At a Glance
- Oil fell to $56.96 a barrel after a brief rise.
- Gold and silver jumped 2.7% and 6.6% amid the Maduro raid.
- Asian shares surged, with Nikkei up 3% to a year-end high.
- Why it matters: The U.S. operation to remove Venezuelan President Maduro rattled markets, but global indices stayed calm while precious metals rallied as safe-haven demand spiked.
Oil slipped to $56.96 a barrel after a brief lift, while gold and silver leapt as investors sought safety following the U.S. raid that ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Asian shares surged on tech buying, and U.S. futures held steady.
Market Overview
U.S. benchmark crude rose briefly before trading 36 cents lower at $56.96 a barrel, while Brent fell 34 cents to $60.41. Precious metals reacted sharply: gold up 2.7%, silver up 6.6%.
- Thomas Mathews said:
> “While the capture of Venezuelan president Maduro by American forces has dominated headlines, financial markets seem unperturbed,”
- Stephen Innes said:
> “Investors are happy to own risk, but they want insurance in the drawer. This is confidence with a hedge, not euphoria.”
- Hiromi Yamaji said:
> “Looking at the environment surrounding the markets, continuously, there are various risk factors. We must keep an eye on geopolitical risks in Ukraine, the Middle East and East Asia, the U.S.-China trade war, monetary policies in other countries and their development, and corporate performance trends in Japan.”
Asian Shares Rally
The Nikkei 225 climbed 3% to 51,832.80, its highest close since 52,411.34 on Oct. 31, and the KOSPI surged 3.4% to a record 4,457.52. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was flat at 8,728.60, while Taiwan’s benchmark rose 2.6%.
| Market | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|
| US Crude | $56.96 | -$0.36 |
| Brent | $60.41 | -$0.34 |
The dollar rose to 156.88 yen from 156.82, while the euro slipped to 1.1680 from 1.1726. This week marks the first full week of the new year, with key U.S. economic reports due before the Fed’s January meeting.
Key Takeaways
- Oil prices dipped to $56.96 a barrel after a brief rise.
- Gold and silver surged 2.7% and 6.6% as safe-haven demand spiked.
- Asian shares rallied, with Nikkei up 3% and KOSPI reaching a record high.
Despite the geopolitical shock of the Maduro raid, markets largely stayed steady, with precious metals and Asian equities providing a cushion for investors.
