Broadcom, Costco results; Lululemon CEO to depart - what’s moving markets

Economic

Summary:

U.S. futures were mixed as Broadcom warned AI margins may shrink, Costco beat estimates on value demand, Lululemon shares jumped on CEO exit, and oil rose on Venezuelan supply concerns.

Futures linked to the main U.S. stock indices suggest a mixed open ahead of the final day of the trading week. Shares of Broadcom fall in extended hours trading, as an update from the chipmaker raises fresh worries over a spike in artificial intelligence investment. Costco’s financial results top forecasts, underlining strong demand for lower-priced items among economically wary Americans prior to the holiday shopping season. Lululemon Athletica announces the departure of its CEO, amid reports that its estranged founder is considering mounting a proxy fight. Crude prices advance, fueled by supply fears stemming from the potential U.S. interception of more Venezuelan oil tankers.

Futures mixed

U.S. stock futures hovered around both sides of the flatline on Friday, pointing to a muted end to a week that has featured key central bank interest rate decisions and crucial artificial intelligence sector earnings.

By 02:00 ET (07:00 GMT), the Dow futures contract had risen by 105 points, or 0.2%, S&P 500 futures were mostly unchanged, and Nasdaq 100 futures had dipped by 36 points, or 0.1%.

Both the benchmark S&P 500 and blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average notched fresh record closing highs on Thursday, buoyed by a Fed policy update which many interpreted as more balanced and less hawkish than initially anticipated. Analysts at Vital Knowledge suggested that Fed Chair Jerome Powell had shone a "green light" for a year-end equity market rally through the decision.

Still, sentiment was dented by a downbeat financial forecast from cloud-computing giant Oracle, which threatened to exacerbate already percolating worries around the sustainability -- and eventual profitability -- of the AI boom. Along with a more than 10% slide in Oracle’s stock price, the firm’s bonds were dumped and credit default swaps offering a hedge against a potential default were picked up, reflecting fears over its debt-powered AI ambitions.

Oracle’s dour outlook dragged down the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite by 60.30 points, or 0.25%.

Broadcom flags impact from AI revenue on margins

Meanwhile, Broadcom shares slipped in extended hours trading, with the semiconductor titan and Nvidia rival flagging that its margins would fall because of the dilutive impact of its AI revenue.

Keen to chip away at Nvidia’s longstanding dominance in the race to build-out the processors underpinning the AI surge, Broadcom has thrust itself into the nascent technology. CEO Hock Tan told analysts in a post-earnings call that Broadcom’s backlog of business now stands at $73 billion, and expects to ship these items over the next year and a half.

But, in an increasingly familiar tech industry refrain, the push into AI has come with a massive price tag. These huge investments could squeeze profit margins at Broadcom, a fact that CFO Kirsten Spears acknowledged, saying that the company’s first-quarter consolidated gross margin will be down approximately 100 basis points sequentially.

Large U.S. cloud providers overall are anticipated to shell out more than $400 billion on AI this year, particularly on constructing the cutting-edge data centers needed to support AI models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.

Yet minimal evidence so far that the spending binge is leading to tangible gains in either productivity or earnings, along with frothy tech stock valuations and a series of circular dealmaking, has sparked warnings of a possible AI bubble.

Broadcom’s fiscal fourth-quarter results, which topped expectations, were one of the last major events on the AI calendar in 2025. Traders are now looking ahead to returns from Apple-supplier Jabil and semiconductor group Micron later this month.

Costco results top estimates

Elsewhere, shares of Costco ticked down marginally in after-hours trading, despite the budget warehouse retail chain posting fiscal first-quarter revenue and profit that topped estimates.

Same-store sales, excluding gas, also edged up by 6.4% in the quarter ended November 23, versus analysts’ expectations for an increase of 5.82%, according to LSEG data cited by Reuters.

