Markets remain composed after Iran attack on Israel

Oil markets, weighing the consequences of Iran’s first ever direct attack on Israel over the weekend, with missiles and drones, opened cautiously in early Asian trade Monday and will be shaped by the extent of Tel Aviv’s response.

First signs indicate that investors are relieved by the scope of Iran’s attack as it has been perceived as a controlled attack that is not expected to force Israel to escalate action and prompt a forceful response from the US and allies, which would certainly lead to a regional conflict.

In early Asian trading Monday morning, Brent crude oil futures were trading at a level of 90.50 dollars a barrel, marginally up compared to Friday, while WTI futures fell slightly to 85.57 dollars a barrel.

Over the past month, Brent prices have risen by 8.5 percent, in expectation of action by Iran. Though this ascent cannot be ignored, forecasts of a spike to levels of between 95 and 100 dollars a barrel have yet to be confirmed.

Worse-case scenarios entailing further escalation – which would consequently cut off oil supply from the region and, worse still, prompt Tehran to block the Strait of Hormuz, a highly important strategic location for international trade offering passage to a third of the world’s liquefied natural gas and almost 25 percent of total global oil consumption – still seem far off.

Markets have remained composed. Iran has tested reactions, while Israel’s ability to intercept and the support of its allies have both been confirmed.

This means that any oil price rises, as an initial reaction following Iran’s weekend attack, will be short-lived.

Iran launched drones and missiles at Israel over the weekend as retaliation for an attack on its consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus on April 1. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the consulate strike but is widely regarded to have been behind it.

 

WTI may plunge again, local market indirectly impacted

Monday’s unprecedented collapse on the US market of May oil futures, driven down to negative territory by a pandemic-induced evaporation of demand that left the world with an oil oversupply and not enough storage capacity — meaning producers were willing to paying buyers to take it off their hands – could be repeated towards the end of May for June oil futures, analysts have noted.

Besides this week’s price collapse of oil futures in the US, the biggest day-to-day price drop in the history of oil trading was also recorded Monday.

Output, especially by small-scale producers, will gradually be wound down for market equilibrium, or a production correction reflecting the dive in demand prompted by these extraordinary times. However, this process will require some time and may be achieved slightly before June, according to a Goldman Sachs estimate.

The below-zero prices have mostly affected holders of futures contracts, the majority of these being traders, not actual buyers of oil. Actual buyers, namely refineries, make oil purchases at average price levels determined over extended time periods.

The Greek oil market is not directly influenced by the US market’s WTI index, but, instead, primarily takes its cue from Brent prices. Their fall was less acute, dropping to a level of 19 dollars per barrel when the WTI had fallen into negative territory. Brent prices then rose to levels of between 20 and 25 dollars per barrel the following day, yesterday.

The current oil market volatility has created conditions for lower price levels but the lockdown does not permit consumers to take full advantage.