Economic Growth Indicators - The Guosen High-Frequency Macro Diffusion Index A remains positive, while Index B shows a significant increase, indicating continued economic recovery[1] - The seasonal comparison shows Index B standardized increased by 0.43, significantly above historical averages, suggesting ongoing domestic economic growth momentum[1] - Investment and real estate sectors are performing well, while consumer sector conditions remain relatively stable[12] Price Trends - Food prices are expected to rise by approximately 1.5% month-on-month in September, while non-food prices are projected to remain flat, leading to an overall CPI increase of about 0.3%[13] - The PPI is anticipated to decline by around 0.1% month-on-month, with a year-on-year forecast recovery to -2.4% due to a low base effect[13] Asset Price Predictions - Current domestic interest rates are low, and the Shanghai Composite Index is high; predictions indicate a rise in the ten-year government bond yield and a decline in the Shanghai Composite Index for the week of October 3, 2025[1][19] - The predicted ten-year government bond yield for the week of September 26, 2025, is 2.32%, while the actual yield is 1.88%, indicating a significant deviation[19]

Economic Growth Indicators - The Guosen High-Frequency Macro Diffusion Index A remains positive, while Index B shows a significant increase, indicating continued economic recovery[1] - The seasonal comparison shows Index B standardized increased by 0.43, significantly above historical averages, suggesting ongoing domestic economic growth momentum[1] - Investment and real estate sectors are performing well, while consumer sector conditions remain relatively stable[12] Price Trends - Food prices are expected to rise by approximately 1.5% month-on-month in September, while non-food prices are projected to remain flat, leading to an overall CPI increase of about 0.3%[13] - The PPI is anticipated to decline by around 0.1% month-on-month, with a year-on-year forecast recovery to -2.4% due to a low base effect[13] Asset Price Predictions - Current domestic interest rates are low, and the Shanghai Composite Index is high; predictions indicate a rise in the ten-year government bond yield and a decline in the Shanghai Composite Index for the week of October 3, 2025[1] - The predicted ten-year government bond yield for the week of October 3 is 2.37%, while the Shanghai Composite Index is expected to be 3,190.38[19]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the contrasting economic strategies of the United States and China, highlighting the U.S. reliance on interest rate cuts and data suppression to mask economic issues, while China maintains stability and a cautious approach to monetary policy. Group 1: U.S. Economic Situation - The Federal Reserve has cut interest rates by 0.25 percentage points, marking the fourth cut in less than a year, indicating struggles in the U.S. economy [1] - In August, the U.S. added only 22,000 non-farm jobs, a stark contrast to the job creation seen in China's manufacturing sectors during peak seasons [3] - Inflation in the U.S. rose by 2.9% in August, leading to increased costs for consumers, which complicates the effectiveness of interest rate cuts [3] Group 2: China's Economic Strategy - China's central bank has kept the one-year Loan Prime Rate (LPR) at 3.0% and the five-year rate at 3.5%, indicating a stable economic environment without the need for aggressive monetary policy changes [3][5] - The stability in interest rates has resulted in consistent mortgage payments and savings interest for consumers, contributing to a stable economic atmosphere [5] - China's approach is characterized as "steady and cautious," allowing the economy to develop naturally without unnecessary interventions [5][8] Group 3: Political Context - The article criticizes former President Trump's decision to halt the publication of the Household Food Security Report, which highlights food insecurity in the U.S., suggesting it is an attempt to obscure negative economic realities [6] - Trump's administration has been accused of manipulating data to maintain a facade of economic success, despite underlying issues such as job losses in manufacturing and increased food insecurity [6][8] - The comparison illustrates that while the U.S. government seeks to mask problems through policy and data suppression, China focuses on maintaining economic stability and growth [8]