Strength was derived as well from Costco’s partnership for same-day delivery with Instacart in the U.S. and UberEats and DoorDash in overseas markets.

Results from Costco, the retailer known for its large members-only locations and deals on bulk items, echo similarly robust numbers from peers like Walmart, Dollar Tree and Dollar General -- a trend that has highlighted how many consumers, especially in the U.S., are hunting for deals during a time of widespread economic uncertainty marked by a weakening jobs market and stubbornly elevated inflation.

Lululemon CEO to depart

Lululemon Athletica shares popped by more than 10% after-hours, following the athleisure group’s announcement of the departure of CEO Calvin McDonald and a heightened full-year profit forecast.

McDonald is set to leave in January without an immediate replacement, ending a seven-year term at the helm of the company known for its up-market athleisure clothing and leggings. He will remain on as a senior adviser through March, although he will let go of a board seat.

According to the Wall Street Journal, McDonald’s exit comes as the firm’s founder Chip Wilson has been taking steps in private to mount a proxy fight, meeting with potential investors and speaking with advisers.

Driving Wilson has partially been a frustration with Lululemon’s marketing strategy, the WSJ reported, adding it was not yet clear if McDonald’s departure will affect Wilson’s possible proxy battle.

Oil gains amid Venezuelan supply concerns

Oil prices rose Friday as the prospect of the U.S. intercepting more Venezuelan oil tankers deepened supply concerns.

Brent futures climbed 0.5% to $61.56 a barrel, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 0.5% to $57.90 a barrel.

However, both benchmarks were on course for weekly declines, after dropping around 1.5% on Thursday, as a possible peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine would likely increase the supply of Russian oil into the global market.

Source: investing

To stay updated on all economic events of today, please check out our Economic calendar

Risk Warnings and Disclaimers

You understand and acknowledge that there is a high degree of risk involved in trading. Following any strategies or investment methods may lead to potential losses. The content on the site is provided by our contributors and analysts for information purposes only. You are solely responsible for determining whether any trading assets, securities, strategy, or any other product is suitable for investing based on your own investment objectives and financial situation.

Add to Favorites

Adam

Stocks

Economic

MARKET WRAPS

Stocks:

European shares rose on the last day of the trading week following a rally in U.S. stocks on Thursday.

Stocks were boosted after the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 25 basis points Wednesday and signaled further cuts.

Meanwhile, delayed data showed an unexpectedly sharp drop in the U.S. trade deficit for September, while weekly jobless claims picked up after a Thanksgiving lull.

Investors are bracing for a busy week next week, which will include a European Central Bank rate announcement and U.S. inflation data.

In contrast to the Fed, the ECB is expected to keep rates steady .

"ECB President Christine Lagarde will present a new forecast, which should be the first test of the current pricing of no further rate cuts, in line with our view," ING said.

Economic Insight

The U.K. economy unexpectedly contracted in October , with GDP falling 0.1% month-on-month, further boosting the prospect of another interest-rate cut next week. The Bank of England's decision is on December 18.

"Without a material upturn in momentum towards the end of the year , the economy will post a quarterly contraction in the fourth quarter for the first time in two years," Investec said.

The U.K. is expected to struggle for growth in the coming months after the budget measures announced in November offered little support, Quilter said. "This is in stark contrast to Europe where growth expectations are being raised at the same time as U.K. ones are lowered."

Shares on the Move

London's precious metal miners jumped as gold and silver prices continued to rally.

Hochschild Mining climbed over 8%, while Fresnillo rose 5.8%. Endeavour Mining was up 3.6%, while Pan African Resources gained 4%.

U.S. Markets:

Stock futures were mixed on Friday after the Dow and the S&P 500 ended at record highs the previous session supported by investors' optimism on the economy.

Shares of Nasdaq-100 component Broadcom skidded in offhours trading. The Nvidia rival reported fast growth in artificial-intelligence chip sales, but a disappointing outlook for higher-margin product lines.

