Brent oil prices are flat during early Wednesday trading after touching a multi-week low the previous day. Investors remain relatively unmoved by the potential impact that the additional voluntary production cuts agreed by the OPEC+ members will have on the market. Since the last day of November, the price of Brent has dropped more than 6%, showing that the markets’ concerns are tilted towards the demand side, as fears over an economic slowdown gain traction. The recent release of softer-than-expected economic data amplified this sentiment. Still, the downside has been limited by lingering fears of an escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which could end up disrupting the crucial Middle Eastern supply routes. Against this background, Brent oil prices are likely to continue to find resistance around the 80-dollar level.
Ricardo Evangelista – Senior Analyst, ActivTrades