Market News

Headlines:

• Gold prices surge as US-Iran conflict triggers a flight to safety: Record highs in sight
• This Technical Map Shows Oil's Technical Analysis Before and After the War
• Dollar holds firmer across the board as markets digest US-Iran conflict
• Swiss franc tumbles after SNB warning earlier
• We are more prepared to intervene in FX market in view of international situation - SNB
• Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura refinery forced to shut down after reported drone attack
• QatarEnergy halts LNG production after military attacks on its facilities
• EU reportedly says that there is no immediate impact to oil security from US-Iran conflict
• Germany January retail sales -0.9% vs -0.2% m/m expected
• Eurozone February final manufacturing PMI 50.8 vs 50.8 prelim
• UK February…

Things are just getting messier by the hour. QatarEnergy is the state-owned integrated energy company of Qatar. And they have just announced a stop to its LNG production and associated products. That follows attacks on its operating facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City and Mesaieed Industrial City.

For some context, Qatar ranks as among the top three LNG exporters in the world and controls roughly one-quarter of the projected global LNG supply for the next decade.

Their Ras Laffan facility in particular is dubbed the "LNG capital of the world". The restricted access to the Strait of Hormuz is one that already impacts export capabilities from Qatar but adding this latest development in is sort of a double whammy. In any case, this will…

Choosing a forex broker can be confusing. One site advertises “low spreads,” another emphasises “fast execution,” and a third promotes a bonus while hiding real costs in the fine print.

Most traders end up doing the same thing: opening 10 tabs, taking notes, and still feeling unsure.

That’s why here at investingLive, we have launched a forex brokers comparison page for 2026. It’s a simple way to compare brokers side by side based on the details traders usually check before opening an account.

Why a comparison page helps traders

If you trade often, small differences add up. Spreads, fees, and leverage rules can change the cost of each trade. Broker regulation also matters, especially if you care about how your funds are held and what rules the…

Choosing a forex broker can be confusing. One site advertises “low spreads,” another emphasises “fast execution,” and a third promotes a bonus while hiding real costs in the fine print.

Most traders end up doing the same thing: opening 10 tabs, taking notes, and still feeling unsure.

That’s why here at investingLive, we have launched a forex brokers comparison page for 2026. It’s a simple way to compare brokers side by side based on the details traders usually check before opening an account.

Why a comparison page helps traders

If you trade often, small differences add up. Spreads, fees, and leverage rules can change the cost of each trade. Broker regulation also matters, especially if you care about how your funds are held and what rules the…

The European Commission is said to have sent an email to EU governments, in noting that it sees no immediate impact on the bloc's security of oil supply from the situation in the Middle East. That according to Reuters, who has glanced over the email details with it stating that:

"At this stage, we do not foresee an immediate oil SOS (security of supply) impact."

That being said, the EU is considering to convene an ad-hoc meeting of its oil coordination group later this week. Adding that it has requested member states to share their oil security of supply assessments by the end of today.

Well, I would say that the situation is rather fluid at the moment. With all eyes still resting on how long the conflict may endure in the Middle East and…

• Prior 51.8

Key findings:

• New export orders rise at quickest pace in four and-a-half years
• Business sentiment stays close to January's recent high

Comment:

Rob Dobson, Director at S&P Global Market Intelligence

“UK manufacturing has made an encouraging start to 2026. Output rose at the quickest pace in 17 months during February, building on a solid upturn in January, as companies enjoy rising intakes of new work from both the home and overseas markets. Growth of new export business hit a four-and-a-half year high, as improving client confidence in markets such as North America, mainland China, the EU and Middle East led to new contract wins.

"The outlook also remains positive. Business optimism among manufacturers stayed close to January's…

• Prior 49.5

Germany's improvement is the main story driving the recovery in the euro area manufacturing sector to start the new year. Hopes of a sustained return to growth is making for a more optimistic picture at the moment. The headline reading is a 44-month high with the manufacturing output index also moving up to 51.9, its highest in six months.

The only slight concern is that the latest survey data signalled an intensification of inflationary pressures. That as input prices rose sharply to a 38-month high while output charges registered a back-to-back monthly rise for only the second time in almost three years.

HCOB notes that:

“This seems to be a broad-based recovery of the eurozone manufacturing sector, with six out of the eight…

• Prior was 49.1

Key findings:

• Business expectations reach highest since February 2022

Comment:

Commenting on the PMI data, Cyrus de la Rubia, Chief Economist at Hamburg Commercial Bank, said:

“It finally looks like things are turning around for Germany’s manufacturing sector. For the first time in over three-and-a-half years, the headline PMI has climbed back above 50. That’s thanks to faster growth in output, a solid jump in new orders - helped a bit by stronger export demand - and longer delivery times, which usually signal rising demand. Most of the gains came from makers of intermediate and capital goods. For a sector that hasn’t had much to celebrate in recent years, this is already a pretty upbeat development.

“Input prices shot up in…

• Prior 51.2

More to come..

• Prior 48.1

Key findings:

• Fresh growth in output and new orders, ending two-month run of decline
• Brightest 12-month outlook in just over five years
• Intensification of cost and charge inflation

Comment:

Commenting on the PMI data, Jonas Feldhusen, Junior Economist at Hamburg Commercial Bank, said:

“In February, we saw tentative signs of improvement in Italy’s manufacturing sector, but this is not yet a meaningful step forward. The recent uptick, following two weak months, still rests on a fragile foundation. Only if a more sustained recovery emerges over the coming months, marked by continuous growth in production and new orders, can we then speak of a genuine upswing in manufacturing. Until then, the situation remains strained.

“In the latest…

• Prior 48.8

Hopes for a recovery in the Swiss industry were dashed with this being another contractionary reading in February. This marks a 38th straight month that Switzerland's manufacturing sector recorded below the 50-point growth threshold. Of note, production slumped back lower with new orders also softening once again. The details:

It reaffirms that the environment for the Swiss industry remains challenging. The only positive is that the Swiss economy relies much more on the services sector. However, the main focus right now is more on the inflation battle and that's what the SNB is also finding it tough to work out amid a stronger Swiss franc currency.