Forex:

The euro traded close to a two-month high against the dollar, lifted by a divergence in Fed and ECB policy.

The dollar remained weak after reaching a nearly eight-week low in the previous session , dented by expectations for further interest rate cuts.

Sterling edged lower after weak U.K. GDP data .

Bonds:

Yields on eurozone government bonds rose, tracking moves in their U.S. counterparts. Treasury yields turned higher , reversing some of their falls the previous day following the Fed's interest rate cut decision.

There is a significant focus on the extent of eurozone government bond supply frontloading in 2026, according to Citi. The usual supply pattern is expected to persist in 2026 as well, whereby a significant volume of the annual bond issuance is completed in the first quarter.

Long-dated Treasury yields traded higher before European opening, with some Fed speakers lining up , including the dissenters of this week's interest-rate decision.

Barclays continues to be long in two-year U.S. Treasurys-- anticipating a fall in yields in this maturity .

Steeper Treasury curves should be cyclically driven by the Fed in the near term , Natixis said.

Energy:

Oil prices rose, but were poised for a significant weekly loss amid diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine and overall bearish fundamentals pointing to an oversupplied market next year.

"This is a sharp reversal from outlooks earlier this year which pointed to tighter markets," ANZ said.

Metals:

Gold prices were on track for a weekly gain after the Federal Reserve delivered a much-anticipated quarter-point interest-rate cut this week and as investors hope for further easing next year.

"We expect gold to continue behaving as the more grounded barometer of macro sentiment , with upside likely capped in the near term unless the dollar weakens much further," Sucden Financial said.

Gold Chart

Comex gold futures' bullish momentum was growing stronger, based on the daily chart, RHB Retail Research said. The commodity now has a stronger position after clearing its consolidation range.

Copper

Copper prices were lower, weighed down by subdued demand. In the near term, supportive macro sentiment is colliding with bearish industry fundamentals , Baocheng Futures said.

Iron

Iron ore fell in early trade. Prices may be driven by macro sentiment in the short term, Nanhua Futures said.

EMEA HEADLINES

U.K. Economy Contracts Again, Likely Cementing BOE Rate Cut

The U.K. economy contracted for a second straight month in October, cementing expectations that the Bank of England will lower its key interest rate next week.

Economic activity dipped 0.1% on month in October, the Office for National Statistics said Friday, after a 0.1% fall in September. Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal expected a 0.1% increase.

Australia Pledges Deal to Keep Giant Rio Tinto Aluminum Smelter Open

Australian federal and state governments will work with Rio Tinto's Tomago Aluminium to keep the country's largest aluminum smelter open after its current electricity contract ends in 2028, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

Tomago Aluminium, in which Rio Tinto holds a roughly 52% stake, said in October that it might need to shut the 42-year-old smelter once its power-supply contract with Australian utility AGL Energy ends. It said it had been searching since 2022 for "an economically viable energy solution" beyond then, but hadn't found an option that would allow the operation to continue.

BNP Paribas in Talks to Sell Its Stake in Moroccan Bank BMCI

BNP Paribas said it has begun exclusive talks with Holmarcom Group to potentially sell its stake in Moroccan subsidiary BMCI.

The French financial services group said Friday that it was in discussions to sell its 67% stake in BMCI to Holmarcom, which already is a shareholder in the Moroccan bank.

Rheinmetall to Supply Air Defence Systems to the Netherlands

The Dutch Defense department has tapped Rheinmetall to supply air defense systems for its armed forces, for an order in the three-digit million euro range, the company said Friday.

Rheinmetall said the ministry commissioned a two-digit number of its Skyranger 30 air defense systems, to be delivered between the end of 2028 and 2029.

The Big Fight Over a 'Fish Disco' at a British Power Plant

LONDON-The aim at first was simple: prevent murder on the seafloor.

Over a decade ago, Britain's environmental regulator approved a new coastal nuclear power station on the proviso its cooling system wouldn't suck in millions of fish from the Bristol Channel.

