Brent oil prices hedged up slightly during early Tuesday trading

Brent oil prices hedged up slightly during early Tuesday trading but remain close to the two-week low touched during the previous session. Prices declined on Monday as traders questioned the impact of the additional voluntary production cuts announced by OPEC+ for 2024. With economic activity falling in China and the American economy showing signs of slowing down, the focus of the markets lies on the demand side, with the perspective of a reduction in supply so far failing to lift prices. Still, the downside was capped by simmering tension in the Middle East, with the conflict between Israel and Hamas threatening to escalate following a string of attacks on cargo ships crossing the strategic oil route of the Red Sea.

Ricardo Evangelista – Senior Analyst, ActivTrades