpected increase in the country’s oil reserves last week. Reserves rose by 718,000 barrels, while analysts polled by Bloomberg agency forecast an average decline of 1.2 million barrels.
Gasoline inventories decreased by 3.1 million barrels and distillates increased by 283,000 barrels.
The value of March futures on Brent crude oil on London’s ICE Futures Exchange by 7:15 am on Friday stands at $83.8 per barrel, which is $0.34 (0.41%) higher than the price at the close of the previous session. Those contracts fell $0.53 (0.6%) to $83.46 a barrel at the close of trading on Thursday.
The price of WTI futures for February increased by $0.33 (0.42%) up to $78.73 per barrel at electronic trades of NYMEX. By the close of previous trading, those contracts had fallen $0.56 (0.7%) to $78.4 a barrel.
“We have another year ahead of us with serious uncertainty, and the oil market will remain highly volatile,” said Oanda chief analyst Craig Erlam, cited by Bloomberg. – The new year promises many surprises and twists and turns.
Ukrainian ports from December 20 to 29 left 41 vessels with almost 1.6 million tons of food, the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) reports.
“From December 20 to 28, 38 vessels left Ukrainian ports, they transported a total of 1,552,879 tons of grain and other foodstuffs within the framework of the Black Sea grain initiative,” the report said.
It is noted that on December, 29 three dry cargo vessels with 42,070 tons of food left Ukrainian ports.
Two vessels New Victory (23.5 tons of barley) and Panjali Teymurov (3.3 thousand tons of vegetable oil and 2 970 tons of soybean oil) went to Tunisia. Aileen dry cargo ship will deliver 12.3 thousand tons of sunflower meal to Morocco.
SKZ reported that “61 applications for participation in the initiative have been submitted.
In addition, 10 vessels are waiting for permission to enter Ukrainian ports, 31 loaded vessels are waiting for departure to their destinations.
“As of December 29, the total tonnage of grain and other agricultural products exported from the three Ukrainian ports is 15,959,660 tons. A total of 1,206 vessels have been permitted to move so far: 597 to arrive at Ukrainian ports and 609 to leave them,” the JCC summarized.
The U.S. dollar is weak against the euro in trading on Friday, stable against the pound and getting cheaper against the yen.
The calculated ICE index, which shows the dollar’s movement against six currencies (euro, Swiss franc, yen, Canadian dollar, pound sterling and Swedish krona), is adding 0.14% in trading, while the broader WSJ Dollar Index is stable.
The ICE Dollar Index, which rose in September to its highest level in 20 years, has since declined 10%. Nevertheless, the index ends 2022 up more than 8%.
As of 8:05 a.m. Ksk on Friday, the euro/dollar pair was trading at $1.0650 compared to $1.0664 at the close of the previous session. The exchange rate of the pound to the dollar is $1.2050 against $1.2055 the day before.
The value of the U.S. currency in a pair with the yen dropped to 132.55 yen, compared to 133.03 yen in previous trading.
The Bank of Japan continues unscheduled redemption of government bonds on Friday for the third consecutive day in an effort to curb the growth of bond yields, Bloomberg reported. This month the volume of redemption of government bonds by the Japanese Central Bank has reached a record level of 17 trillion yen ($128 billion).
The Bank of Japan unexpectedly expanded the boundaries of the corridor of permissible fluctuations in yields of ten-year government bonds at the December meeting that was perceived by the market as a step towards easing its policy.
“We believe that the Japanese Central Bank is experiencing difficulties with its policy of yield control and in the end it will have to abandon it – this is a key factor in strengthening the yen,” notes Rodrigo Catherill, a currency market analyst at National Australia Bank Ltd. in Sydney.
The expert expects the dollar to yen to 120 yen in 2023.
EURO, pound, U.S. dollar, yen
London has sent Kiev over 1,000 metal detectors and 100 bomb disposal kits to help the Ukrainian authorities in demining, the British Defense Ministry said Friday.
