$100/barrel crude on screen, $145/barrel in physical market: Kotak Securities sees two prices

Crude oil’s physical market price could reach nearly $145 a barrel even if benchmark prices show $100, as soaring VLCC shipping costs widen the gap, Kotak Securities’ Anindya Banerjee said. He expects India to remain protected by ample refining capacity and diversified supplies, while predicting RBI rate hikes in October and December as liquidity remains abundant.