Report Summary 1. Investment Rating The report does not provide an overall industry investment rating. 2. Core Views - A-share market: A-share major indices generally rose this week, with the Science and Technology Innovation 50 Index surging over 6%. Most stock index futures increased, and large-cap blue-chip stocks performed well. The market was in a state of multiple vacuums of performance, policies, and macro data, with less disturbance from domestic and foreign news. Investor sentiment was cautious due to approaching holidays, resulting in a random walk pattern and a slight decline in trading activity. It is recommended to buy on dips [9][14]. - Bond market: Treasury bond futures declined across the board this week. The "supply - strong, demand - weak" pattern in August economic data may continue, pressuring third - quarter economic growth and providing some support for the bond market. However, in the absence of incremental positive factors, the market is sensitive to negative news. The uncertainty of the new public bond fund regulations continues to disrupt, and bearish sentiment dominates. It is expected that Treasury bond futures will continue to fluctuate weakly in the short term, and it is recommended to watch cautiously [9]. - Commodity market: The Wind Commodity Index rose 4.59%. Gold fell from its historical high due to the rising dollar but has long - term upward potential in a globally loose liquidity environment. Crude oil's trend was volatile due to geopolitical conflicts, and long - term supply pressure remains. The commodity index is expected to fluctuate widely, and it is recommended to mainly watch [9]. - Foreign exchange market: The euro - dollar exchange rate declined. Strong US economic data and hawkish signals from some Fed officials dampened the expectation of interest rate cuts, leading to a short - term rebound of the dollar. The euro was suppressed by the dollar's rebound. It is recommended to watch cautiously [9][13]. 3. Summary by Directory 3.1 This Week's Summary and Next Week's Allocation Suggestions - **Monetary policy**: China's central bank net injected 9406 billion yuan in the open market this week. The September LPR quotes remained stable, with the 1 - year and over - 5 - year varieties at 3.0% and 3.5% respectively. The current economic downward pressure has increased, but previous policies are still taking effect. The Fed's 25 - basis - point interest rate cut in September provides more room for China's monetary policy. If the third - quarter fundamentals continue to weaken, there may be a new round of reserve requirement ratio and interest rate cuts in the fourth quarter [14]. - **Capital market**: As mentioned above, A - shares and stock index futures performed well, while Treasury bond futures declined [9][14]. 3.2 Important News and Events - **Domestic**: President Xi Jinping announced China's new national independent contributions at the UN Climate Change Summit. Premier Li Qiang attended the High - level Meeting on the Global Development Initiative and met with the President of the European Commission [16]. - **International**: The US lowered the tariff on EU cars to 15% and exempted some EU products from tariffs. There were differences within the Fed on future monetary policy paths. The OECD raised the global economic growth forecast for 2025. The Bank of Japan maintained the interest rate at 0.5% and announced the reduction of ETF and real estate investment trust holdings [18]. 3.3 This Week's Domestic and Foreign Economic Data - **China**: The central bank's open - market net injection was 9406 billion yuan. The 9 - month LPR remained stable. The year - on - year growth rate of total social electricity consumption in August was 5% [14][19]. - **US**: The initial jobless claims in the week ending September 20 decreased to 218,000. The annualized quarterly rate of real GDP in the second quarter was revised up to 3.8%. The core PCE price index was slightly higher than expected [13][19]. - **EU**: The September consumer confidence index improved slightly, but the manufacturing PMI declined [13][19]. - **Germany**: The September manufacturing PMI was lower than expected, and the October Gfk consumer confidence index improved [19]. - **France**: The September manufacturing PMI was lower than expected [19]. - **UK**: The September manufacturing PMI was lower than expected [19]. 3.4 Next Week's Important Economic Indicators and Economic Events - Multiple important economic data will be released next week, including China's September official manufacturing PMI, the UK's second - quarter GDP annual rate final value, Germany's September unemployment rate, the US's September ADP employment, and the unemployment rate, etc. [81]

