Gold prices are falling sharply on Monday amid the strengthening of the U.S. dollar against major global currencies and a shift in expectations regarding the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy. As of 9:25 a.m., April gold futures on the Comex exchange fell 9.7% to $4,131 per ounce. This is the lowest level since November 2026.
Pressure on the market is coming from the dollar’s rise, as well as growing fears that the Fed may abandon plans to cut rates or even raise them by year-end if inflation accelerates. According to CME FedWatch, traders estimate the probability of a 25-basis-point rate hike at nearly 36%.
A strong dollar traditionally reduces gold’s appeal to investors using other currencies, as it makes the metal more expensive when purchased outside the U.S.
Gold is important to the global financial system as a safe-haven asset, a savings instrument, and a component of central banks’ international reserves. It is also significant for industry due to its use in electronics, medicine, and high-precision technologies.
Earlier, the Experts Club analytical center presented an analysis of the world’s leading gold-producing countries in a video on its YouTube channel — https://youtube.com/shorts/DWbzJ1e2tJc?si=BywddHO-JFWFqUFA
According to the results of a survey conducted by the research company Active Group and the Experts Club think tank, 34.1% of respondents described a healthy lifestyle as “very important,” 53.1% as “somewhat important,” 10.8% — “somewhat unimportant,” and 2.1% — “not important at all.” The data was presented at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine press center.
“The high value placed on a healthy lifestyle is an opportunity for the system to shift its focus toward prevention and early diagnosis,” said Maksym Urakin.
“People are ready to change their habits, but they need accessible tools—consultations, screenings, and clear recommendations,” added Oleksandr Pozniy.
The study was conducted on the SunFlowerSociology online panel using a representative sample in February 2026. The survey involved 1,000 respondents from a representative sample across all regions of Ukraine, excluding temporarily occupied territories.
ACTIVE GROUP, EXPERTS CLUB, Healthy Lifestyle, Pozniy, URAKIN
The Experts Club analytical center has released a new video study devoted to the dynamics of public debt of countries around the world in relation to GDP in 1950-2025. The visualization shows how the debt burden in different economies has changed over the past 75 years – from post-war recovery and debt crises to the pandemic and the current stage of expensive borrowing. The final slide focuses on the situation in 2025, when Ukraine, according to the international methodology used in the study, also entered the group of 20 countries with the highest debt burden.
The study is based on IMF DataMapper and World Economic Outlook data for October 2025 using the general government gross debt indicator. According to IMF estimates, the global level of public debt in 2025 reached 96.8% of world GDP, while for advanced economies the average figure was 111.8% of GDP. This means that the debt burden remains systemically high not only in vulnerable countries, but also in the world’s largest economies.
According to the data used in the video, in 2025 the countries with the highest debt burden included primarily Sudan, Japan, Singapore, Greece, Bahrain, the Maldives, and Italy. The same group also included the United States, France, and Canada, while Ukraine, with an indicator of about 108.6-110% of GDP, also found itself in the upper part of the global anti-ranking and, according to these estimates, entered approximately the first dozen countries by the debt-to-GDP ratio. For comparison, the database for 2025 indicates a level of 108.6% of GDP for Ukraine, 128.7% for the United States, 119.6% for France, 138.3% for Italy, and 226.8% for Japan; in summary international tables based on the same IMF estimates, similar values appear, where Ukraine is shown at around 110% of GDP.
For Ukraine, this result is especially indicative. According to IMF DataMapper, in 2025 the total public debt of the general government sector reached 108.6% of GDP. VoxUkraine, analyzing the same IMF database, notes that this is the highest level for the entire observation period for Ukraine. At the same time, the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine reported that state and state-guaranteed debt at the end of 2025 amounted to 98.4% of GDP. The difference is explained by methodology: IMF international comparisons use the broader general government gross debt indicator, so it is precisely this indicator that is suitable for the global ranking shown in the Experts Club study.
“Our study shows not just the size of the debt, but the country’s place in the global system of risks. In Ukraine’s case, entry into the group of countries with the highest debt burden is a direct consequence of the war, the large-scale need for budget financing, and dependence on external support. But at the same time, it is also a reminder that after the end of the war one of the key challenges will be not only the recovery of the economy, but also the building of a long-term debt management strategy,” noted Experts Club founder and PhD in Economics Maksym Urakin.
