Headline News 02.02.11

US & GLOBAL 
• Indeks saham Dow Jones dan S&P500 ditutup pada level tertinggi sejak 2008 silam dan berpeluang akan melanjutkan penguatan pada sesi berikutnya. Hal
tersebut didukung oleh rilis earning korporasi yang menggembirakan dan naiknya aktifitas manufaktur AS. Data menunjukkan aktifitas pabrik di Amerika
meningkat, serta rilis laporan keuangan perusahaan pengiriman UPS Inc yang cerah kemudian memberikan dukungan bagi pemulihan kegiatan ekonomi.
Sentimen positif tersebut mendukung minat beli investor menyusul meredanya kekhawatiran bahwa gejolak politik di Mesir akan menyebar ke kawasan
lain. Indeks Dow Jones ditutup di atas level psikologis penting 12.000 untuk pertama kalinya sejak Juni 2008. Dow Jones <. DJI> naik 1,25% ke 12,040.16,
S&P500 <SPX.> naik 1,67% ke 1,307.57 dan Nasdaq <. IXIC> menguat 1,89% ke 2,751.19. S&P500 ditutup di atas level 1.300 untuk pertama kalinya sejak
Agustus 2008.
 
• Euro mencapai level tertinggi 2‐1/2‐bulan terhadap dollar AS diatas level 1.38 ditunjang oleh membaiknya data aktifitas manufaktur global, meskipun analis
mengatakan risk appetite bisa saja memudar jika kekhawatiran tentang kemampuan Eropa untuk mengelola krisis utang kawasan kembali mengerucut.
Pasar menganggap krisis di Mesir mulai dapat terkendali, kondisi mana mengurangi ketakutan investor bahwa krisis tersebut akan menyebar ke kawasan
Timur Tengah. Dollar AS anjlok terhadap mata uang utama dunia lainnya menyusul kembalinya minat investor pada aset beresiko, dollar tercatat melemah
terhadap yen kelevel terendah dalam 4‐pekan terakhir di 81,33 yen <JPY=> dan tercatat melemah 0,9% terhadap Swiss franc ke 0,9355 franc <CHF>.
 
• Aussie dollar naik 1,5% menjadi 1,0115 <AUD=D4> mendekati level tertinggi 4‐pekan, setelah pemangku kebijakan memberikan penilaian optimis pada
prospek ekonomi domestik dan global. Data yang menunjukkan aktifitas sektor manufaktur AS tumbuh dengan kecepatan tertinggi dalam hampir 7‐bulan
terakhir mendukung proyeksi bertahannya pemulihan ekonomi mendorong minat investor pada aset beresiko. Sementara itu data juga menunjukkan
turunnya tingkat pengangguran Jerman sementara aktivitas fabrikasi di Uni‐Eropa menguat. Survei manufaktur global juga menunjukkan prospek kenaikan
harga bahan baku, yang menurut para analis mungkin akan menambah dukungan bagi mata uang dari negara‐negara berkembang di Asia.
 
• Harga emas naik tajam pada sesi Selasa 01 Februari terdampak dari pelemahan dollar AS terhadap mata uang utama dunia yang kemudian meningkatkan
minat beli investor pada emas. Meskipun kemudian rally emas tertahan menyusul laporan aktifitas manufaktur AS yang menggembirakan dan surutnya
kekhawatiran pada kondisi politik di Mesir yang menurunkan minat investor pada aset safe‐haven. Harga spot emas <XAU=> naik 0,4% ke 1,337.21 USD per
ounce.
 
• Sementara itu harga minyak Brent naik ke level tertinggi dalam kurun 28‐bulan terakhir hingga 102.08 USD per barel menyusul gangguan di pelabuhan Mesir
yang dikhawatirkan berpotensi untuk mengganggu pasokan minyak di Timur Tengah. Pelemahan dollar AS terhadap mata uang utama dunia lainnya turut
mendukung kinerja minyak dan komoditas berdenominasi dollar lainnya, seperti tembaga, seiring kenaikan euro dan meningkatnya minat inevstor pada aset
beresiko. Di London, minyak mentah ICE Brent untuk bulan Maret <LCOc1> naik 73 sen ke 101,74 USD per barel. Sedangkan minyak mentah AS untuk
pengiriman Maret <CLc1> justru turun 1,42 USD di 90,77 USD per barel setelah melonjak lebih dari 6 USD dalam dua sesi sebelumnya.

