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A daily market brief, published each morning. Markets, stocks, industry, economy, global, and policy — sorted by category.

Global·2026-09-18

Middle East Developments Behind Oil Price Stabilization

Oil price stabilization was cited as one factor behind last night's rally on Wall Street. A Reuters report that China had urged the Houthi rebels toward restraint via Iran, along with news that a Saudi Arabian oil pipeline that had been offline could resume about half of its operations within days, sent WTI prices lower, trading around $101. Although the decline was not large, it was assessed as providing relief to oil prices that had been weighed down by geopolitical risk.

Global·2026-09-17

Oil Price Surge Eases as Saudi Arabia Attempts Pipeline Restoration

Saudi Arabia's east-west crude pipeline was shut down after an attack, but according to a Wall Street Journal report, partial restoration is underway; while full restoration could take six to eight weeks, partial operations may resume within days. It was also reported that the U.S. plans to hold talks with Gulf leaders at next Tuesday's United Nations General Assembly in New York. This news prevented a further surge in international oil prices, but since the situation has not been fully resolved, a clear decline also remains unlikely. WTI crude edged lower, trading in the $102 range.

Global·2026-09-16

Oil Prices Surge on Middle East Supply Disruptions

Amid persistently elevated international oil prices, reports emerged that loadings had been halted at the port of Yanbu on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast. Along with reports that September crude export schedules bound for Europe had been postponed or canceled, and news that oil production and operations had also been halted in parts of Libya, concerns grew that disruptions to crude oil logistics were spreading across both the Gulf and the Red Sea. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) briefly spiked to $106 to $107 during the session and is currently trading around $104, while Brent crude is trading around $108. Goldman Sachs projected that if the current situation fails to stabilize, oil prices could rise as high as $120 per barrel. However, some in the market pointed out that despite the Houthi rebels' blockade of the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz having reduced shipping volumes compared with the early stage of the conflict, oil prices have not surged proportionately, suggesting that futures market participants are pricing in a substantial probability of prices declining as well. The explanation offered was that the market is weighing both the possibility of a return to pre-conflict levels in the $70 to $80 range and the possibility of a spike to $120. While reports emerged of some form of discussions between US and major Gulf state military commanders, no military solution or visible progress has been confirmed so far. President Trump has continued to suggest that a ceasefire with Iran could become possible once the US midterm elections conclude, which in turn could bring down oil and gas prices, but for now, oil-driven inflationary pressure is being assessed as weighing on both the bond and equity markets ahead of the FOMC decision.