Massive Oil Stockpile Release; Iran Market Volatility - podcast episode cover

Massive Oil Stockpile Release; Iran Market Volatility

Mar 11, 202615 min
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Episode description

Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.


On today's podcast:


1) The International Energy Agency is proposing a release of emergency oil reserves, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, as governments seek to contain a spike in energy prices driven by the Middle East war. It was not immediately clear whether the IEA proposal was formal and included specific amounts for member nations. While countries have so far agreed in principle to inject more oil into the market if needed, it is not evident that all believe that the situation is yet urgent enough to make that move. The person, who asked not to be named because discussions are not public, did not provide a figure. The Group of Seven nations said on Wednesday that they supported, in principle, “proactive measures” including the release of strategic reserves, though they did not provide details on the scale of a potential intervention.


2) Energy markets whipsawed for a second consecutive day as investors raced to interpret rapidly shifting comments from the Trump administration over the war in Iran. Oil prices plummeted after Energy Secretary Chris Wright erroneously posted — and then deleted — a message that the US Navy had escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt subsequently conceded no such operation had occurred, while adding the US military was “drawing up additional options” to address any attempt by Iran to constrain trade through the vital artery. Later Tuesday, President Trump posted his own flurry of messages on social media. First, he insisted the US had “no reports” of mines being placed, but then urged Iranian forces to remove any explosives they may have laid.


3) Oracle Corp. shares gained in extended trading after the company posted strong results and gave an outlook that suggested there is little letup in demand for AI computing. Revenue in Oracle’s closely watched infrastructure business increased 84% to $4.9 billion in the period ended Feb. 28, the company said Tuesday in a statement. That marked a faster jump than the 79% anticipated by analysts and a 68% sales rise in the previous quarter. The company is working to deliver on massive cloud infrastructure contracts with customers like OpenAI and Meta Platforms Inc. Known for its namesake database software, Oracle has found success with its cloud business by providing chip-filled data centers and other equipment for training and deploying AI models.

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Transcript

Speaker 1

Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, radio News.

Speaker 2

Good morning, I'm Nathan Hager and I'm Karen Moscow. Here are the stories we're following today. Breaking across the Bloomberg this morning, the International Energy Agency is proposing a release of emergency oil reserves that would be the largest ever in its history. Sources tell Bloomberg that the IEA has proposed a release in the range of about three hundred million to four hundred million barrels as governments seek to contain a spike and energy prices driven by the Middle

East War. Begin More from Bloomberg Middle East Breaking News editor Patrick Sykes.

Speaker 3

That would be a huge amount of supplied potentially to enter the market at a time when, of course, lots and lots of ships are stuck on the wrong side of the straight up ball moves in the Persian Gulf, and some of those producers in the Middle East have had to shut in production or put it back at least as a result of the crisis.

Speaker 2

Bloomberg's Patrick Saike says the near total closure at the Strait of Horror Moose have led to cuts from Persian golf producers that have so far shaved about six percent of global oil output, and.

Speaker 4

As the war enters its twelfth day careen, the White House has been sending mixed messages. First, Energy Secretary Chris Wright posted and deleted a message that the US Navy had escorted a tanker through the Strait. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt says the military is still working on options to keep Hormose open.

Speaker 5

The US military is jarring up additional options following the President's directive to continue keeping the straight up from Moose open.

Speaker 2

White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt, then President Trump posted there were no reports of Iran laying mines in the Strait, only to announce later that the US had destroyed ten inactive mine laying boats. All this as a tax continue for a twelve a day and we get the very latest from Bloomberg's owner Aunt in Dubai.

Speaker 5

Yesterday marked the most intense date of strikes on Iran by the US equity American officials, and overnight into Wednesday, we have seen countries in the Persian Gulf intercepting various drawn and missile launches from Iran, some of them headed for again other energy assets, including the Sheba oilfield in Saudi Arabia as well as the Eastern Region in Saudi Arabia again, which is home to some of the some of the largest oil producing assets in.

Speaker 2

The Kingdom, and Bloomberg's on Iran says the UK Navy reported three ships hit by suspected projectiles in the Straight Up Our Moves and the Persian Golf this morning. One of them was a cargo ship that had a fire on board. And one of the two members of the Iranian women's soccer team who was granted asylum by Australia last night has decided to to draw her claim and

return to Iran. Several members of the team were branded traders after they failed to sing their national anthem before a Women's Asian Cup match last week.

Speaker 4

Well Karen analysts are weighing in on whether this will be a short or long conflict. Richard is President Emeritis at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Speaker 6

The problem with the US position is it only took one to start the war US, but it's going to take three to end it. And that's mean first of all, the United States is going to have to, shall we say, lean on Israel to be blunt to bring the war

to an end. Sooner than the Prime Minister wants. Even more difficult is the United States, so is going to have to persuade Iran to bring a war to this war to an end, and that I think is going to be the biggest challenge for this president who increasingly wants to wrap this up to Claire victory, declare mission accomplished. But again he doesn't have the power to do that. He's got to bring a run.

