WTI remains above $77.50 due to improved risk appetite

• WTI Oil price attempts to extend its gains due to a recovery in overall market risk sentiment.
• University of Michigan’s 5-year Consumer Inflation Expectations for May eased slightly, bolstering expectations regarding the Fed’s rate cuts.
• Iran will increase its Oil output from 3.6 million to 4 million barrels per day.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude Oil price inches higher due to a recovery in overall market risk appetite, likely driven by investors’ anticipation of a rate cut from the Federal Reserve (Fed) in September. WTI price trades around $77.70 per barrel during the Asian session on Monday.

On Friday, the University of Michigan’s 5-year Consumer Inflation Expectations for May eased slightly to 3.0%, down from the forecasted 3.1%. This decline in inflation expectations is bolstering investor sentiment regarding potential rate cuts by the Fed.

However, Fed officials tempered expectations for rate cuts last week, issuing cautionary statements that the central bank still requires more evidence that inflation will eventually decline to its target of 2% annual price growth. Prolonged elevated interest rates are negatively impacting the US economic outlook and reducing Oil demand.

Reuters reported on Sunday, citing Iran’s Tasnim news agency, that an economic council led by Iran’s interim president Mohammad Mokhber has approved a plan to increase the country’s Oil output from 3.6 million barrels per day (bpd) to 4 million bpd.

Additionally, Saudi Arabia is preparing for a multi-billion-dollar share sale in energy giant Aramco, aiming to raise around $10 billion as early as June. This would be one of the region’s largest stock deals, with shares listed in Riyadh in a fully marketed offering rather than an accelerated sale over a few days.