At the end of last week, oil prices showed a sharp drop from the level of $84 per barrel to $79.70. On Monday, Brent managed to stabilize, settling within the narrow sideways range of $80.00-$80.30 per barrel. North American WTI oil shows similar dynamics: the current quote of the asset is $73.60 per barrel. Last Friday, WTI was trading at $77.75. At the end of last week, Brent fell by 7.5%, WTI – by 7.9%. Pressure on the market was exerted by the weakening of investor optimism about the growth rate of demand in China after the lifting of anti-bullying restrictions, as well as strong data on the labor market of the United States. According to the report of the US Department of Labor, the number of people employed in the non-agricultural sector increased by 517 thousand, which is significantly higher than the forecast of 187 thousand and December growth of 260 thousand. At the same time, the unemployment rate fell to the lowest since 1969 (3.4%). Data from the US Ministry of Labor showed that the Federal Reserve System still has room for maneuver in terms of tightening monetary policy. Additional pressure on oil quotes was exerted by the statement of the head of the International Energy Agency that the economic recovery in China after the rejection of strict quarantine measures may be more powerful than expected. According to the IEA forecast, the Chinese economy will account for about half of the growth in oil demand this year. It is also worth recalling that on February 5, the decision of the European Union and the G7 to impose an embargo on the import of petroleum products from Russia came into force. Market participants are closely monitoring the consequences of these measures.
