Commerzbank raises oil price projections

- Commerzbank on Friday raised its Brent crude oil price forecasts to $90 a barrel by the end of September and $85 by the end of the year, up from their previous forecasts of $80 for both periods.

The bank attributed the revised outlook to its new baseline scenario, in which the Strait of Hormuz is expected to remain closed to normal shipping for another two months.

"Even if the U.S. and Iran were to agree today to resume shipping, it would take several weeks before the strait could be navigated normally again as it would first need to be cleared of mines," a Commerzbank note said.

Brent futures LCoc1 were trading near $92.49 a barrel on Friday, down 1.3%.

Commerzbank added that it expects copper prices to increase to $14,250 a metric ton by mid-2027, citing a longer-term rise in demand, buoyed by sustained investment in data centres for artificial intelligence.