Oil prices about to take off?
Trump officially issued new rules: only Iranian ships are restricted from transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. takes over escort and security authority for the strait, and all transiting freight is charged a 20% transit protection fee.
In the short term, it directly lifts crude oil sea freight costs, which is bullish for oil prices.
But higher energy prices will continue to push up inflation across the U.S., making it even harder for the Federal Reserve’s hawkish policy stance to loosen.
A sustained high-interest-rate environment continues to weigh on high-valuation growth sectors; the chip and storage segments are unlikely to bounce back in the short term.
Tonight, market funds are severely divided, with energy and technology stocks tugging in opposite directions.