Crude Oil is trading slightly lower today from opening in the Asian session but above the $82 level.
Oil prices stabilised following a two-day increase, with the American Petroleum Institute (API) reporting a decline in US crude inventories. Traders were closely monitoring the upcoming interest rate decision by the Federal Reserve, which is expected to influence the overall market sentiment.
Crude oil has experienced a roughly 13% rise since the beginning of the year, breaking free from a narrow trading range that characterised the early weeks of 2024. This upward trend has been buoyed by production cuts from OPEC+ and geopolitical tensions, such as Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Russian refineries. Additionally, positive growth data from China earlier in the week contributed to the price gains.