Report Summary 1. Report Industry Investment Rating No relevant information provided. 2. Core Viewpoints - The steel market is expected to remain volatile. Steel prices may face pressure before the holiday and could decline after the holiday, but there is a possibility of an increase if downstream demand recovers beyond expectations in October. The "15th Five - Year Plan" and other factors will also affect the market [3]. - The coking coal and coke markets are in a wide - range volatile state in the short term. In the medium term, due to policy disturbances on the supply side, a strategy of buying on dips is recommended, but caution is advised regarding the upside potential [8][10]. - The iron ore price may face pressure at high levels as the market may not have priced in the rapid weakening of terminal demand in the third quarter, and market expectations are fluctuating [11][13]. - The ferroalloy market is driven by overall commodity sentiment and cost in the short term, but the upside is limited by high supply [14][15]. 3. Summary by Directory Steel - **Related Information**: The US will impose new high - tariffs on multiple imported products from October 1, and Mexico plans to raise import tariffs on products from non - FTA partners. Shanghai's rebar price is 3290 yuan (+10), and Beijing's is 3190 yuan; Shanghai's hot - rolled coil price is 3400 yuan, and Tianjin's is 3330 yuan [2]. - **Logic Analysis**: The black - metal sector maintained a volatile trend at night. Construction steel sales on the 25th were 10820 tons. Five major steel products increased in production overall, with a decrease in hot - rolled coils. The apparent demand for hot - rolled coils weakened, while that for rebar continued to recover. Steel inventories have reached an inflection point and are starting to decline. However, there is still pressure on steel prices before the holiday, and there may be a risk of decline after the holiday, but there is also a chance of price increase if demand recovers beyond expectations [3]. - **Trading Strategies**: For the single - side strategy, steel is expected to maintain a volatile trend; for the arbitrage strategy, continue to hold the long 1 - 5 spread and the short hot - rolled coil - rebar spread; for the options strategy, it is recommended to wait and see [5]. Coking Coal and Coke - **Related Information**: The capacity utilization rate of 523 coking coal mines was 86.5%, a 1.8% increase. The daily output of raw coal and clean coal increased, and the inventory decreased. The blast furnace operating rate and iron - making capacity utilization rate of 247 steel mills increased. The prices of coke and coking coal warehouse receipts are provided [6][7]. - **Logic Analysis**: The market has digested the pre - holiday raw material replenishment logic. The spot market for coking coal is rising, and coke enterprises are proposing a price increase. Future coal production may be restricted by policies, but imported coal can provide some supply. The demand for steel restricts the upside of raw material prices [8][10]. - **Trading Strategies**: For the single - side strategy, it is a wide - range volatile market in the short term, and a long - on - dips strategy is recommended in the medium term; for the arbitrage strategy, try to enter the long coking coal 1 - 5 spread at low prices; for the options and spot - futures strategies, it is recommended to wait and see [10]. Iron Ore - **Related Information**: The US Q2 GDP final value increased by 3.8% annually, and the US will impose a 25% tariff on imported heavy - duty trucks from October 1. The real - estate bond financing in August decreased by 4.3% year - on - year. The prices of iron ore in Qingdao Port are provided [11]. - **Logic Analysis**: The iron ore price dropped slightly at night. The mainstream mines improved in the third quarter, and non - mainstream mines maintained high shipments. The terminal steel demand in China weakened in the third quarter, while overseas demand remained high. The iron ore price may face pressure at high levels [11][13]. - **Trading Strategies**: No specific trading strategies are clearly provided in the text, only a note that the views are for reference only [13]. Ferroalloy - **Related Information**: The November 2025 quotes of overseas manganese mines to China increased. On the 25th, the silicon - iron spot price was stable, and the manganese - silicon and manganese - ore spot prices were slightly weak [14]. - **Logic Analysis**: For silicon - iron, the supply is high, and the short - term negative feedback risk has eased. For manganese - silicon, the supply is high, and the demand is stable. The cost of manganese - ore is rising, but the upside is limited by high supply [14]. - **Trading Strategies**: For the single - side strategy, it is strong in the short term but limited by high supply; for the arbitrage strategy, it is recommended to wait and see; for the options strategy, sell the straddle option combination [15][18].