GLOBAL NEWS

Global Markets Rise on Renewed U.S Confidence

Global markets rose on the back of a broad rally in U.S. stocks Thursday, with major indexes climbing in Asia and Europe. The Federal Reserve's interest rate cuts Wednesday, and language suggesting a more dovish approach than expected going into 2026, sparked gains for the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Index which fed through into global markets. A wobble in U.S. tech stocks wasn't enough to throw off the gains, though the tech-heavy Nasdaq traded down premarket.

-The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 look set to extend their Thursday rally, with the indexes climbing 0.3% and 0.05% premarket respectively after hitting new highs Thursday. Futures for the Nasdaq trade down 0.14%, extending its fall from Thursday.

Hope for More Rate Cuts Is Tempting Buyers Back to Bonds

Investors are warming to bonds again, underscoring how hopes for further interest-rate cuts have boosted Wall Street's outlook.

Signs this week that the Federal Reserve remains open to reducing rates in 2026 have been welcomed by investors, who had been prepared for the central bank to deliver a "hawkish cut"-lowering its benchmark federal-funds rate but signaling strong reluctance to make further adjustments. Stocks have rallied alongside bonds, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average on Thursday climbing almost 650 points, or 1.3%, to a new record.

How the Stock Market's Rally Can Keep Going in 2026-and Where to Invest

The big debate for 2026 is whether artificial intelligence will keep the markets happy. We can't settle that question, but we do see bargains below the AI surface and building blocks for another good year for stocks and bonds.

Adding to 2025's market performance might seem like a tall order. The S&P 500 index is on track to gain more than 17%, following up on two years of returns above 20%. International markets like Europe and China are cruising, up 30%. Even more dazzling have been gold and silver, up 60% and 100%, respectively.

Trump Says Ukraine Is Losing the War. Officers on the Front Line Disagree.

KYIV, Ukraine-President Trump says Ukraine is losing the war against Russia. That's not what it looks like to Ukrainian Army Maj. Oleh Hlushko, a battalion commander whose men repelled another assault on their part of the southeastern front this week.

"Occasionally, they manage to raise their flags and claim that a position has been taken, but we then conduct clearing operations, remove the symbols, and the position remains under our control," said Hlushko, of the Separate Presidential Brigade.

Seizure of Venezuelan Oil Strikes at the Heart of Maduro's Grip on Power

The Trump administration's seizure of a tanker full of Venezuelan crude hits Nicolás Maduro much harder than airstrikes on alleged drug boats. It raises an existential crisis for a regime that runs on oil revenue.

Source: morningstar

To stay updated on all economic events of today, please check out our Economic calendar

Risk Warnings and Disclaimers

Add to Favorites

Glendon

Political

China said on Friday it had driven away a Philippine aircraft and multiple vessels near disputed atolls in South China Sea, in the latest in a series of confrontations in the strategic waterway in recent years.

The Chinese military said it issued strong warnings and "expelled" a Philippine aircraft that "invaded" airspace above the Scarborough Shoal, without giving a date for the incident.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, overlapping the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Unresolved disputes have festered for years over ownership of various islands and features.

In a separate statement, the Chinese Coast Guard said multiple Philippine vessels entered waters near Sabina Shoal to "cause trouble and provoke incidents".

The CCG said it took control measures against the vessels, including verbal warnings and forced expulsion.

The Embassy of the Philippines in Beijing, and the country's foreign ministry and maritime council did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China's sweeping claims in the region were not supported by international law, a decision that Beijing rejects.

Scarborough Shoal is one of Asia's most contested maritime features and a flashpoint for diplomatic flare-ups over sovereignty and fishing rights.

China in September approved the creation of a national nature reserve at the disputed atoll, drawing a strong reaction from Manila.