“The United Kingdom has donated over 1,000 VALLON metal detectors and 100 bomb disposal kits to Ukraine to assist it in demining and in making the area, homes and infrastructure safe,” the department said in a statement.
In particular, the kits are designed to disarm unexploded bombs, ammunition and improvised explosive devices.
The Ministry of Defense promised to continue supporting Ukraine in 2023. The ministry recalled that in 2022 it had delivered £2.3bn worth of military aid to Kiev and promised to maintain the same level of support in the coming year.
Gasoline imports for 28 days in December increased by half compared to November, diesel fuel – by 10%, wrote in Facebook director of consulting group A-95 Sergey Kuyun on Thursday.
“In 28 days of December, gasoline imports increased one and a half times compared to November, diesel fuel – by 10%. For the last three days of the year, the result will be even better,” he said.
According to the expert, some networks of filling stations already have a reserve of fuel for the entire January 2023.
“Yesterday the “precipitation” of prices has already begun, today it is expected to continue,” Kuyun added.
According to the price bulletin of the group “A-95”, the average retail price of gasoline A-95 in Ukraine on Thursday, in particular, was 51.99 UAH / liter, down from December 27 by 0.8% (52.38 UAH / liter), the price of “A-95 +” – 53.07 UAH / liter (0.1% lower than on December 27 – 53.13 UAH / liter).
Brazilian soccer star Pele died in Sao Paulo at age 82 after a long illness, the Associated Press reported Thursday.
Pele was being treated for cancer. He was hospitalized about a month ago due to complications. Relatives have repeatedly made it clear that Pele’s condition was worsening.
Pele is the only footballer who managed to become world champion three times as a player: in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
Edson Arantis do Nascimento, better known as Pele, was born October 23, 1940 in the small Brazilian town of Tres Corazones. His father Dondinho was also a professional footballer, but due to a serious injury was forced to end his career, so he began to teach soccer to his son.
At the age of seven Pele got into a local team, which at some point was coached by a former Brazilian national team player Valdemar de Brito. He arranged for the young soccer player to try out for the Brazilian club Santos, for which Pele ended up playing for almost his entire career.
Pele made his debut for the Santos main team at the age of 15, scoring in his first match. Ten months after signing a contract with a professional club, the 16-year-old player was called up to the national team.
Pele’s first World Cup in 1958 was brilliant: he scored a hat-trick in the semi-final match against France and a double in the final against Sweden, thereby leading his country to victory. Pele became world champion at 17, the youngest champion in the tournament’s history. Four years later, he helped the national team win the title again, making Brazil one of only two countries in the world to win the tournament twice in a row.
After his successful performances at national team level, the player attracted interest from world giants such as Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United, but the country declared the player a “national treasure in Brazil” to prevent the young talent from leaving the country.
At the 1966 championship Pele had not been able to give his best due to injuries, but the 1970 championship, which was the fourth in his career, was a triumph. The 26-year-old Pele again led his team to victory, becoming the only player in history to win the World Cup three times. Also at the tournament, Pele scored the first goal in the final match against Mexico, which was Brazil’s 100th goal at the World Cups.
Pele spent 18 years at Santos. With the club Pele won six Brazilian titles, 10 times the Paulista Liga champion, twice took the Libertadores Cup, four times won the Rio São Paulo tournament, as well as winning the Intercontinental Cup twice and once won the Intercontinental Super Cup. To complete his career the already legendary player went to the American club New York Cosmos, where he spent two years and again became champion, but already of the North American Football League.
Officially, for his entire career Pele played 812 games in which he scored 757 goals, but these statistics do not include friendly and exhibition matches. If you count all the games in which Pele took part, it turns out that the footballer played more than 1.3 thousand games, in which he scored more than 1.2 thousand goals.
After his soccer career Pele served as UN Environment Ambassador and Brazil’s Sports Minister, as well as being knighted a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire and was named a UNICEF ambassador.
In 2000 Pele became the best soccer player of the twentieth century, beating Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Alfredo Di Stefano, Diego Maradona and other great soccer players of the last century in this nomination.