Brent hits $102 on Egypt concern

By Robert Gibbons

NEW YORK | Tue Feb 1, 2011 5:33pm EST

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Brent oil prices rose to a 28-month peak on Tuesday, pushing above $102 a barrel as disruptions at Egyptian ports and Jordan's government shake up kept concerns about unrest in the region and the potential for oil supply interruptions in focus.

U.S. crude prices fell in choppy trading ahead of weekly reports expected to show domestic crude inventories rose last week and on the perception that the Brent market was more vulnerable to any immediate supply disruption.

The U.S. price slide left the benchmark West Texas Intermediate's discount to Brent at more than $10 a barrel. It reached a near record above $12 last week.
The dollar's weakness supported oil and other dollar-denominated commodities, like copper <MET/L>, as the euro hit a two-and-half month peak against the greenback on improving risk appetites after strong U.S. and euro zone manufacturing data. <USD/>

In London, ICE Brent crude for March rose 73 cents to settle at $101.74 a barrel, off its earlier $102.08 peak.
U.S. crude oil for March delivery fell $1.42 to settle at $90.77 a barrel after soaring more than $6 in the previous two sessions.
Shipping sources said there were major disruptions in Egypt's Alexandria and Damietta ports due to staff shortages and an absence of customs officials.

Egypt's two major oil transit points, the Suez canal and the SUMED pipeline, that brings oil from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, have not been affected by the protests, but the disruptions at the ports to the west highlighted the potential for problems.

At least 1 million Egyptians took to the Cairo streets to protest, with other mass anti-government rallies being staged in other key cities.

President Hosni Mubarak told the nation he would not leave Egypt although he would step down from the presidency at the end of his term, due to end when the country holds a presidential election in September.
King Abdullah of Jordan replaced his prime minister, after protests over food prices and poor living conditions, adding to concerns about the region.

"Geopolitics is at the forefront of the sentiment at the moment. And while we don't expect (oil) transit to be impacted, the news of the port disruptions brings up the what-if?," said Amrita Sen, oil analyst at Barclays.
The International Energy Agency said the oil market does not face any emergency, but called on OPEC to remain "flexible" in the event unrest affects supply.

OPEC has refrained from boosting production and sees no supply shortage. OPEC member Libya's top oil official told Reuters the group does not need to meet to discuss oil policy in February because the market is well supplied and $100-per-barrel prices are justified.

An OPEC delegate had said cartel ministers would hold talks on the sidelines of an energy conference in Saudi Arabia on February 22. Oil's price rally, along with the belief that economic recovery and demand growth are improving, have led to calls for OPEC to raise output.

U.S. CRUDE INVENTORIES ON THE RISE

U.S. crude oil stocks rose 3.8 million barrels last week, more than forecast, according to the industry group American Petroleum Institute's report released late on Tuesday. <API/S>
Gasoline stocks rose 3.9 million barrels, while distillate stocks, which include heating oil and diesel fuel, fell 1.1 million barrels, the API said.

U.S. crude prices extended losses trading after the API report, dropping to a fresh intraday low of $90.33 in post-settlement trading.
"The report was bearish. The more-than-expected build in crude oil and gasoline will be the hallmarks of the report," said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital LLC in New York.

Ahead of the API report, a Reuters analyst survey forecast crude stocks to be up 2.7 million barrels, with distillate stocks slipping 700,000 barrels and gasoline inventories rising 1.9 million barrels.
U.S. crude prices have felt pressure from, "concerns about high U.S. domestic inventories and the likelihood of further builds in supplies," said Joe Possillico, broker at MF Global in New York.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration's inventory report will follow on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. EST.