WTI moves higher to around $78.30 as Houthi Group strikes on shipping vessels in Red Sea

• WTI price edges higher on escalated threat over supply disruption from the Middle East.
• Iran-led Houthis targeted Belize-flagged, British-registered cargo vessel Rubymar.
• European Union has deployed warships and early warning systems to safeguard shipping lanes in the Red Sea.
• Saudi Aramco is considering issuing a bond of up to maturity of 50 years in 2024.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil price retraces its recent losses registered on Monday. WTI price trades higher around $78.30 per barrel during the Asian trading hours on Tuesday. The escalated threat of the oil supply disruption from the Middle East is supporting the prices of Crude oil.

The Iran-led Houthi group has conducted additional drone and missile strikes on shipping vessels in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait. Among the targeted vessels was the Belize-flagged, British-registered cargo vessel Rubymar. As a result of the attack, the crew of the cargo vessel evacuated the ship off the coast of Yemen.

In response to these attacks, the European Union (EU) has initiated a naval mission, deploying European warships and early warning systems to safeguard shipping lanes in the Red Sea from further Houthi assaults.

Crude oil prices cheer the positive economic news from the largest oil importer China. The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) has opted to keep its one-year Loan Prime Rate (LPR) unchanged at 3.45%. However, the PBoC has reduced the five-year LPR by 25 basis points from 4.20% to 3.95% to support its struggling economy. Furthermore, China experienced a significant increase in annual tourism revenues during the national Lunar New Year holiday period.

Saudi Aramco is reportedly considering issuing a bond in 2024 with longer maturities of up to 50 years, according to Chief Financial Officer Ziad Al-Murshed. This planned issuance is part of the company's strategy to optimize its capital structure.