Speaker 4

Around Council on Foreign Relations. President Emeredis Richard Haas spoke to Bloomberg's Romain Bostic and Katie Grindfeld. You can watch their full interview on our new video Experience on the Bloomberg Business app.

Speaker 2

Well, we turned to politics at Home now. Nathan in one of the most conservative congressional districts in the US. A special election in Georgia to replace former Representative Marjorie Taylor Green has an unusual runoff, a Democrat facing a Republican endorsed by President Trump. The Democrat, Sean Harris, is a retired Army general and cattle farmer. He leads Republican district attorney Clay Fuller thirty seven point three to thirty four point nine percent, with ninety nine percent of the

vote counted. Both candidates will face off again after neither of them won the majority in a seventeen candidate field. Harris spoke with the Bloomberg's Balance of Power before the votes were counted and said he has what it takes to win.

Speaker 7

My name is the name that people know and trust here in the district, and that's why we're actually going to win this thing tonight. And if we don't win in tonight, we're going to win the runoff because I'm getting Democrats independence and yes, Republicans are voting for me.

Speaker 2

And Georgia Democrat John Harris will face Clay Fuller and in April seventh runoff to fill the remainder of Marjorie Taylor Green's term this year then Karen.

Speaker 4

It was also a primary election day in Mississippi and incumbent Republican Senator Cindy Hyde Smith will face Democratic challenger Scott Collum in the after they easily won their races. Hyde Smith was endorsed by President Trump, and with ninety three percent of votes counted, she defeated Sarah Adlodka eighty

point eight to nineteen point two percent. Column received seventy three percent of the Democratic votes, and House incumbents, including longtime Democratic Congressman Benny Thompson, also easily won their Mississippi primary races.

Speaker 2

And we are hearing now that the International Energy Agency is proposing a release of reserves oil stockpire release of about three hundred to four hundred million barrels. Still, NIMEGX screwde oil remains higher this morning a four point eight percent of four dollars three cents at eighty seven dollars forty eight cents a barrel. Brent is up four and a quarter percent. It's at ninety one dollars forty one cents, and.

Speaker 4

Karen futures are lower this morning. Ahead of a key reading on inflation before the opening bill, we get the consumer Price Index for the month of February. It's projected to show core inflation stripping out volatile energy and food prices rose two tenths percent last month.

Speaker 2

And right now, taking a look at Oracle and Company news, shares are up ten percent in early trading. Revenue top analyst estimates, and the software maker gave an outlook that suggested there is little letup and demand for AI computing. Aniragrana covers Oracle for Bloomberg Intelligence.

Speaker 8

It's actually very clean numbers. I think the things that sticks out most as capital expenditure is not going to go up. I think people are worried about a lot of these cloud providers adding to capex, so that's a good thing, which revenue slightly higher, capex remaining flat, the backlog is growing, So I think this is a good print from multiple facets.

Speaker 2

And Bloomberg Intelligence is anaag Rana notes that before the report, Oracles stock had lost more than fifty percent of its value from mid September peak as Wall Street grew worried about its high AI costs.

Speaker 4

Wall Street's biggest bank, JP Morgan Chase Karen is restricting its lending to private credit funds after marking down the value of certain assets in their portfolios. Sources say the devalued loan are two software companies. That is a sector that has been in the spotlight in recent weeks due to investor concern over the potential impact from artificial intelligence. This news is the latest sign of stress in a once booming segment of the credit market.

Speaker 2

And a programming note. Markets may clothes on Friday, but the world does not That's why we bring you a new live radio and TV show, Bloomberg This Weekend, is looking beyond the daily headlines to the bigger themes driving politics, business, and culture. Joined David Gura, Christina Ruffini, and Lisa Matteo for smart conversations and in depth interviews that help make sense of the week that's been and what comes next.

Get Bloomberg This Weekend live Saturdays and Sundays from seven am Eastern on Bloomberg Radio, TV and the Bloomberg Business App. Time now for a look at some of the other stories making news in New York and around the world. And for that we're joined by Bloomberg's Michael Barr.

Speaker 9

Michael, good Morning, Good morning Karen. The Department of Homeland Security remains without funding approval from Congress, as TSA agents are working without That means long lines at security with increased sick calls. The former governor of New Hampshire, Chris Sanunu, is now president and CEO of the trade group Airlines for America.

Speaker 1

Is this the new norm?

Speaker 4

Is this the new populism politics? Where airlines in the American public are pedalized every time these guys don't agree on something.

Speaker 9

Meanwhile, some US airports, including San Francisco International Airport, used private contractors for security screenings. The private contractors pay comes from a federal contract, so it continues even when the government shuts down. First responders are searching beneath the rubble of structures leveled by what appears to be a tornado that ripped through Newton County, Indiana, minutes after one was reported over the border in Illinois. Newton County Sheriff Shannon Conthrine.

Speaker 3

We're still trying to assess damages.

Speaker 6

Andreies so far have been minor that have been reported.