1. Report Industry Investment Ratings - No industry - wide investment ratings are provided in the report. 2. Core Views of the Report - The recent market trading logic mainly focuses on domestic incremental stimulus policies, with a short - term strengthening of the upward macro - drive. Attention should be paid to the progress of Sino - US trade negotiations and the implementation of domestic incremental policies. For assets, the stock index is expected to be slightly stronger in the short - term, and short - term cautious long positions are recommended; treasury bonds are expected to be volatile in the short - term, and cautious observation is advised; among commodity sectors, black commodities are expected to be volatile in the short - term, with cautious observation; non - ferrous metals are expected to rise significantly in the short - term, with cautious long positions; energy and chemical products are expected to rebound in a volatile manner, with cautious long positions; precious metals are expected to be strong and volatile at high levels, with cautious long positions [2]. 3. Summary by Relevant Catalogs 3.1 Macro - finance - Overseas: The US Q2 GDP was significantly revised upwards, the initial jobless claims for the week ending September 20, 2025, were at a new low since the week of July 19, 2025, the US dollar index strengthened significantly, and global risk appetite continued to decline. - Domestic: China's August consumption, January - August investment, and industrial added - value growth were all lower than previous values and market expectations, and domestic demand continued to slow down. Policy support has been strengthened, and domestic risk appetite has increased significantly. The stock index is expected to be slightly stronger in the short - term, and cautious long positions are recommended; treasury bonds are expected to be volatile, and cautious observation is advised [2]. 3.2 Black Metals - **Steel**: The spot and futures markets of domestic steel continued a small - scale rebound on Thursday. The real - world demand continued to weaken, but there were differences among varieties. The supply remained at a high level, and the logic of squeezing steel mill profits may continue. The steel market is likely to fluctuate within a range in the short - term [4]. - **Iron Ore**: The spot and futures prices of iron ore continued to be strong on Thursday. The demand remained strong, and the supply was generally at a high level. The iron ore price should be treated with a range - bound thinking, but there is a risk of negative feedback after November [4][5]. - **Silicon Manganese/Silicon Iron**: The spot prices of silicon iron and silicon manganese declined slightly on Thursday, while the futures prices rebounded slightly. The downstream demand is expected to improve. The futures prices of silicon iron and silicon manganese are expected to continue to fluctuate within a range [6]. - **Soda Ash**: The main contract of soda ash fluctuated on Thursday. The price was affected by the downstream glass sector. In the short - term, there will be an increase in both supply and demand, but in the long - term, the supply contradiction will suppress the price [7]. - **Glass**: The main contract of glass fluctuated on Thursday. The supply remained stable, the demand improved marginally, and with positive policy sentiment, it is expected to be strong in the short - term [7]. 3.3 Non - ferrous Metals and New Energy - **Copper**: The LME copper price rose and then fell overnight. Although the production of the Grasberg copper mine was affected, the复产 schedule reduced market speculation expectations [8]. - **Aluminum**: The aluminum price rose on Thursday and then fluctuated. It is expected to fluctuate within a narrow range in the short - term to wait for new drivers. The social inventory decreased significantly due to pre - holiday restocking by downstream enterprises [8]. - **Aluminum Alloy**: The supply of scrap aluminum is tight, and the demand is in the off - season. The short - term price is expected to be slightly stronger in a volatile manner, but the upside space is limited [9]. - **Tin**: The supply is tightened in the short - term, and the demand is weak. The inventory decreased significantly. The price is expected to be volatile in the short - term, with support from maintenance and peak - season expectations, but the upside space is under pressure [9]. - **Lithium Carbonate**: The main contract of lithium carbonate rose on Thursday. The supply and demand both increased, and the fundamentals improved marginally. The price is expected to fluctuate, and the upper - pressure range should be monitored [10]. - **Industrial Silicon**: The main contract of industrial silicon rose on Thursday. There is no obvious driving force, and the price is expected to fluctuate within a range [10]. - **Polysilicon**: The main contract of polysilicon rose on Thursday. The spot prices of polysilicon, silicon wafers, and battery cells increased. The policy expectation is still strong, and it is expected to be volatile at a high level in the short - term [11]. 