Strait of Hormuz choked off, oil shock spreading — ride energy stocks higher on Exxon and Chevron
The Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway that roughly a fifth of the world's oil passes through — has been shut down since the Iran war began in February, causing a severe global energy shock. Even if peace talks progress, analysts say the days of cheap $60 oil are probably gone for good.
Idea
The shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz has choked off roughly 20% of global oil shipments, and the knock-on effects are already showing up — China's export prices just jumped the most in three years and European inflation is re-accelerating. Even if a US-Iran ceasefire takes hold, the market has been re-priced: supply chain rerouting and lost Iranian production mean oil could stay elevated well above $60 for months. Large integrated oil companies like ExxonMobil and Chevron collect wider profit margins when crude stays high, and their share prices tend to track oil's direction over multi-week stretches.