Oil extends rally on EIA drawdown
Crude prices extended gains after oil inventories fell to the lowest levels since October 2018. The EIA crude oil inventory posted a larger-than-expected headline decline of 4.55 million barrels versus an expected 1.6 million draw. Both gasoline and distillate inventories rose as consumption decreased. Gasoline demand was weaker-than-expected and still below pre-pandemic levels and if this becomes a trend, oil won’t be able to continue to push higher. US production edged lower by 100,000 bpd to 11.7 million bpd.
This oil inventory report, and in-line CPI reading, does not change energy traders’ expectations for the oil market to remain very tight in the short term. The Omicron impact is still expected to be short-lived and with inventories at low levels and OPEC+ struggling to hit their quotas, crude prices seem poised to head higher.
Gold
Gold prices were unfazed after consumer prices delivered a 7% annual gain, the fastest pace since 1982. Gold has been comfortably above the USD 1800 level after the 10-year Treasury yield rally stalled at the 1.80% level.
Gold seems like it is in a good place as Treasury yields won’t be rallying much higher until financial markets have balance sheet runoff certainty and that won’t happen until at least a couple more Fed meetings. Balance sheet reduction is the key for the back-end of the Treasury curve and that should mean the move higher in Treasury yields might be tentatively over, which would be great news for bullion.
If dollar weakness accelerates here, gold could make a run towards the USD 1840 level.