IIR's May 19 Market Scorecard Brings You Breaking Geopolitical News

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Stay current with the latest geopolitical events, and more importantly, instantly connect to how these events may impact you and your business strategies.

Event	MarCon*	IIR Comment	Outlet	IIR News
Israel Announced a New Invasion of Gaza. Is It Bluffing?		For weeks, the Israeli military has promised a major new ground offensive in Gaza. And for days, the Israeli military has escalated its bombardment of the territory. The reason, analysts and officials say, is that Israel is waiting to see how Hamas responds to a new and intense round of negotiations over a cease-fire, amid pressure from the Trump administration for the two sides to reach a truce.	The New York Times	Enbridge, Vistra, UAE's U.S. Investments: Your Daily Energy News
Trump set to push Putin to end the 'bloodbath' in Ukraine in high-stakes phone call		Ahead of the much anticipated Trump-Putin call, leaders from Britain, France, Germany and Italy said they spoke Sunday with Trump. Those leaders "also discussed the use of sanctions if Russia failed to engage seriously in a ceasefire and peace talks," the statement said - something Trump has previously threatened. The British government said in a statement that it was urging "Putin to take peace talks seriously." (Trump) said he would also be speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as members of NATO.	NBC News	Aramco Inks U.S. MOUs with Potential Value of $90 Billion
Oil edges lower as U.S. and China growth concerns weigh		Oil inched lower on Monday, weighed down by Moody's downgrade of the U.S. sovereign credit rating and official data that showed slowing growth in China's industrial output and retail sales. Both developments raised concerns over the outlook for the world's two biggest economies and oil consumers a week after Beijing and Washington's agreement to roll back most tariffs on each other's goods pushed oil prices higher.	Reuters	Oil Prices Still Under Pressure from Trade Issues
U.K. government borrowing costs jump, sterling rallies as Britain and EU agree to reset relations 30-year Treasury passes 5% after Moody's downgrades U.S. credit rating Gold prices rebound on dollar weakness, U.S. downgrade		It's shortly after midday in London, and European stocks are continuing their downward trajectory since the U.K. and European Union came to a deal to reset post-Brexit relations. European shares opened in negative territory on Monday, with the Stoxx 600 down 0.4% shortly after the opening bell. Most major sectors are still in negative territory. The 30-year Treasury yield was up over 10 basis points to 5.021%. The 10-year yield also rose 10 basis points to reach 4.542%. Meanwhile, the 2-year Treasury yield was up over 2 basis points, reaching 4%. Gold prices rose more than 1% on Monday, helped by a weaker dollar and safe-haven demand after Moody's downgraded the U.S. government's credit rating amid lingering trade concerns. The dollar slipped 0.7% against a basket of other major currencies, making greenback-priced gold cheaper for overseas buyers.	CNBC	Strathcona Ups Oil & Gas Role with MEG Bid, Hardisty Terminal Call Me Maybe: Were Shell to Buy BP, What Would that Look Like?
Natural Gas News: Weak Demand Threatens 200-Day Moving Average Support Today		Natural gas futures test 200-day average, with weak demand and oversupply fueling the bearish momentum. Forecasts for continued below-normal temperatures across major demand centers in the East and Midwest are capping power sector consumption. Despite isolated heat in the South and Texas, national air-conditioning demand remains muted. The near-term outlook remains bearish, with spring weather undercutting demand, storage levels rising, and production staying elevated. Unless a surprise in upcoming EIA data or a heat-driven demand spike materializes, prices appear poised for further downside	FX Empire	Texas Lawmakers Want to Support Gas Power by Crippling Renewables
China's industrial output, retail sales dip amid U.S. trade tensions		China's industrial output and retail sales growth have slowed amid trade tensions with the United States. Factory output grew 6.1% year-on-year in April, down from a 7.7% rise in March, data released by China's National Bureau of Statistics showed on Monday. While down compared with the previous month, the figure beat analysts' expectations. Analysts polled by the Reuters and Bloomberg news agencies had respectively forecast growth of 5.5% and 5.7%. The latest data is likely to bolster hopes of China's economy remaining resilient in the face of US President Donald Trump's tariffs, after gross domestic product expanded a better-than-expected 5.4% in the January-March period. The National Bureau of Statistics said the economy maintained "new and positive development momentum" due to Beijing's economic policies, despite the "increasing impact of external shocks."	Aljazeera	Semiconductors Propel Idaho to $27 Billion Worth of Under-Construction Projects
Iran Insists It Will Continue to Enrich Uranium With or Without a Nuclear Deal		US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff declared that the Donald Trump administration's "red line" in the nuclear talks with Iran is Tehran's ability to enrich uranium at any level, prompting Iran to say it will continue enrichment "with or without a deal." Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said, "If the [United States] is interested in ensuring that Iran will not have nuclear weapons, a deal is within reach, and we are ready for a serious conversation to achieve a solution that will forever ensure that outcome." "Unless the United States relents on its maximalist demands, it cannot get what it wants simply through diplomacy alone," he said. Trump has threatened military action against Iranian nuclear facilities if the two countries fail to reach a deal. Tehran, however, has warned that it will retaliate if struck.	OilPrice	A Hotter-&-Average Summer Could Test U.S. Electric System
Week 05/12/25 - 05/19/25		Where do we stand as the Western World pressures Russia to accept a 'ceasefire' in Ukraine - with Putin and Trump set to talk. What next lies in store in the Middle East as Israel launches more attacks into Gaza as the U.S. works on a new 'Iran Nuclear Deal'? Do the commodity markets understand what could be the choppiness and volatility ahead as the U.S. credit is downgraded.. Britain and U.K. strive to reset relations.. and U.S. and China work through their 'Trade War pause.' For the moment, Mr. Oil Market is depressed sifting through all of this latest geopolitical and geo-economic news, but Goldman Sachs is raising its oil demand outlook; so maybe the world stands back from a perceived 'cliff's edge' looking out on a promising horizon of more stability and less uncertainty in these recently turbulent markets..
*MarCon (Market Condition 1-5, with 5 being the highest impact) indicates directional bias or price effect for the relevant commodity (Oil, Natural Gas, Chemicals, etc.) and is graded by our team of experts here at IIR.

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