據彭博社6月24日報道，國際市場油價錄得5月初以來最大單周跌幅，因美聯儲暗示未來可能升息，且歐洲經濟數據顯示經濟放緩風險。

WTI價格本周下跌近4%，為5月5日當周以來最大跌幅。

美聯儲主席鮑威爾(Jerome Powell)暗示，下半年可能會進一步收緊貨幣政策。周五公布的數據顯示，德國6月經濟活動失去的動能遠超預期，而法國第二季經濟可能萎縮。鮑威爾的言論提振了美元，削弱了以美元計價大宗商品的吸引力。

瑞穗證券美國期貨部門主管Robert Yawger表示，“對利率上升和相關經濟活動放緩的擔憂正在給石油行業帶來壓力。更高的費率也增加了運輸成本，使從儲存石油到運輸石油的一切都變得更加昂貴”。

最近幾天的技術性交易也加劇了石油市場的波動步伐，布倫特原油和WTI在自5月初以來一直處于波動區間的上限游弋，近幾天均大幅下跌。

由于市場交易員對需求感到擔憂，油價將連續出現季度下跌。盡管歐佩克及其盟友減產，但油價還是出現了下滑。衡量市場健康狀況的一個關鍵指標——布倫特原油即期價差最近幾天大幅走弱，觸及1月份以來的最低水平。

王佳晶 譯自 彭博社

原文如下：

Crude Settles Lower on the Week

Oil notched its biggest weekly drop since early May as the Federal Reserve signaled potential rate hikes ahead and European data flagged the risk of an economic slowdown.

West Texas Intermediate fell nearly 4% this week, the most since the week of May 5.

In testimony this week, Fed Chair Jerome Powell signaled that further monetary tightening was likely in the second half. Data on Friday showed German economic activity lost much more momentum than anticipated in June, while France’s economy likely contracted in the second quarter. Powell’s comments lifted the greenback, dimming the allure of commodities priced in the US currency.

“Fear of higher rates and the associated slowdown in economic activity is putting pressure on the oil patch,” said Robert Yawger, director of the futures division at Mizuho Securities USA. Higher rates also increase the cost of carry, making everything from storing oil to shipping oil more expensive, he added.

The pace of moves in the oil market has also been exacerbated by technical trading in recent days, with both Brent and WTI falling away sharply after testing the upper ends of the bands in which they had been stuck since early May.

Oil is set for a back-to-back quarterly loss as traders fret over demand. The slump has come despite production cuts from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies. One key gauge of market health, Brent’s prompt spread, has weakened heavily in recent days, hitting the softest since January.