This post was originally published on this site.For oil, the key detail is that Iran has explicitly tied the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to sanctions relief, the end of the US naval blockade and the release of frozen funds. That makes any supply normalisation dependent on a broad political deal rather than a ceasefire alone. The early dip in crude shows traders are leaning toward diplomacy and away from escalation, but the gap between the two sides limits how much risk premium can come out. The next 36 hours of feedback through Qatar is the near-term catalyst: a...

This post was originally published on this site.The data adds to the picture of a Chinese economy still growing but struggling with weak pricing power, which helps explain why authorities are leaning on targeted support such as this week’s expanded buyback lending. Falling selling prices alongside rising costs point to margin pressure for listed service companies, which may limit any equity bounce from the support measures. Firms specifically cited oil among rising input costs, a sign that higher energy prices linked to the Middle East conflict are filtering into China’s economy even as companies cannot pass them on. For the...