Sabina Shoal, which China refers to as Xianbin Reef and the Philippines as the Escoda Shoal, lies 150 km (93 miles) west of the Philippine province of Palawan, well within the country's exclusive economic zone.

Source: Reuters

Risk Warnings and Disclaimers

Add to Favorites

Winkelmann

Political

Economic

Four U.S. lawmakers on Thursday said there has been no accountability for an October 2023 attack by the Israeli military that struck a group of journalists in Lebanon, killing a Reuters correspondent and wounding others.

U.S. Senator Peter Welch from Vermont, the home state of one of the journalists wounded in the attack, accused Israel of not conducting a serious investigation into the incident, saying he had seen no proof of that.

He did not specify what details he had requested from the Israeli government, or what, if anything, he had been given.

Reuters was unable to independently confirm what specific efforts Israel has made to investigate the attack, which it has pledged publicly to review.

On October 13, 2023, an Israeli tank fired two shells in quick succession from Israel as journalists were filming cross-border shelling. The attack killed Reuters visuals journalist Issam Abdallah and severely wounded Agence France-Presse (AFP) photographer Christina Assi.

The Israeli military (IDF) has said it does not target journalists but has not offered an explanation for why that Israeli tank unit fired at the group of journalists.

In a news conference organized by two advocacy groups, Welch, a Democrat, said he had been given no written proof of an Israeli investigation into the attack, nor any evidence that Israeli officials have spoken with victims, witnesses, shooters or any of the independent investigators.

In June 2025, Senator Welch's office was told by the Embassy that the IDF had conducted an investigation into the incident and the conclusion was that none of the soldiers acted outside of the IDF's rules of engagement.

Standing next to AFP journalist Dylan Collins, an American citizen who was also wounded in the attack, Welch said the Israeli authorities have "stonewalled" him on his pleas for an investigation and gave him conflicting answers. Welch did not give further details about the interactions.

"The IDF has made no effort, none, to seriously investigate this incident," Welch said. "The IDF claimed they conducted an investigation but there's absolutely no evidence that there was any investigation," he added.

Welch said the Israeli government told his office the investigation was closed but separately told the AFP that the investigation was active and the findings have not been concluded.

"So which is it? Both can't be true," Welch said.

Asked by Reuters about Welch's comments and whether its investigation is concluded, an IDF spokesperson said: "The event is still being examined." The spokesperson did not provide further details.

AFP Regional Director for North America Marc Lavine said they had been seeking full accountability for what happened for more than two years.

"AFP calls on the Israeli authorities to reveal the results of any investigation and to hold those responsible to account," Lavine said.

Since 2023, Reuters has asked the Israeli military to carry out a swift, thorough and transparent probe into the strike that killed Abdallah. It has still received no explanation from the IDF on the reasons for that strike, according to the news agency.

Democratic U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen said at the news conference that more needs to be done.

"We have not seen accountability or justice in this case," Van Hollen said. "It is part of a broader pattern of impunity, of attacks on Americans and on journalists by the government of Israel," he said.

U.S. Representative Becca Balint and independent U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, both of whom are also from Vermont, said their efforts to seek justice for the journalists would continue.

In August this year, Israeli forces struck Nasser hospital in the south of the Gaza Strip, killing at least 20 people including journalists who worked for Reuters, the Associated Press, Al Jazeera and other outlets.

An Israeli military official told Reuters at the time that the two journalists for Reuters and the Associated Press who were killed in the Israeli attack were not "a target of the strike".

Source: Reuters

To stay updated on all economic events of today, please check out our Economic calendar

Risk Warnings and Disclaimers

Add to Favorites

Warren Takunda

Economic

Britain’s economy shrank unexpectedly in October as consumers held back on spending before Rachel Reeves’s budget, and car manufacturing struggled to recover from the cyber-attack on Jaguar Land Rover.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed gross domestic product fell by 0.1%, after a 0.1% drop in output in September. City economists had predicted a 0.1% rise in October.

