Orsted Shares Jump as U.S. Judge Rules Work Can -2-

1018 GMT - Palm oil prices closed lower after Indonesia hinted that it might delay its B50 biodiesel program, says David Ng, a trader at Kuala Lumpur-based Iceberg X. The news weighed on market sentiment as demand for palm oil will likely weaken given uncertainty about the implementation of the B50 program, he adds. The B50 program requires a 50-50 blend of palm-based fuel and diesel, up from 40% currently. Ng pegs support for crude palm oil futures at 4,000 ringgit a ton and resistance at 4,180 ringgit a ton. The Bursa Malaysia Derivatives contract for March delivery closed 27 ringgit lower at 4,063 ringgit a ton. ([e-mail]; @ivy_jiahuihuang)

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Lindt Continues to Benefit From Strong Pricing Power -- Market Talk

0930 GMT - Lindt & Spruengli reported strong organic sales growth for last year mainly due to its pricing power, a trend that seems likely to continue this year, Vontobel's Jean-Philippe Bertschy says in a research note. The Swiss chocolatier's pricing power allowed it to offset volume declines, resulting in organic sales growth of 12% for 2025 that exceeded both guidance of 9% to 11% and consensus estimates of 11.5%, Vontobel says. Lindt's pricing is expected to boost revenue by 7% this year, aided by positive volumes, product innovation and store openings, the analyst says. The company's sales, EBIT and free cash flow are expected to hit records this year, Vontobel says. Shares fall 0.7%. ([e-mail])

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Gold Slips on Profit-Taking But Holds Above $4,600 -- Market Talk

0859 GMT - Gold prices slip in early trading but continue to hold above the $4,600 mark on growing concerns over the Federal Reserve's independence and rising tensions in Iran. Futures in New York edge 0.3% lower to $4,602.50 a troy ounce as traders book profits after the precious metal hit a record high in the previous session. The U.S. dollar index--which measures the greenback against a basket of other major currencies--is up 0.1% to 98.98. "The U.S. dollar fought back from the sell-off inspired by concerns that the Trump administration is going after the Fed's independence," Saxo Bank analysts say. However, gold continues to be supported by broader economic and geopolitical risks, with President Trump's decision to impose a 25% tariff on any country doing business with Iran boosting bullion's safe-haven appeal even further. ([e-mail])

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Historic Commodity Rally to Support Fourth-Quarter Mining Earnings -- Market Talk

0858 GMT - A historic commodity rally will support miners' fourth-quarter earnings, RBC Capital Markets analysts writes. Iron ore is amongst one of the largest gainers, while rallying copper prices are driving consolidation across the sector, they add. The majority of miners issued their 2026 guidance alongside capital market days in December, which means upcoming results shouldn't include any major surprises, they add. However, costs and capital expenditure across the sector could be higher than expected in 2026, they say. This could be partially cushioned by higher precious metals, which are tracking ahead of 2026 consensus expectations, they say. ([e-mail])

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European Gas Prices Climb on Heating Demand, Iran Risks -- Market Talk

0849 GMT - European natural-gas prices extend gains, rising above 31 euros a megawatt hour on higher heating demand due to colder temperatures across parts of Europe and concerns over growing unrest in Iran. The benchmark TTF gas contract climbs 4.1% to 31.50 euros a megawatt hour after settling more than 6% higher in the previous session. "First, there are potential risks to LNG flows from the Persian Gulf," ING analysts say. "Second, there's the potential for disruptions to Iranian gas flows to Turkey." Meanwhile, a blast of cold weather earlier this month accelerated withdrawals from Europe's gas-storage facilities, with levels dropping below 54%, compared with a five-year seasonal average of 70%. ([e-mail])

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Oil Gains on Iran Supply Disruption Fears After U.S. Tariffs

0841 GMT - Oil prices climb to their highest level since November after President Trump said the U.S. would impose a 25% tariff on any country doing business with Iran. "The potential for reduced Iranian supply has tempered earlier bearish sentiment driven by expectations of a global glut, while concerns persist that the tariff move could strain relations with major crude buyers such as China, which accounts for most of Iran's oil exports," says Soojin Kim from MUFG. "Markets are also balancing this with developments in Venezuela." In early trading, Brent crude and WTI both gain 0.5% to $64.17 a barrel and $59.81 a barrel, respectively, after settling higher in the previous session. ([e-mail])

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London's Precious Metal Miners Slide After Monday's Rally -- Market Talk

0823 GMT - London's precious metal miners slip in opening trade. It comes as gold futures drop slightly after jumping Monday but continue to trade near record highs. Investors flocked to safe-haven assets on fears over the Federal Reserve's independence as U.S. prosecutors investigate Chair Jerome Powell. Monday's rise in precious metal prices caused London's miners to jump. However, Hochschild Mining drops nearly 2% while Endeavour Mining falls 1.5%. Fresnillo slides 0.7%. In New York, gold futures are down 0.4% at $4,595.10 a troy ounce.([e-mail])

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Brent Crude's Breakout From Falling Wedge Signals Recovery

0658 GMT - Brent crude oil's breakout from its falling wedge pattern signals potential for near-term continued recovery, says UOB's Quek Ser Leang. Its price broke out of this pattern late last week, suggesting downward price pressure is easing, says the markets strategist. The key level to watch is $65.50/bbl, near the top of the daily Ichimoku cloud and the declining trendline connecting the highs from July and September in 2025. A break above $65.50/bbl could possibly trigger a swift rise to $66.80/bbl, the strategist adds. Front-month Brent crude oil futures are 0.6% higher at $64.23/bbl. ([e-mail])

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Spot Gold Now More Likely to Reach $5,000 This Year -- Market Talk

0407 GMT - Spot gold now has more than 30% chance of hitting $5,000 a troy ounce this year, given recent price momentum and geopolitical dynamics, write State Street Investment Management strategists in a note. The yellow metal is well-positioned to shine in 2026, they say, citing factors including ballooning global debt loads, Federal Reserve policy and potential volatility shocks. U.S. stock-bond correlations could stay positive through 2026, giving room for gold allocations in portfolios to increase as investors could seek liquid alternatives, they say. Meanwhile, central bank gold buying is likely to bolster physical demand, providing a stabilizing anchor for the precious metal's market, they say. Spot gold drops 0.1% to $4,592.89/oz. ([e-mail])

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Palm Oil Rises on Higher Soybean Oil -- Market Talk

0252 GMT - Palm oil prices rise in early Asian trade, driven by stronger soybean oil prices overnight on the Chicago Board of Trade. However, higher CPO stocks and slow demand reflected in Malaysian Palm Oil Board December supply and demand data could create downside pressure on prices, PhillipCapital says in a note. PhillipCapital sees support for CPO futures at 3,974 ringgit a ton and resistance at 4,150 ringgit a ton. The Bursa Malaysia Derivatives contract for March delivery is 39 ringgit higher at 4,129 ringgit a ton. ([e-mail])

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Iron Ore Gains Amid Restocking Ahead of Lunar New Year -- Market Talk

0216 GMT - Iron ore futures trade largely higher in the Asian session. The most-traded iron ore contract on the Dalian Commodity Exchange is 0.1% higher at 822.50 yuan a ton. Chinese steel mills are restocking before the Lunar New Year holidays, likely buoying prices, say ANZ Research analysts in a note. However, some fundamentals point to a less rosy outlook, as data from market-intelligence platform Shanghai Steelhome show imported inventories at the country's ports rose to the highest level since April 2022, ANZ adds. ([e-mail])

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

01-13-26 1015ET