Iran strikes threaten the world's busiest oil lane — load up on Exxon and Chevron
Fresh U.S. military strikes near the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway that carries roughly a fifth of the world's oil — have sent oil prices sharply higher overnight. When the world's most important oil shipping lane is under threat, energy stocks tend to rally fast.
Idea
The Strait of Hormuz is the single most critical oil chokepoint on the planet. Every time military conflict flares near it, crude prices spike and the stocks of major oil producers climb in sympathy. This latest round of U.S. strikes has already pushed oil higher, and there is no sign of a ceasefire — in fact, peace talks appear to be going backward. If the standoff drags on, expect energy shares to keep grinding upward as the market prices in prolonged supply risk. A sudden peace deal is the main risk and could reverse the trade quickly.