3.4 Energy and Chemicals - **Crude Oil**: Tensions between Russia and NATO have intensified, and the supply risk has increased. Although the resumption of exports from the Kurdish region in northern Iraq provides some support, the long - term bearish expectation remains unchanged [12][13]. - **Asphalt**: The asphalt price rebounded following the crude oil price. The peak - season demand is over, and the surplus pressure remains. Attention should be paid to the extent of following the crude oil price increase [13]. - **PX**: The main contract fluctuated. The supply is still tight, but the polyester sector has declined recently, and it is expected to be weakly volatile with some support below [13]. - **PTA**: The market has expectations of joint production cuts by leading enterprises, but the basis strengthening is limited, and the demand in the peak season has fallen short. There is long - term downward pressure on the disk [14]. - **Ethylene Glycol**: The price remained low and volatile. The port inventory changed little, and the downstream demand was weak. There is no obvious driving force for the price to rise [14]. - **Short - fiber**: The short - fiber price decreased slightly. The terminal orders increased seasonally but with limited amplitude. The subsequent upside space may be limited [14]. - **Methanol**: The domestic methanol market fluctuated narrowly. The supply is in surplus in the short - term, but there may be a turning point in supply and demand in October [15]. - **PP**: The market price recovered slightly. The supply is still loose, and it is expected to be weakly volatile in the short - term, and the improvement of peak - season demand should be monitored [15][16]. - **LLDPE**: The LLDPE market price increased slightly. The supply increased, and the peak - season demand fell short of expectations. The price is expected to be weakly volatile [16]. - **Urea**: The domestic urea market was stable. The supply is sufficient, the demand support is weak, and the inventory is accumulating, so there is significant short - term pressure [17]. 3.5 Agricultural Products - **US Soybeans**: The CBOT soybean price rose overnight. The resumption of export tax in Argentina and the possible downgrade of US soybean crop ratings provided some support, but the high yield and weak export sales restricted the rebound [18]. - **Soybean and Rapeseed Meal**: The short - term supply - demand surplus situation in the domestic market remains unchanged. The low - valued cost of imported soybeans provides support [18]. - **Palm Oil**: The Malaysian palm oil futures rose for the second consecutive day on Thursday. The supply - demand situation is stable. In the future, attention should be paid to the low inventory in the production area, the price - support sentiment dominated by policies, and the impact of US soybean oil - related biodiesel policies on the market [19]. - **Soybean and Rapeseed Oil**: The soybean oil market continues to have a situation of strong supply and weak demand. The rapeseed oil supply may shrink significantly in the short - term, and the high inventory will continue to decline, so the price is likely to rise [20].

Group 1 - The core viewpoint of the news is that the copper market is experiencing a significant price increase due to supply disruptions caused by an accident at Freeport McMoRan's Grasberg mine, which is expected to impact production levels until 2027 [1] - The accident has led to a projected 35% decrease in copper output for 2026, amounting to approximately 270,000 tons, which raises concerns about medium to long-term copper supply [1] - The recent surge in copper prices, breaking through previous low volatility levels, is anticipated to drive a substantial increase in the average copper price for the fourth quarter [1] Group 2 - In the macroeconomic context, U.S. new home sales for August reached an annualized rate of 800,000, significantly exceeding expectations of 650,000, and showing a month-over-month increase of 20.5% [2] - The strong demand in the U.S. housing market indicates robust economic resilience, contrasting with previous expectations of a decline [2] - Inventory levels for copper have decreased across various exchanges, with LME stocks down by 200 tons to 144,775 tons, and SHFE copper warehouse receipts down by 308 tons to 27,419 tons, reflecting tightening supply conditions [4]

Group 1: Report Investment Rating - No information provided regarding the industry investment rating Group 2: Core Views - This week, copper prices fluctuated widely around 80,000 yuan. Before the interest - rate meeting, the market's profit - taking sentiment led to a decline in copper prices. The copper fundamentals remained resilient with increased downstream orders after the price drop. Consider mid - term long positions below 79,000 - 79,500 yuan or selling put options below 78,000 yuan [1] - Aluminum supply increased slightly, downstream开工 improved, and inventory was expected to decline in September. Hold long positions at low prices and pay attention to inter - month and domestic - foreign reverse arbitrage [1][2] - Zinc prices moved down in oscillation. Supply was affected by TC changes, and demand was seasonally weak domestically and faced some resistance overseas. Hold short positions and partially take profits on domestic - foreign positive arbitrage [6] - Nickel's supply remained high, demand was weak, and inventory increased. The short - term fundamentals were weak, but