How hyperactive policy makers become when the price of oil starts to haunt their dreams. Three weeks ago, the Group of Seven leading industrial countries demanded that oil-exporting nations be ready to pump more of the stuff. That was after a rise in the price from $90 a barrel to $115. This week Saudi Arabia appeared to oblige, amid signs that it had lifted production to 10m barrels a day from about 9.9m. That combined with a fresh stimulus package in Japan to bring the price down towards $110 yesterday. Then there was the oil-price “flash crash” – a $4 plunge in 30 minutes on Monday. If this was any other commodity, an insider trading inquiry would already be under way.
當(dāng)油價(jià)開始成為政策制定者的夢(mèng)魘，他們會(huì)變得何其活躍。三周前，由主要工業(yè)化國家構(gòu)成的七國集團(tuán)(G7)要求石油輸出國準(zhǔn)備生產(chǎn)更多石油。在那之前，油價(jià)從每桶90美元漲到了每桶115美元。本周，沙特阿拉伯似乎出手幫忙了：有跡象顯示，沙特石油日產(chǎn)量已從990萬桶提高到1000萬桶。這個(gè)因素與日本的新一輪刺激計(jì)劃結(jié)合在一起，導(dǎo)致油價(jià)在昨日跌向每桶110美元。而且，油價(jià)還出現(xiàn)了“閃電暴跌”：本周一，油價(jià)在30分鐘內(nèi)暴跌4美元。如果這里說的是其他任何一種大宗商品，有關(guān)部門恐怕早就已經(jīng)展開內(nèi)幕交易調(diào)查了。