Strait of Hormuz shut, Exxon warns $150 oil coming — ride the energy squeeze on Exxon and Chevron
The Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway where about a fifth of the world's oil passes — has been shut since the Iran war broke out in February. Exxon now says oil stockpiles will hit critically low levels within weeks and could push prices to $150–$160 a barrel.
Idea
The Strait of Hormuz closure has choked off roughly 20% of global oil shipments, and Exxon is now publicly warning that inventories will plunge to record lows within weeks — with physical oil potentially spiking to $150–$160 a barrel. Even if a US-Iran ceasefire materializes, analysts say the era of cheap oil is over because damaged infrastructure and lost production won't recover quickly. Major oil producers like Exxon and Chevron are the direct beneficiaries: higher oil prices flow straight into their profits. With the S&P 500 rallying on AI enthusiasm, energy stocks have quietly built a strong fundamental tailwind that most investors are overlooking.