Oil could crash to $10 a barrel, warn investment bank bears
Petrol prices could fall back to levels last seen in 2009 as major banks say there is no bottom in sight for the world's lopsided market
Brent crude has now slipped to a fresh 12-year low of $30.41 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate - the US benchmark - is trading at $29.93 - a level last seen in December 2013. Analysts warned the oil market remains fundmentally out of balance as record over-supply and stagnant demand weighs on traders
Standard Chartered said there was no bottom in sight until "money managers in the market conceded that matters had gone too far".
"Given that no fundamental relationship is currently driving the oil market towards any equilibrium, prices are being moved almost entirely by financial flows caused by fluctuations in other asset prices, including the dollar and equity markets," said Standard Chartered.
Oil last slumped to $10 during the height of the Asian financial crisis in 1998. A $10 world would lead to petrol prices falling back to 86p-per-litre, said Simon Williams at RAC.
Petrol prices could fall back to levels last seen in 2009 as major banks say there is no bottom in sight for the world's lopsided market
Brent crude has now slipped to a fresh 12-year low of $30.41 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate - the US benchmark - is trading at $29.93 - a level last seen in December 2013. Analysts warned the oil market remains fundmentally out of balance as record over-supply and stagnant demand weighs on traders
Standard Chartered said there was no bottom in sight until "money managers in the market conceded that matters had gone too far".
"Given that no fundamental relationship is currently driving the oil market towards any equilibrium, prices are being moved almost entirely by financial flows caused by fluctuations in other asset prices, including the dollar and equity markets," said Standard Chartered.
Oil last slumped to $10 during the height of the Asian financial crisis in 1998. A $10 world would lead to petrol prices falling back to 86p-per-litre, said Simon Williams at RAC.