Senate Passes Credentialing Reform Bill Championed by ATA

The global oil benchmark flirted with the $80-a-barrel level again on Tuesday, underlining concerns that an unexpectedly strong crude rally could eventually begin to weigh on economic growth. The combination of renewed U.S. sanctions on Iran, potential sanctions on Venezuela, a rising geopolitical risk premium, strong demand and other factors have made talk of $100 crude sound less outlandish. Indeed, some analysts argue that the backdrop now leaves the market more open to potential price spikes. So what if oil did climb back to triple digits for the first time since 2014? Economists led by Arend Kapteyn at UBS laid it out in a wide-ranging note on Tuesday. Click Read More below for additional information.

Tronox Limited announced that, in connection with its planned acquisition of the titanium dioxide (TiO2) business of Cristal, a privately held global chemical and mining company headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the waiting period in the United States under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act expired at 11:59 p.m. EST on December 1, 2017 without further action by or communication from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Jeffry Quinn, Tronox's chief executive officer, stated: "Based on consultation with counsel, we believe that expiration of the waiting period means that we can proceed toward completion of the transaction once all closing conditions are met. However, we have not been informed that the Federal Trade Commission has formally concluded its investigation. The Commission could conceivably seek to enjoin the transaction at a later time, but we believe such action would be unprecedented and contrary to the rationale of the pre-merger notification system that is the framework of the U.S. regulatory process."

Futures rose 0.5 percent in New York. Prices seesawed on Tuesday after President Donald Trump fired Tillerson, whom he had disagreements with over key foreign policy issues. The move could have implications for U.S. sanctions on Iran, which could impact the latter’s oil industry and exports, Facts Global Energy and Royal Bank of Canada warned. “The risk is now much higher that President Trump will not waive the sanctions when it is time to do so in May, thus derailing the deal,” said Bjarne Schieldrop, chief commodities analyst at SEB AB. Click Read More below for additional information.