FINWIRES · TerminalLIVE
FINWIRES

Update: WTI Oil Edges Up Despite Reports Iran is Allowing Chinese Ships to Move Through the Strait of Hormuz

By

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil edged higher on Thursday despite reports Iran is allowing Chinese ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz.

WTI crude oil for June delivery closed up US$0.15 to settle at US$101.17 per barrel, while July Brent oil was last seen up US$0.10 to US$105.73.

The rise follows a Reuters report, citing Iranian state media, that Iran is allowing Chinese ships to move through the blocked Strait of Hormuz, and have allowed 30 vessels to move through the Strait "in recent hours".

Iran closed the Strait to most traffic at the Feb. 28 start to the war launched by the United States and Israel, stranding hundreds of ships in the Persian Gulf and blocking 20% of daily oil demand supplied by regional nations.

The blockade of the Strait has pushed oil prices up by half since the start of the war. leaving Asian nations scrambling for physical supply and boosting inflation, raising concerns central banks will need to raise interest rates to cut demand. The United States this week reported wholesale and consumer prices surged last month, heightening concerns of higher rates, though the CME FedWatch Tool sees a 97.5% probability the Federal Reserve will leave rates unchanged during the June 17 meeting of its policy committee.

Iran's control of the Strait is a key focus of the summit meeting underway between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Trump in Beijing. The Wall Street Journal reported the pair agreed the Strait should remain an international waterway and Iran should not be allowed to extract payments from ships passing through the Strait.

Related Articles

Sectors

Sector Update: Energy Stocks Rise Late Afternoon

Energy stocks advanced late Thursday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) each adding 0.8%.The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index was climbing 1.3%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index was up 0.3%.Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil was rising 0.8% to $101.79 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract was adding 0.6% to $106.30 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures rose 1.6% to $2.91 per 1 million BTU.US natural gas stocks rose by 85 billion cubic feet in the week ended May 8, smaller than the 87 billion gain expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg and following an increase of 63 billion cubic feet in the previous week.In corporate news, Infinity Natural Resources (INR) shares gained 3% after RBC Capital Markets said in a note the company is positioned to outperform peers over the next year as a "niche player" that can switch focus between oil and natural gas.Constellation Energy (CEG) and Pine Creek RNG said Thursday they have signed a long-term agreement under which Constellation will buy a minority equity interest in five Pine Creek production facilities. Constellation shares increased 0.3%.Chevron (CVX) has agreed to sell its downstream fuels and lubricants marketing businesses in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Australia, Vietnam and Indonesia, to Eneos for $2.17 billion, Eneos said. Chevron shares added 0.2%.New Fortress Energy (NFE) is seeking permission from a UK court for a restructuring plan that will convert 90% of its $6.5 billion debt into equity and transfer ownership of the company to creditors, Bloomberg reported. New Fortress shares fell 7%.

$CEG$CVX$INR$NFE
Sectors

Sector Update: Financial Stocks Higher Late Afternoon

Financial stocks rose late Thursday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index increasing 0.6% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) adding 0.7%.The Philadelphia Housing Index rose 0.4%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) was down 0.6%.Bitcoin (BTC-USD) gained 2.7% to $81,396, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was decreasing 2 basis points to 4.46%.In economic news, retail sales in April rose for the third straight month, with analysts saying the increase largely reflected higher prices as the war in Iran kept fuel costs elevated. Sales rose 0.5% in April following a revised 1.6% gain in March, the Census Bureau reported Thursday, matching the consensus in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.In corporate news, Assurant (AIZ) shares climbed 3.9% after Morgan Stanley upgraded the stock to overweight from equal weight, and raised its price target to $285 from $240.Klarna (KLAR) shares surged 19% after the company posted a narrower net loss and higher revenue for Q1.Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is launching a platform that enables investors to trade contracts across all three prediction market exchanges from a single platform. The clients can access the combined liquidity of ForecastEx, CME Group (CME), and Kalshi and receive the best available net price. Interactive Brokers shares rose 3.8%.Blackstone (BX) owned data center operator AirTrunk is seeking a $2.3 billion syndicated loan to fund the development of its AirTrunk JHB2 facility in Malaysia's Johor state, Bloomberg reported. Blackstone shares added 2.5%.

$AIZ$BX$IBKR$KLAR
Sectors

Sector Update: Consumer Stocks Advance Late Afternoon

Consumer stocks were higher late Thursday afternoon, with the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) increasing 0.2% and the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) up 0.1%.In corporate news, Yeti (YETI) lifted its full-year earnings outlook on Thursday as the outdoor products company recorded better-than-expected fiscal Q1 results. Its shares climbed 5%.DraftKings (DKNG) faces a positive catalyst path from the FIFA World Cup driving incremental wagers during a low period over the next few months, Morgan Stanley said in a note. DraftKings shares rose nearly 1%.Tesla (TSLA) Chief Executive Elon Musk's SpaceX is facing opposition from leaders of three major US public pension systems over what they described as the company's "extreme" governance structure ahead of its planned initial public offering, Reuters reported. Tesla shares were down 0.3%.Paramount Skydance's (PSKY) acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) will be carefully scrutinized by European regulators, CNBC reported Thursday, citing a letter sent to Paramount Skydance Chief Executive David Ellison from a group of US and European lawmakers it viewed. Paramount shares fell 3.1%, and Warner Bros. was decreasing 0.5%.

$DKNG$PSKY$TSLA$WBD$YETI