Investors may catch their breath next week as earnings season winds down and only a few meaningful economic reports are released. The Iran war will remain front and center. Stock selling accelerated Friday into the close after Reuters reported that Iraq had declared force majeure on all oil fields operated by foreign companies. Oil prices spiked on…
An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) speed boat sailing along the Persian Gulf near a cargo vessel. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images With oil prices at levels not seen in years and global business supply chains across sectors of the economy shut down by the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, faith…
My top 10 things to watch Friday, March 20 1. Stock futures are down this morning as oil works its way back up after a brief move lower on Thursday. The major averages are pacing for their fourth losing week in a row, with the S & P 500 and Dow down 0.4% and 1.2%,…
Oil prices rose as much as 3% on Thursday after Iran attacked several energy facilities across the Middle East following a strike on its South Pars gas field. Dwayne Schnell | 500px Plus | Getty Images U.S. oil prices extended their decline Friday after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington may soon lift sanctions on Iranian…
Pump jacks operate in a field on March 11, 2026 in Gillett, Texas. Brandon Bell | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed on Friday, following volatile trading on Wall Street overnight, as the Middle East war and disruptions to energy supply keep investors jittery. Iran attacked the world’s largest gas plant in Qatar, causing damage…
Smoke rises after an Israeli strike in central Beirut’s Bachoura neighbourhood, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Beirut, Lebanon, March 12, 2026. Claudia Greco | Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned that if Iran continued targeting Qatar’s energy facilities, America would “massively blow up the…
A pumpjack stands at the Inglewood Oil field in Los Angeles, California on March 17, 2026. Patrick T. Fallon | Afp | Getty Images Oil prices extended gains as Middle East remains on the boil with strikes on energy infrastructure in the region fanning fears of a supply crunch. Qatar said Wednesday that Iranian missile…
President Donald Trump issued a 60-day waiver of a longstanding U.S. shipping law in an attempt to stabilize oil markets amid the Iran war, the White House confirmed to CNBC on Wednesday. The temporary suspension of the Jones Act “will allow vital resources like oil, natural gas, fertilizer, and coal to flow freely to U.S….
Commercial vessels are pictured offshore in Dubai on March 11, 2026. – | Afp | Getty Images Iran’s de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has stoked fears of the gravest disruption to global oil supply in history, as the Middle East conflict stretches into its third week. The blockade has squeezed shipping traffic…
A pump jack is seen on March 17, 2026 in Stanton, Texas. Brandon Bell | Getty Images Oil prices slipped on Wednesday despite escalating attacks on the United Arab Emirates’ energy infrastructure, as rising U.S. crude inventories helped offset rising geopolitical risk premiums. Prices of Brent, the international benchmark, declined 1.17% to $102.19 per barrel….