macro - policies and Indonesian policies had some impact [7] - Stainless steel's supply was expected to increase slightly, demand was mainly for rigid needs, and inventory decreased. The fundamentals were weak, and there was some price - supporting motivation from policies [7] - Lead prices rose due to macro factors. Supply was affected by various factors, demand improved slightly, and prices were expected to oscillate between 16,800 - 17,200 yuan next week [9] - Tin prices oscillated widely. Supply was expected to recover marginally, demand was mainly rigid, and short - term supply - demand was weak. Suggest short - term waiting and light - shorting above 275,000 yuan/ton [12] - Industrial silicon production in some regions was expected to adjust, with short - term tight balance and long - term price oscillation at the cycle bottom [15] - Lithium carbonate prices oscillated strongly. Raw - material suppliers were reluctant to sell, and demand was supported by pre - holiday stocking. The market was in an over - capacity stage with some supply disruptions [17] Group 3: Summary by Metal Copper - This week, the spot price of Shanghai copper, the spread between waste and refined copper, inventory, and import profitability showed various changes. The copper price was affected by market sentiment, fundamentals, and macro policies. Consider mid - term long positions below 79,000 - 79,500 yuan or selling put options below 78,000 yuan [1] Aluminum - Aluminum prices, inventory, and import profitability changed. Supply increased slightly, downstream开工 improved, and inventory was expected to decline in September. Hold long positions at low prices and pay attention to inter - month and domestic - foreign reverse arbitrage [1][2] Zinc - Zinc prices, inventory, and import profitability were in flux. Supply was affected by TC changes, and demand was seasonally weak domestically and faced some resistance overseas. Hold short positions and partially take profits on domestic - foreign positive arbitrage [6] Nickel - Nickel prices, import profitability, and inventory changed. Supply remained high, demand was weak, and inventory increased. The short - term fundamentals were weak, but macro - policies and Indonesian policies had some impact [7] Stainless Steel - Stainless steel prices were stable. Supply was expected to increase slightly, demand was mainly for rigid needs, and inventory decreased. The fundamentals were weak, and there was some price - supporting motivation from policies [7] Lead - Lead prices rose due to macro factors. Supply was affected by factors such as scrap battery supply and smelting profit, demand improved slightly, and prices were expected to oscillate between 16,800 - 17,200 yuan next week [9] Tin - Tin prices oscillated widely. Supply was expected to recover marginally, demand was mainly rigid, and short - term supply - demand was weak. Suggest short - term waiting and light - shorting above 275,000 yuan/ton [12] Industrial Silicon - Industrial silicon production in some regions was expected to adjust, with short - term tight balance due to production resumption in Southwest China and Hesheng, and long - term price oscillation at the cycle bottom due to over - capacity [15] Lithium Carbonate - Lithium carbonate prices oscillated strongly. Raw - material suppliers were reluctant to sell, and demand was supported by pre - holiday stocking. The market was in an over - capacity stage with some supply disruptions [17]

智通财经APP获悉，MetalsFocus发文称，9月17日美联储如市场预期，宣布降息25个基点。受此消息提振，金价一度升至3708美元/盎司的历史新高，并于 近期持续强势。展望后市，MetalsFocus认为，从中长期来看，宏观经济与地缘政治因素仍将为黄金投资和价格提供支撑，因此市场投资者逢低买入的趋 势预计仍将延续，并推动金价在2026年前持续刷新历史高位。 此外，尽管地缘政治紧张局势较年初有所缓解，但重新出现不稳定局势的风险仍难以排除，而美国政府经济与外交政策的不确定性也可能持续存在。总体 而言，这些因素将继续支撑机构投资者在中长期资产配置中增持黄金的合理性。 *联邦基金期货隐含利率; 联邦基金利率预测 MetalsFocus指，美联储的"点阵图"显示，到2025年底前仍将有两次各25个基点的降息，这与市场预期基本一致。然而对于2026~2027年期间的前瞻指引则 明显更为谨慎。中位数预测显示，至2026年底前利率水平将降至3.4%左右，这意味着2026年仅会再有一次降息。相比之下，联邦基金利率期货隐含定价 则更为宽松，指向明年至少两次(甚至三次)降息，利率可能在2026年底接近3%。 更为关键的是，尽 ...

Group 1 - The international oil market is showing signs of downward pressure from both macroeconomic and industry factors, with weak oil demand and increased production from oil-producing countries leading to high inventory risks [1][2] - Since the beginning of 2024, international crude oil prices have been in a weak oscillating trend, fluctuating between $65 and $85 per barrel, influenced by the end of the Fed's rate hike cycle and relatively stable geopolitical conditions in Europe and the Middle East [1] - Looking ahead to 2026, oil prices are expected to adjust weakly, with a mainstream focus level of $55 to $65 per barrel, primarily due to the Fed's initial rate cut phase and concerns over economic downturn and weakened oil demand [1] Group 2 - OPEC+ countries are gradually increasing production to capture more market share, with a total of 2.2 million barrels per day already released and an additional 1.65 million barrels per day being released, amidst limited demand growth and the increasing impact of renewable energy [2] - The combination of weak macroeconomic conditions and strong expectations for inventory accumulation suggests that crude oil prices are likely to undergo a weak adjustment phase, although geopolitical risks in Europe and the Middle East could lead to short-term price spikes [2]