Oil prices lost more than a percent at the second trading session of the week. Oil traders are virtually going to extend short on concern that OPEC may agree to increase global supply in a meeting this week and Chinese demand may be dropping.
At the time of writing this report, Brent crude dropped by 1.2%, to trade at $62.91 after losing 1.1% in the past day. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude dropped by 1.2%, to trade at$59.90 a barrel, having lost 1.4% on Monday.
Oil traders are becoming wary that OPEC and its allies, a group often referred to as OPEC+, will increase oil output and further distort the energy demand/supply dynamics.
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The group meets is scheduled to hold on Thursday as discussions might include allowing as much as 1.5 million barrels per day of crude oil back into the market.
Stephen Innes, Chief Global Market Strategist at Axi in a note to Nairametrics explained why the OPEC+ meeting matters most to many oil traders.
“Constructive oil market fundamentals have blown slightly off course ahead of the OPEC + meeting on Thursday as oil prices took to the plunge pool overnight, with Brent back to the soft US$63 handle after trading as high as $66.82 only last Thursday.
“Commodities were mostly weak overnight as the dollar regained a bit of ground. OPEC+ will meet this Thursday, and expectations are that despite Saudi Arabia’s call for caution, most members will push for an increase in output,” Innes stated.
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Bottom line: energy pundits expect the all-important meeting this week in being one of the most interesting oil meetings in recent times, with Saudi Arabia urging producers to remain “extremely cautious”.