Speaker 9

Sheriff Conthine says, there's about a three mile stretch of damage. Here's the Governor, Mikey Cheryl says she wants to scale that state's new property tax relief program for senior citizens to help close a three billion dollars structural deficit. In her first budget address since entering office in January, Cheryl

proposed two billion dollars in spending reductions. The largest reduction would come from the shrinking size and eligibility of the stay New Jersey tax benefit for homeowners age sixty five or older who make below five hundred thousand dollars. Cheryl sixt Cheryl sixty point seven billion dollar budget proposal would lower the qualifying income threshold for the tax benefit to two hundred and fifty thousand dollars and reduce the maximum

annual benefit to four thousand from sixty five hundred. Global News twenty four hours a day and whenever you want it with the Bloomberg News. Now Michael Barr, and this is Bloomberg here. Thanks Michael.

Speaker 2

All time now for our Bloomberg Sports update, and for that we bring in John stash Hour.

Speaker 10

Thanks Darren vam Adabaio. It was only the third leading scorer on the Miami Heat, the thirty eighth leading scorer in the NBA at least going into last night. When Auto Baio exploded against Washington. He scored eighty three points. That's two more than Kobe Bryant scored in two thousand and six. It's topped only by the one hundred points that Will Chamberlain had in nineteen sixty two. Upset in the World Baseball Classic, Italy beat the US eight to six.

If Mexico beats Italy and scores four or fewer runs, the US is out. That's a Bloomberg Sports Update.

Speaker 4

Stay with us. More from Bloomberg Daybreak coming up after this.

Speaker 1

Coast to coast on Bloomberg Radio, nationwide on Sirius XM, and around the world on Bloomberg dot Com and the Bloomberg Business out This is Bloomberg Daybreak.

Speaker 4

Good morning on Nathan Hager. As the war where Iran enters its twelfth day, major moves maybe on the way now to calm an energy market that has been whipsawed by the fast moving conflict. Bloomberg News has learned that the International Energy Agency is now proposing the largest ever release of emergency oil reserves. For the latest, We're joined from Istan Bull by Bloomberg News Middle East Breaking News

editor Patrick Sykes and Patrick. Before we got this latest word, we had already heard that this could be the biggest release since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. What's the latest we're hearing now.

Speaker 3

Yeah, Indeed, that would be a huge amount of supplied potentially to enter the market at a time when, of course, lots and lots of ships are stuck on the wrong side of the straight up ball moves in the Persian Gulf, and some of those producers in the Middle East have had to shut in production or put it back at least as a result of the crisis. I think we'll be watching potentially later to today, later today for a

final decision on those reserves. But potentially yes, some release to the market in the form of supply.

Speaker 4

Three hundred to four hundred million barrels a day is what sources are telling us. Will that be enough to calm the market is we are watching Nimex and Crew both spiking still this morning.

Speaker 3

I think the market will quite quickly. I mean, I'm sure it'll provide some limited relief, but I think longer term the market will get quite quickly. Back to question of duration in the straight or forms. This is an emergency measure. It will provide some relief at the front end, but for longer term calming of the market, any return to the kind of price levels we saw before the start of the war, I think you need a resolution to the conflict and particularly to the security situation in holmost.

Speaker 4

What does the security situation look like right now? We've heard reports of some ships being hit potentially or targeted.

Speaker 3

Yeah. By my account, today has been one of the worst for attacks on shipping in the region. We've had three separate incidents reported by the UK Navy agency that looks at these. I think a cargo bulk carrier. So it just under lines note I think hours after Trump and his administration we're talking about targeting Iranian mining capabilities to secure the straight, Iran appears to have responded with an uptick in attacks.

Speaker 4

It raises a question about whether the US is ready to fulfill President Trump's promise to escort ships through the Strait of Horror moves. What's the situation there.

Speaker 3

Yeah, there was some confusion yesterday. One US official had said that that had begun, one ship had passed, and that was later denied by the White House and the posting question was deleted. I think if and when it comes yes, perhaps similar to these reserves, right, it'll provide some relief in that traffic will be able to start

moving again. On the other hand, those convoys are going to be themselves a target and the rate of transit is still going to be very very low with the kind of hardware you would need to commit to get them through, So you're looking at potentially resumption, but at a much lower volume. Still.

Speaker 2

This is Bloomberg Daybreak, your morning podcast on the stories making news from Wall Street to Washington and beyond.

Speaker 4

Look for us on your podcast feed by six am Eastern each morning, on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere else you listen.

Speaker 2

You can also listen live each morning starting at five am Wall Street Time on Bloomberg eleven three to zero in New York, Bloomberg in ninety nine to one in Washington, Bloomberg ninety two nine in Boston, and nationwide on serious XM Channel one twenty one.

Speaker 4

Plus listen coast to coast on the Bloomberg Business app now with Apple CarPlay and Android auto interfaces.

Speaker 2

And don't forget to subscribe to Bloomberg News Now. It's the latest news whenever you want it in five minutes or less. Search Bloomberg News Now and your favorite podcast platform to stay informed all day long. I'm Karen Moscow.

Speaker 4

And I'm Nathan Hager. Join us again tomorrow morning for all the news you need to start your day right here on Bloomberg Da Bray

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