After a fourth consecutive month without growth, economists said the latest snapshot would probably cement a Bank of England interest rate cut next week amid fading inflationary pressures, fears over the sluggish outlook, and rising unemployment.

“The UK economy has faltered more dramatically than we expected,” said Andrew Wishart, a senior UK economist at Berenberg. “This loss of momentum will bring inflation down more swiftly than we previously anticipated, allowing the BoE to act.”

Highlighting caution among businesses and households in the run-up to the chancellor’s tax-raising budget, the ONS said a sharp 0.3% decline in output in Britain’s dominant service sector contributed most to the fall.

Much of the decline was driven by a weakness in car sales and broader retail spending, alongside a slump in computer programming and consultancy activities. Construction output fell by 0.6%, while the production sector – which includes manufacturing – rose by 1.1% amid a recovery from the JLR attack that was weaker than hoped for.

The ONS said businesses across all three main sectors of the economy – services, manufacturing and production – reported that they, or their customers, were “waiting for the outcomes of the budget”. The biggest impact was felt by manufacturers, construction companies, wholesalers, computer programmers, real estate firms and employment agencies.

Scott Gardner, an investment strategist at JP Morgan Personal Investing, said the chancellor’s budget had a “numbing effect” on the economy. He said: “Budget speculation and uncertainty around potential tax changes dampened the mood among businesses and consumers, leading some to delay key decisions until the budget had been delivered.

“With growth now firmly in the slow lane, there is a clear feeling that the economy this year has taken two steps forward and one step back.”

Financial markets widely expect the Bank to cut interest rates for a sixth time since last summer at its next policy meeting on Thursday. Threadneedle Street has said Reeves’s policies – including relief on energy bills, prescription charges and fuel duty – could cut headline inflation by as much as half a percentage point next year.

Mel Stride, the shadow chancellor, said the government’s “economic mismanagement” had directly contributed to the weakness in economic growth.

A Treasury spokesperson said: “We are determined to defy the forecasts on growth and create good jobs, so everyone is better off, while also helping us invest in better public services.”

Over the three months to the end of October, GDP also fell by 0.1%, below City estimates for zero growth over the period.

Economic output fell in September after hackers breaching JLR’s systems resulted in the country’s second-largest carmaker halting its UK production lines for several weeks.

In an incident estimated to have cost the economy at large up to £1.9bn, the halt crippled hundreds of smaller companies in the manufacturer’s supply chain, causing monthly output in the car industry to collapse by a third.

However, the ONS warned there had only been a “small recovery” in output in October as activity rebounded by 9.5%, leaving the industry still 21.8% below the levels seen in August. Overall manufacturing output rose by 0.5%, falling short of City estimates for a 1% recovery from the JLR attack.

Sanjay Raja, the chief UK economist at Deutsche Bank, said the latest monthly fall in overall GDP increased the chances of a drop in fourth-quarter output. “The road to the new year will be bumpy,” he said. “Budget uncertainty combined with weak hiring and rising unemployment fear will likely see spending and investment more subdued to end the year.”

Source: Theguardian

To stay updated on all economic events of today, please check out our Economic calendar

Risk Warnings and Disclaimers

Add to Favorites

Michelle

Political

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Ukraine's special forces said on Friday they had conducted an operation alongside what they described as a local resistance movement to hit two Russian ships transporting weapons and military equipment in the Caspian sea.

They did not specify when the strike took place. A Ukrainian official said on Thursday that Kyiv's drones had hit a Russian oil rig in the Caspian Sea for the first time, disabling the extraction of oil and gas from about 20 wells.

The special forces' statement on Telegram did not say how they had hit the vessels or what the extent of any damage was. They said the ships were hit off the coast of the republic of Kalmykia, a region of Russia.

They named the vessels as the Composer Rakhmaninoff and the Askar-Sarydzha, which they said were sanctioned by the U.S. for carrying military cargoes between Iran and Russia.

