Analysis: Spot crude surges while futures slip; rate hikes spook speculators

Prices for spot crude in much of the world are rising on strong demand and a supply crunch, but in the oil futures market, worries of a recession have kept a lid on values.
Gold, palladium retreat from highs as risky assets stabilize

Gold and palladium on Wednesday hit the brakes on a blistering rally as riskier assets attempted a comeback, with analysts predicting another run higher for precious metals in case of a further escalation in the Ukraine crisis.