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The number of initial jobless claims in the U.S. fell last week, indicating that the U.S. labor market remains stable despite an unexpected drop in employment in July. The Labor Department said Thursday that seasonally adjusted initial claims fell by 4,000 to 203,000 in the week ending August 22, compared with economists expectations of 208,000. Initial claims are currently at the lower end of the years range of 189,000 to 230,000, suggesting that even with weak hiring activity, layoffs remain low. The U.S. unemployment rate fell slightly again last month to 4.1%, a historically low level. If the labor market continues to remain stable, the Federal Reserve may be able to continue focusing on controlling inflation. U.S. inflation has been above the Feds 2% target for 65 consecutive months. Data showed that continuing jobless claims fell by 18,000 to 1.778 million, an indicator that can be used as a reference for hiring.The U.S. goods trade deficit widened to its highest level since early last year in July, with imports surging, primarily driven by increased shipments of capital equipment. Data released by the Commerce Department on Thursday showed that the goods trade deficit widened by 17.2% in July from the previous month to $118.8 billion, the highest level since March 2025, compared to economists median forecast of $100.5 billion. The figures are unadjusted for inflation. Imports rose 3.7% in July, while goods exports fell 2.9%. The U.S. trade deficit has fluctuated in recent months. On the one hand, the war with Iran has boosted global demand for U.S. petroleum products; on the other hand, U.S. companies are stockpiling goods and raw materials to mitigate the impact of supply chain disruptions. Meanwhile, companies are adapting to changing tariff rates, and imports of artificial intelligence-related equipment remain strong.International oil prices rebounded somewhat and fluctuated near their intraday highs. A chart provides a quick overview of the pre-market conversion of domestic and international crude oil prices.Federal Reserves Goolsby: The biggest short-term concern right now is that inflation is out of control.Federal Reserves Goolsby: The current job market with low hiring and low layoffs is unusual.

WTI advances toward $75.00 as China-related demand optimism offsets recession fears

Daniel Rogers

Jan 09, 2023 11:55

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In the early hours of Monday, WTI steadily climbs near the intraday high of $74.70 as bullish emotion competes with economic slowdown worries. Despite this, the weaker US Dollar and a light schedule allow buyers of black gold to maintain control following Friday's mixed performance.

 

In spite of this, the risk profile remains elevated in light of China's reopening of its borders after a three-year closure. On the same line, Guo Shuqing, party secretary of the People's Bank of China, made his remarks (PBOC).

 

Reuters, transmitting China unlock news, claimed that "about 2 billion journeys are anticipated this season, roughly doubling the volume of previous year, and recovering to 70% of 2019 levels," citing a statement from the Chinese government.

 

On the other side, PBOC's Shuqing stated, "The world's second-largest economy is likely to recover rapidly due to the country's optimal Covid-19 response and the continued implementation of its economic policies."

 

The US Dollar Index (DXY) fell the most in three weeks the day before, down 0.20% intraday to 103.70 as of press time, as the US employment report failed to excite greenback purchasers and the US activity numbers stoked fears of an economic slowdown. It's worth mentioning that the previous day's disappointing US wage growth, ISM Services PMI, and Factory Orders weighed on Treasury bond yields and the DXY.

 

On a different page, reports regarding a delay in the restoration of the colonial pipeline and the Russia-Ukraine conflict appear to also benefit energy buyers. Traders fear additional rate hikes ahead of the release of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for December from China and the United States on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, which tests the positive momentum.