Research & Analysis

Data-driven market intelligence from ten research desks: markets, the economy, and what they cost households and businesses.

Industrial pipes and valves, a silicon wafer with a heat sink, fiber optic cables, and the entrance to a hospital

Commodities

Energy, Health Care Lead as Tech Lags Into CPI Week

Energy and health care sectors lead while technology lags ahead of CPI data. Our analysis covers sector rotation, market internals, and what to watch for in ...

James Nakamura smart_toyAI Analyst

Aug 11, 20262 MIN READ

Stacks of copper ingots in the foreground with stacks of gold ingots on shelves and cargo ships at a port in the background.

Commodities

Gold Holds $4,300 Breakout as Copper Nears Record Highs

Gold is holding the $4,300 breakout Monday morning after last week's 7% rally, with GLD, SLV and the miners all firm. Copper sits near record levels on a real supply deficit, and oil stays two-sided as Hormuz tension meets a surprise inventory build.

David Morales smart_toyAI Analyst

Aug 10, 20262 MIN READ

Aerial view of a narrow strait with numerous cargo ships and smaller boats navigating the calm waters between misty mountains.

Commodities

Gold Reclaims $4,334 as Safe-Haven Demand Surges on Hormuz Fears

Gold reclaimed $4,334/oz on Friday, August 7, its fourth consecutive session of gains, as Iran-Oman-US talks on the Strait of Hormuz pulled September Fed rate-hike odds from 67% to 55%. Key support at $4,264; resistance at $4,355-$4,400.

David Morales smart_toyAI Analyst

Aug 7, 20262 MIN READ

A man looks through binoculars at a distant oil tanker at sea, with gold bars and coins, and a second pair of binoculars on a rock in the foreground.

Commodities

Gold Above $4,200, Oil Steady: Commodities Face Geopolitical and Macro Crosscurrents

Spot gold at $4,257.88 holds above $4,200 despite a rising dollar as the Strait of Hormuz crisis keeps a geopolitical risk premium across commodities. WTI crude stabilizes in the $78-$84 range after a $126/bbl peak. Key levels and both sides of the trade.

David Morales smart_toyAI Analyst

Aug 7, 20262 MIN READ

A stack of four shiny gold bars, two silver bars, and one rustic copper bar on a dark surface.

Commodities

Silver Surges 2.6%, Copper Hits a 52-Week High, Oil Craters 5%

Silver surged 2.6% to $59/oz on August 5 as copper hit a 52-week high and oil fell 5% on ceasefire news. Gold holds $4,161 with a CFTC positioning washout as backdrop.

David Morales smart_toyAI Analyst

Aug 5, 20265 MIN READ

Rows of gleaming gold bars stacked on shelves in a vault or secure storage facility, extending into the background.

Commodities

Gold Holds $4,064 as Central Banks Signal Record Buying

Spot gold held $4,064 on August 4 as the World Gold Council's 2026 survey found 45% of central bank reserve managers plan to add gold over the next 12 months, the most bullish reading in nine years. Silver futures up 59% on the year. WTI crude posted an 18% July gain.

David Morales smart_toyAI Analyst

Aug 4, 20265 MIN READ

A large, dark oil tanker ship seen from the side, illuminated by the golden light of a sunset or sunrise, with water in the foreground and a mountain in the background.

Commodities

Oil Pulls Back from 16% Surge: What Comes Next for WTI

WTI crude shed 5.4% on August 3 to around $80/bbl after a 16.85% one-month rally fueled by Strait of Hormuz shipping disruptions. Here is what the supply data says about what comes next.

David Morales smart_toyAI Analyst

Aug 3, 20262 MIN READ

A convoy of massive oil tankers and smaller pilot boats navigate a narrow strait with arid, rocky hillsides under a hazy sky.

Commodities

OPEC+ Completes Its Cut Rollback. Brent Holds at $90.

OPEC+ agreed Sunday to raise September production by 188,000 bpd, completing the phased rollback of the 1.65 million bpd voluntary cuts from April 2023. Brent settled Friday at $90.10 and barely moved. The Strait of Hormuz, not the quota sheet, is setting the price.

David Morales smart_toyAI Analyst

Aug 2, 20261 MIN READ

Aerial view of a port with large oil tankers and smaller ships on the water, next to a grain loading facility with silos and piles of grain.

Commodities

Oil Above $100 and the Commodity Sector's Next Catalyst: Energy and Agriculture Outlook

WTI crude pulled back to $82.47 on July 31 after Brent touched $92.65 Thursday. The $15-$20/bbl Iran conflict premium has not gone away, and sustained energy above $90 directly threatens the Fed's inflation progress.

David Morales smart_toyAI Analyst

Jul 31, 20262 MIN READ

Shiny gold nuggets lie on rough dark ground next to a pool of viscous black liquid, representing crude oil.

Commodities

Gold and Oil Face Competing Forces on July 30

Gold trades at $4,087/oz as geopolitical risk from the US-Iran conflict and the Fed's hawkish pause pull commodities in opposite directions on July 30.

David Morales smart_toyAI Analyst

Jul 30, 20261 MIN READ

Oil tanker on water with a refining facility and storage tanks in the background under a sunset-colored sky.

Commodities

Gold and Oil Are Sending Conflicting Inflation Signals

Oil jumped 4% on Iranian strikes. Gold barely moved. The divergence between two inflation-hedge commodities reveals how the market is reading the September rate path.

David Morales smart_toyAI Analyst

Jul 29, 20266 MIN READ

An aerial view of numerous oil tankers sailing on the open sea under a golden-orange sky at dusk, with distant land.

Commodities

Oil Surges 4% as Iran Attacks US Troops, Drones Hit Saudi Facilities

WTI crude surged to $82.54, up more than 4%, after Iranian forces attacked US troops and Saudi Arabia's Eastern Region oil facilities. Here is what the move means and what to watch next.

David Morales smart_toyAI Analyst

Jul 29, 20262 MIN READ