Daily Archives: July 1, 2008 @ 6:12 pm (Tuesday)

Bloomberg: Saudi Arabia not willing to see crude at discount

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Saudi Arabia Not Willing to See Crude at Discount, Naimi Says

by Fred Pals
(Bloomberg) Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, is not willing to sell crude oil at a discount to the normal market price for its grades of oil, the kingdom’s oil minister said.

The country plans to increase production for a third straight month this month. Analysts including the London-based Centre for Global Energy Studies have said Saudi Arabia may need to lower its prices to find sufficient buyers.

“No,” Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said when asked about his willingness to sell crude at a discount. “Not even for heavy crude. That is not the way the market works. We have said we don’t like high prices. We have nothing to do with where the price is today. Where is the buyer? We would be very happy to sell.”

Al-Naimi spoke to reporters today at the World Petroleum Congress in Madrid.

Right, you can have all you want at their price.

Simple monopoly.

Good luck to us – we don’t even know it’s happening.


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2008-07-01 US Economic Releases

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ICSC-UBS Store Sales Weekly Change (Jul 1)

Survey n/a
Actual 0.1
Prior -0.6
Revised n/a

Muddling through as govt spending and fiscal rebates offer support.

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Redbook Weekly YoY (Jul 1)

Survey n/a
Actual 2.9
Prior 2.8
Revised n/a

A bit better than expected and seem to be moving higher.

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ICSC-UBS and Redbook TABLE (Jul 1)

Survey n/a
Actual n/a
Prior n/a
Revised n/a

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ISM Manufacturing (Jun)

Survey 48.5
Actual 50.2
Prior 49.6
Revised n/a

Better than expected, headline looks better than the detail, but holding up well above recession levels.

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ISM Prices Paid (Jun)

Survey 87.0
Actual 91.5
Prior 87.0
Revised n/a

Breaking out. Question is whether there’s any level of inflation that will trigger a fed rate hike if GDP and financial conditions (whatever that means) stay at current levels.

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ISM TABLE (Jun)

Karim writes:

  • Not much change in headline or production/new order components.
  • Most material changes in prices paid (up 4.5; to new cycle high) and employment (down 1.8; to new cycle low).

Kohn’s speech: tolerate higher unemployment and higher inflation.

  • Based on continuing claims, conference board, and now ism, downside risk to -60k consensus for nfp on Thursday.

Weak, but not recession levels yet.

Government plus exports so far have made up for weak non-government domestic demand.

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Construction Spending MoM (May)

Survey -0.6%
Actual -0.4%
Prior -0.4%
Revised -0.1%

A bit better than expected. Down but not terrible.

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Construction Spending YoY (May)

Survey n/a
Actual -6.0%
Prior -5.1%
Revised n/a

Still near the lows, but a possible bottoming action.

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ABC Consumer Confidence (Jun 29)

Survey n/a
Actual -43
Prior -43
Revised n/a

Still looking pretty grim, probably mostly due to higher prices.


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