Oil Updates — crude inches up on supply concerns and weaker dollar

Brent crude futures gained 12 cents, or 0.19 percent, to $64.75 a barrel by 9:27 a.m. Saudi time. Shutterstock
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Updated 03 June 2025
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Oil Updates — crude inches up on supply concerns and weaker dollar

SINGAPORE: Oil prices ticked up on Tuesday on concerns about supply, with Iran set to reject a US nuclear deal proposal that would be key to easing sanctions on the major oil producer, while weakness in the dollar also supported prices.

Brent crude futures gained 12 cents, or 0.19 percent, to $64.75 a barrel by 9:27 a.m. Saudi time.

US West Texas Intermediate crude was up 20 cents, or 0.32 percent, to $62.72 a barrel, after rising about 1 percent earlier in the session.

The oil market surged higher on Monday as rising geopolitical risks and a supply hike from OPEC+ that fell short of expectations provided a boost, said ING analysts in a note.

“The strength continued into early morning trading today,” ING said on Tuesday.

Both contracts gained nearly 3 percent in the previous session after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, known as OPEC+, agreed to keep output increases in July at 411,000 barrels per day, which was less than some in the market had feared and the same hike as the previous two months.

“With the worst fears not panning out, investors unwound their bearish positions they had built prior to the weekend’s meeting,” ANZ analysts said in a note.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which measures its performance against six other major currencies, held near six-week lows as markets weighed the outlook for President Donald Trump’s tariff policy and its potential to hurt growth and stoke inflation.

A weaker US currency makes dollar-priced commodities such as oil less expensive for holders of other currencies.

“Crude oil prices continue to rise, supported by the weakening dollar,” said Priyanka Sachdeva, senior market analyst at Phillip Nova.

Geopolitical tensions also supported prices. Iran was poised to reject a US proposal to end a decades-old nuclear dispute, an Iranian diplomat said on Monday, saying it fails to address Tehran’s interests or soften Washington’s stance on uranium enrichment.

If nuclear talks between the US and Iran fail, it could mean continued sanctions on Iran, which would limit Iranian supply and be supportive of oil prices.

Adding to supply worries, a wildfire in the province of Alberta in Canada has prompted a temporary shutdown of some oil and gas production, which could reduce supply.

According to Reuters calculations, wildfires in Canada have affected more than 344,000 bpd of oil sands production, or about 7 percent of the country’s overall crude oil output. 


Closing Bell: Saudi main index climbs to 10,485 

Updated 21 December 2025
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Closing Bell: Saudi main index climbs to 10,485 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index edged up on Sunday, gaining 34.32 points, or 0.33 percent, to close at 10,484.59. 

The total trading turnover of the benchmark index stood at SR2.59 billion ($690 million), with 168 listed stocks advancing and 87 declining. 

The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu also gained 100.37 points to close at 23,454.65. 

The MSCI Tadawul Index advanced by 0.13 points to 1,377.44. 

The best-performing stock on the main market was Nama Chemicals Co., whose share price increased by 9.98 percent to SR22.38. 

The share price of Al Masar Al Shamil Education Co. rose by 9.15 percent to SR23.85. 

Saudi Paper Manufacturing Co. also saw its stock price climb by 8.42 percent to SR57.95. 

Conversely, the share price of Canadian Medical Center Co. dropped by 6.37 percent to SR6.03. 

The stock price of Kingdom Holding Co. also declined by 3.16 percent to SR8.28. 

In the parallel market, Alfakhera for Mens Tailoring Co. was the top performer, with its share price advancing by 16.40 percent to SR8.80. 

On the announcements front, Theeb Rent a Car Co. said it had signed a long-term vehicle leasing services contract valued at SR110.4 million with Hungerstation Co. 

Under the deal, Theeb will lease 2,000 vehicles to HungerStation for a period of four years starting from 2026, according to a Tadawul statement. 

The statement added that the vehicles will be delivered in batches within the first six months from the contract start date, taking into consideration global logistical circumstances and procedures beyond the control of both the agents and the company. 

The contract is expected to have a positive impact on the company’s financials from the first quarter of 2026. 

The share price of Theeb Rent a Car Co. declined by 0.79 percent to SR37.80.