... energy resource trading. Investors are closely watching whether the economic benefits of new export agreements outweigh the potential negatives of sanction limitations—this will determine the long-term supply-demand relationship in global oil and gas markets. Electricity and Renewables: Record Consumption and Growth of “Green” Generation Unusual weather this summer is setting new records in the energy sector and underscores the importance of renewable energy sources (RES). In China, July saw unprecedented load on the energy system: peak electricity consumption ...

... potentially stimulating expectations for additional economic support measures from Chinese authorities. Retail Sales (China, July): +3.7% YoY. Consumer demand in China remains sluggish despite stimulating measures being implemented. Weak retail sales growth in one of the world's largest economies limits optimism in commodity markets reliant on Chinese demand. Retail Sales (US, July): +0.5% MoM. American consumers demonstrated robust activity: retail sales growth exceeded analysts' expectations. These strong indicators, coupled with declining inflationary pressures, lower ...

... previous year, with a return on equity (ROE) of 23.7%. For investors from the CIS countries, these financial results confirm the bank's resilience under current economic conditions. Below, we analyze key aspects of the report that are of interest to market participants. Net Profit Growth and Earnings Per Share Sber's net profit for the first half of 2025 reached 859 billion rubles, marking a 5.3% year-on-year growth. Despite this moderate increase, the result is close to record levels and reflects the bank's ability to enhance ...

... emergency measures are gradually cooling the market: the situation with gasoline and diesel supply is starting to stabilize. Below is a detailed overview of key news and trends across the oil, gas, energy, and commodity markets as of August 18, 2025. Oil Market: Supply Surplus and Weak Demand Limit Price Growth Global oil prices maintain relative stability, influenced by fundamental factors. The North Sea benchmark Brent trades around $65-$66 per barrel, while U.S. WTI is in the range of $62-$64. Current levels are approximately 10%-15% lower than a year ...

... over the weekend, underscore the weakness of domestic demand. On Monday, statistics regarding foreign direct investment are also expected; the dynamics of capital inflow will reflect global businesses' confidence in the Chinese economy amid slowing growth. An intensification of deflationary trends may unsettle global markets and heighten expectations for additional stimulus from Beijing. Japan: The Tokyo stock market is closed due to a national holiday (Mountain Day). The lack of trading in Japan means reduced activity in the Asian session; some investors will pause,...