Impact of Fed's Interest Rate Hikes on Gas and OilOn October 4, 2023, the OPEC+ ministerial panel did not make any changes to the group's oil production policy after Russia and Saudi Arabia announced continued voluntary supply cuts to support the price of black gold.
However, Brent and WTI crude futures have fallen more than 13% over the past week on concerns that central banks could raise interest rates again to more aggressively fight inflation. In addition, rising unemployment and the slower pace of China's economic recovery are also putting further pressure on oil prices.
On the other hand, the US and European Union economies remain strong despite numerous problems, including high inflation and geopolitical tensions due to the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Thanks to stronger-than-expected consumer spending, global economic growth continued into the third quarter of 2023.
From the point of view of technical analysis, we believe that on September 28, the global wave (3) was completed, which, as it should be, was the longest and strongest wave, which is also reflected in the fact that this asset attracted the attention of the mass public. On October 5, 2023, wave A was completed, which belongs to a larger corrective pattern of the (4) wave, implying a continuation of the downward movement of the Brent crude oil price after reaching a strong resistance zone in the $89-$90 range. By the end of the fourth quarter of 2023, we expect the price to reach $77-$78.
In addition, global oil prices are under pressure, partly because gas storage facilities in Europe are full.
It should be noted that oil prices and the US Dollar index (DXY) are often inversely correlated, meaning that when the DXY rises, oil prices usually fall and vice versa. So, in recent weeks, the dollar has been strengthening, making oil more expensive for countries using other currencies, which reduces demand for it and, as a result, oil prices.
