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US attacks Venezuela — Here's how various asset classes reacted on Monday morningOil prices have declined in early trading on Monday as experts believe that a potential lifting of sanctions on Venezuela could instead put more barrels into an already oversupplied market.By Hormaz Fatakia   January 5, 2026, 5:02:49 AM IST (Updated)4 Min ReadGeopolitical tensions are back on the rise at the start of 2026, with the US launching land strikes on Venezuela leading to the capture of its President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

However, majority of the asset classes have seen a subdued initial reaction as there is still lack of clarity on various aspects in Venezuela despite the overthrow of Maduro, as his regime is still intact. Here's a look at how oil, gold and other asset classes are reacting to this weekend development.

Crude Oil

Brent crude prices have seen a decline between 0.5% to 1% despite the rising uncertainties as experts believe that this recent conflict is unlikely to have a major impact on the oil markets, at least in the near-term.

Experts believe that oil markets are currently in oversupply and Venezuela does not contribute much to the daily output due to the sanctions.

Instead, the potential lifting of sanctions on Venezuela could only bring more barrels into the market, according to experts, which may further pressure oil prices.

Oil prices had slumped to a four-year low as early as last month. However, they were on a rebound after US President Donald Trump began to ramp-up his rhetoric against Venezuela, as well as a rise in tensions across other areas such as China and Taiwan.

As of Friday's closing, Brent Crude was back above the mark of $60 but is on a three-day losing streak.

Venezuela has the largest proven crude oil reserves, and Trump has made it clear that the US will be involved in fixing the broken energy infrastructure of the country and will also be running the administration of the country for the time being.

The IEA has also warned of a significant supply glut in 2026, even if the OPEC+ decides to curb production in the new year.

Gold and Silver

A rise in geopolitical tensions always leads to a flight of capital out from risk assets into other safe havens, such as Gold.

Gold prices in the futures market gained 1% in early trading on Monday, while Silver prices were up over 2.5% and were rebounding back to levels of $73 an ounce.

Both Gold and Silver had their best year since 1979 in 2025.

According to reports, Venezuela is supposed to have the largest gold reserves among South American countries at 161 Metric Tonnes, which at the current price, could be worth nearly $22 billion.

Silver, although not directly perceived to be a haven asset as compared to Gold, may also see a reaction courtesy the volatile price action it has experienced all through last week. The metal continues to see significant price moves after a 160-odd percent surge in 2025, which was also the best year since 1979 due to speculative inflows, industrial demand, and other factors.

US Dollar

The US Dollar, generally perceived to be the haven asset has seen a subdued reaction on Monday. The US Dollar index currently trades around levels of 98.5.

2025 turned out to be the worst year for the greenback since 2017 and therefore a reaction would be closely monitored here.

However, countries globally have begun to reduce their dependence on the US ever since Donald Trump's tariff regime took effect, with the currency having continuously weakened after having made a record high in excess of 110.

Equities

Wall Street futures too are steady this morning as more clarity is awaited on the next steps from the Trump administration. The Dow futures are down 10 points in early ticks, while the Nasdaq futures are up 40 points.

Indices on Wall Street have entered 2026 on the back of three consecutive years of positive, double-digit returns.

A reaction in Asian equities will be closely monitored after the Wall Street response.Continue ReadingFirst Published: Jan 4, 2026 10:01 AM ISTTagsBrent Crude Oil PricesDalal StreetGold Pricesshare market todaysilver pricesUS Dollar IndexUS MarketUS-Venezuela sanctionsVenezuelaWall StreetWTI crude