The statement said that the "Black Spark" resistance movement had provided detailed information on the movement and cargo of the ships.

Source: Reuters

Risk Warnings and Disclaimers

Add to Favorites

Glendon

Commodity

Economic

U.S. commercial crude oil inventories, excluding those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), decreased by 1.8 million barrels from the week ending November 28 to the week ending December 5, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) highlighted in its latest weekly petroleum status report.

That report was published on December 10 and included data for the week ending December 5. The report showed that crude oil stocks, not including the SPR, stood at 425.7 million barrels on December 5, 427.5 million barrels on November 28, and 422.0 million barrels on December 6, 2024.

Crude oil in the SPR stood at 411.9 million barrels on December 5, 411.7 million barrels on November 28, and 392.5 million barrels on December 6, 2024, the report revealed. Total petroleum stocks - including crude oil, total motor gasoline, fuel ethanol, kerosene type jet fuel, distillate fuel oil, residual fuel oil, propane/propylene, and other oils - stood at 1.684 billion barrels on December 5, the report showed. Total petroleum stocks were down 2.9 million barrels week on week and up 55.8 million barrels year on year, the report pointed out.

"At 425.7 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about four percent below the five year average for this time of year," the EIA said in its latest weekly petroleum status report.

"Total motor gasoline inventories increased by 6.4 million barrels from last week and are about one percent below the five year average for this time of year. Finished gasoline and blending components inventories increased last week," it added.

"Distillate fuel inventories increased by 2.5 million barrels last week and are about seven percent below the five year average for this time of year. Propane/propylene inventories decreased 1.8 million barrels from last week and are about 15 percent above the five year average for this time of year," it continued.

U.S. crude oil refinery inputs averaged 16.9 million barrels per day during the week ending December 5, according to the report, which highlighted that this was 17,000 barrels per day less than the previous week's average.

"Refineries operated at 94.5 percent of their operable capacity last week," the EIA said in its report.

"Gasoline production decreased last week, averaging 9.6 million barrels per day. Distillate fuel production increased by 380,000 barrels per day last week, averaging 5.4 million barrels per day," it added.

U.S. crude oil imports averaged 6.6 million barrels per day last week, the EIA noted in the report. It pointed out that this was an increase of 609,000 barrels per day from the previous week.

"Over the past four weeks, crude oil imports averaged about 6.2 million barrels per day, 7.7 percent less than the same four-week period last year," the EIA said in its report.

"Total motor gasoline imports (including both finished gasoline and gasoline blending components) last week averaged 659,000 barrels per day, and distillate fuel imports averaged 181,000 barrels per day," it added.

Total products supplied over the last four-week period averaged 20.4 million barrels a day, up by 1.6 percent from the same period last year, the EIA stated in its latest weekly petroleum status report.

"Over the past four weeks, motor gasoline product supplied averaged 8.5 million barrels a day, down by 1.3 percent from the same as the last year period," it added.

"Distillate fuel product supplied averaged 3.7 million barrels a day over the past four weeks, up by 3.4 percent from the same period last year. Jet fuel product supplied was down 0.8 percent compared with the same four-week period last year," it went on to state.

In a market comment sent to Rigzone on Wednesday, Wael Makarem, Financial Markets Strategists Lead at Exness, highlighted that the American Petroleum Institute (API) "reported a massive draw in crude oil inventories of 4.8 million barrels, significantly larger than the forecast of a 1.7 million barrel draw".

Makarem added in that comment that "traders could react to the EIA crude inventory data later today, which could complement the API data".

Macquarie strategists, including Walt Chancellor, revealed in a report sent to Rigzone late Monday by the Macquarie team that they were forecasting that U.S. crude inventories would be down by 7.0 million barrels for the week ending December 5.

"This follows a 0.6 million barrel build in the prior week, with the crude balance again realizing tight relative to our expectations," the strategists said in that report.