In a broader context, the video demonstrates that high debt is no longer an exception only for crisis states. Among the countries with the largest debt burden today are both economies with prolonged structural imbalances and developed states with deep domestic capital markets. That is why the comparison of 1950 and 2025 shows the main shift: the debt model has become the norm of the global economy, while the issue of debt sustainability now depends not only on its size, but also on the cost of servicing, GDP growth rates, the structure of creditors, and the state’s ability to maintain investor confidence.
For Ukraine, based on the 2025 data, the main conclusion of the study is that the country has already crossed the psychological threshold of 100% of GDP according to the international methodology and entered the global group of the most highly indebted states. This does not mean an automatic debt crisis, but it does mean that the issue of post-war fiscal sustainability, restructuring of liabilities, the cost of new financing, and acceleration of economic growth will be among the central topics of economic policy in the coming years.
The price of May Brent futures on the London ICE Futures exchange rose by $6.09 (6.62%) to $98.07 per barrel at 7:12 a.m. Earlier during the session, Brent again exceeded $100 per barrel. On Wednesday, the contract rose in price by $4.18 (4.8%) to $91.98 per barrel.
WTI crude oil futures for April delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) are currently up $5.29 (6.06%) to $92.54 per barrel. At the end of the previous session, the value of these contracts rose by $3.8 (4.6%) to $87.25 per barrel.
An Iranian underwater drone attacked two oil tankers in the Persian Gulf overnight, Iranian state television IRIB reported. Earlier, a source in the Iraqi security service in Basra told CNN that a ship loaded with explosives rammed into two tankers at once.
CNN specifies that the ships Zefyros, flying the Maltese flag, and Safesea Vishnu, flying the Marshall Islands flag, were on fire. The registered owner of the Safesea Vishnu is the American company Safesea Transport Inc., while the owner of the Zefyros is based in Greece.
Iraq’s oil ports have been suspended following the fire, according to Farhan al-Fartousi, head of the Iraqi Ports Authority. He said one person had died and 38 others had been rescued.
Meanwhile, Oman has ordered ships to leave the Mina al-Fahal export terminal as a precaution, Bloomberg reports, citing informed sources. According to Kpler, about 1 million barrels of oil were exported from the terminal daily.
Earlier, a representative of the Iranian armed forces said that the world should prepare for oil at $200 per barrel, as fuel prices depend on security in the region, and Israel and the US have violated this security with their actions.
“The only thing that could lead to a long-term decline in prices is the resumption of oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz,” ING analysts wrote. “If this does not happen, we can expect new highs.”
Oil prices rose yesterday, despite the fact that OPEC member countries agreed to supply a record 400 million barrels from their strategic reserves to the world market. The timing of the release of reserves will depend on the circumstances in each individual country. The total strategic oil reserves of IEA member countries exceed 1.2 billion barrels, with another 600 million barrels in state-owned industrial reserves.
“The release of IEA oil reserves may only be a temporary solution, while supply disruptions and significant production cuts in some Middle Eastern countries could cause a long-term supply shortage,” said Tina Teng of Moomoo ANZ.
On Wednesday, it was also reported that commercial oil reserves in the US rose by 3.824 million barrels last week to a maximum of 443.1 million barrels since May 2025. Experts had forecast an average increase of 1.1 million barrels, according to Trading Economics.
Earlier, the Experts Club information and analytical center released a video dedicated to global oil production in 1900–2024 and the leading producing countries.
Brent, EXPERTS CLUB, IRAN, OIL, TANKER
In January-February of this year, Ukrainian enterprises reduced imports of copper and copper products in monetary terms by 11.6% compared to the same period last year, to $26.757 million.
According to customs statistics released by the State Customs Service of Ukraine on Tuesday, exports of copper and copper products during the specified period decreased by 14.6% to $12.213 million.
In February, copper imports amounted to $15.724 million, while exports amounted to $7.260 million.
As reported, in 2025, Ukrainian enterprises increased imports of copper and copper products in monetary terms by 23.2% compared to the previous year, to $173.453 million, while exports of copper and copper products grew by 17.7%, to $103.848 million.
Copper is widely used in electrical engineering, in the production of pipes, for creating alloys, in medicine, and in other industries.
Earlier, the Experts Club information and analytical center released a video dedicated to global copper production and leading producing countries – https://youtube.com/shorts/_h8iU50z8C0?si=a-XkgGEfeUxseQNa
