The Economist (May 12)
“Ten weeks into the Iran war, the great oil-market mystery is deepening. Every day the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, nearly 14m barrels of oil—14% of global output—are lost.” Yet somehow Brent crude is priced at “just $107 a barrel,” far lower than expected. “Petro-powers [especially the U.S.] outside the Gulf have turbocharged exports.” Inventories and strategic reserves [especially China’s] are being tapped liberally. “During the four weeks to May 10th the big oil-buying regions imported 11m b/d less petroleum” than a year prior. “America and China have bought the world time. It still faces a reckoning if Hormuz stays shut.”
Tags: $107, 14m b/d, Brent crude, China, Closed, Exports, Global output, Gulf, Inventories, Iran war, Mystery, Oil market, Petro-powers, Strait of Hormuz, Strategic reserves, Ten weeks, U.S.
MarketWatch (March 13)
“America’s “goldilocks” economy is over. The next seven days of the Iran conflict will set the stage for stagflation or global recession.” The U.S. was nearing perfection with unemployment at 4.4% and inflation down to 2.4%. Instead of basking in economic triumph, the U.S. now frets over a potential “doubling of the oil price,” which historically “coincides with a global recession. In today’s terms, that is $120-$140 a barrel. Brent crude brushed the bottom of that range earlier this week.”
Tags: $120-$140 bbl, Brent crude, Conflict, Doubling, Economy, Global recession, Goldilocks, Inflation, Iran, Oil price, Stagflation, U.S., Unemployment
