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Financial Markets Morning Commentary

By: Tom Pawlicki, Senior Specialist, Market Intelligence

Economic

Geopolitical

  • (Reuters) Iran's navy said on Friday it had fired warning missiles and drones at U.S. warships in the Gulf of Oman, accusing the U.S. Navy of harassing maritime traffic and seizing commercial vessels and oil tankers, Iranian state media reported. Earlier, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said U.S. forces had intercepted the sanctioned stateless vessel M/T DAVINA in the Indian Ocean overnight.
  • (Reuters) Iran has reaffirmed support for its Lebanese ally Hezbollah and demanded Israel withdraw from southern Lebanon, underscoring complications facing an interim deal to end the broader conflict between the U.S. and Iran.
  • (Reuters) The Iran-backed Hezbollah militia on Thursday rejected a new ceasefire in Lebanon and Israel said it would not withdraw troops from the country.
  • (Reuters) President Donald Trump said on Thursday he believed progress was being made between Israel and Lebanon and that Lebanon deserved to have peace. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and "I actually spoke to Hezbollah about it." He continued: "And I think progress is made. It's been going on for a long time, you know," he said.
  • (Reuters) Russian President Vladimir Putin has been informed about an open letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday, according to state news agency TASS. Zelenskiy published the open letter to Putin on Thursday in which he proposed the two leaders meet to agree on an end to the war, warning that Kyiv stood ready to fight on otherwise. He also taunted Putin, saying Russians were getting tired of both him and the war.
  • (Reuters) Russia is not expecting a visit by U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in the near future, Interfax reported on Friday, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
  • (Reuters) A Russian drone attack on a food industry enterprise in a region surrounding Ukrainian capital Kyiv killed four people, the regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk said on Friday. The attack caused a fire at an administrative building on the premises of the enterprise, and parts of its structure have been destroyed, Kalashnyk said.
  • (Reuters) Ukrainian drones struck five ships in the ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk and in coastal waters of Russian-occupied territories overnight, the Ukrainian drone forces commander said on Friday.
  • (Reuters) A Ukrainian naval drone while on a mission in the Black Sea lost control as a result of Russian electronic warfare and drifted towards the Romanian coast, Ukraine's navy said on Friday. Ukraine contacted the Romanian side to warn them and prevent casualties.

Energy

  • WTI is -$0.45/bbl at $92.59/bbl, while Brent is -$0.26/bbl at $94.77/bbl. Natural gas is -$0.069/MMBtu at $3.267/MMBtu.
  • (Reuters) Oil prices edged lower after Oman said operations at Mina al Fahal port were proceeding normally, following a Reuters report that oil loadings had been suspended after an explosion. Oman exports 800,000 to 900,000 barrels per day of crude from the terminal.
  • (Reuters) Iranian exports of crude oil and condensate fell to their lowest level in at least six years in May, falling well below 300,000 barrels per day, mainly due to the U.S. naval blockade, according to shipping data and analysts. Iran's exports averaged about 209,000 bpd in May, Vortexa data shows, down sharply from 1.34 million bpd in April and nearly 1.9 million bpd in March.
  • (Reuters) There are no signs of jet fuel shortages in Europe in the coming months despite the energy shock from the Iran war, though high prices are prompting airlines to cut uneconomic routes, the European Union's transport chief, Apostolos Tzitzikostas said.

Metals

  • Gold is -$58.70/oz, trading at $4,446.30/oz, while silver is -$1.861/oz at $72.11/oz.
  • The dollar index is +0.023 points at 99.436.
  • (Reuters) Gold edged lower on Friday, and was headed for a weekly loss, as fading hopes of a swift resolution to the Middle East conflict fueled fears of higher inflation and elevated interest rates.
  • Interest Rates

This material should be construed as market commentary and represents the opinions and viewpoints of the author, and does not reflect tailored advice associated with any specific account.


The views are current only through the date stated and are subject to change at any time based upon market or other conditions, and StoneX Group Inc. (“SGI”) disclaims any responsibility to update such views. Actual results, performance, or achievements may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Information is based on data gathered from what we believe are reliable sources. Past performance does not guarantee future results.


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