Market Closing Update

MALAYSIAN shares ended higher on Monday with the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index adding 2.64 points to close at 1,735.08.

Some 1.36 billion lots, valued at RM1.46 billion were traded. Gainers numbered 394 while losers numbered 317.

Euro could be worth less than U.S. dollar by Jan. 2018

 The euro could reach parity with the dollar by January 2017 — and it could fall as low as 90 cents by January 2018, Goldman Sachs said Friday in a research note.

Goldman GS, -1.53%   revised its forecasts for several currency pairs to reflect what it predicts will be a prolonged period of dollar strength DXY, +0.44%  as the U.S. economy continues to show strong growth ahead of imminent interest-rate increases by the Federal Reserve.

The euro EURUSD, -0.22%   is likely to continue to fall relative to the dollar

The bank also lowered its year-end 2015 forecast for the euro’s  value relative to the pound EURGBP, +0.14%  to £0.73, from its previous forecast of £0.75. It left its year-end 2016 and year-end 2017 forecasts unchanged at £0.70 and £0.65 pounds.

Forex Market Update

The dollar has strengthened significantly against nearly every currency in the world in 2014. In fact, the dollar gained about 12.5% compared with a basket of currencies DXY, +0.47%  last year, and has already added about 2% in 2015.

Gasoline Market Update

February gasoline RBG5, -1.52%   gave up a penny, or 0.4%, to $1.32 a gallon, while February heating oil HOG5, -0.99%   was down less than a cent at $1.70 a gallon for a 0.2% loss.

February natural gas NGG15, -1.26%   pulled lower by 4 cents, or 1.2%, to $2.91 per million British thermal units.

Oil loses more ground as Goldman Sachs cuts outlook

The drumbeat of losses for crude-oil futures resumed with the open of electronic trade early Monday, as various analysts sounded pessimistic notes about the commodity’s outlook.

In Globex action during late Asian trading hours, West Texas Intermediate crude oil for February CLG5, -2.38%  was down 83 cents, or 1.7%, at $47.53 a barrel. The move followed a 0.9% loss during Friday‘s regular session on the New York Mercantile Exchange.