Brent bias flipped 34 times to bullish on August 20, 2026
Brent crude has climbed toward $94, with Iran tensions and the breakdown of the US-Iran memorandum reviving worries over Hormuz shipping. At the same time, U.S. crude inventories were reported higher, but traders are still preparing for a prolonged oil and LNG supply squeeze. The oil price surge has also lifted global bond yields, while the dollar has so far failed to follow.
Updated
The reading that day
BullishAt the close of the UTC day.
BearishNeutralBullish
It changed 34 times during the day.
The day on the wire
00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00
The band shows the reading through the day; a mark shows where it changed. Each tick is a headline first seen that day.
The reading through the day
- 00:00Bullish
- 02:03Neutral
- 02:20Weak bullish
- 02:37Weak bearish
- 02:55Weak bullish
- 03:11Neutral
- 03:28Weak bullish
- 03:45Bullish
- 04:02Bearish
- 04:18Bullish
- 04:34Neutral
- 04:51Bearish
- 05:13Neutral
- 05:32Bullish
- 07:07Neutral
- 07:23Bullish
- 07:41Weak bullish
- 07:57Neutral
- 08:32Bullish
- 09:01Neutral
- 10:05Bullish
- 10:39Weak bullish
- 12:17Neutral
- 13:21Weak bearish
- 15:38Weak bullish
- 15:57Weak bearish
- 16:15Bullish
- 16:30Weak bullish
- 16:55Weak bearish
- 17:13Neutral
- 17:31Weak bullish
- 18:15Neutral
- 18:31Bullish
- 18:47Neutral
- 23:54Bullish
Headlines (19)
First seen on August 20
- U.S. Crude Oil Stockpiles Post Weekly IncreaseThe Wall Street Journal
- 60 days of a broken US-Iran MoU: the market stopped waiting for HormuzHellenic Shipping News
- UAE Freezes Trade With Iran After Missiles Fall Near Its CoastOilPrice.com
- Hope Fades, Traders Brace for Extended Oil, LNG SqueezeOilPrice.com
- Oil: Rally extends on sanctions risk – INGFXStreet
- Futures Slide As Treasury Yields Surge, Erasing Bessent Intervention, Driven By Oil SpikeZeroHedge
- Brent Breaks $94, Global Yields Push Higher — but Dollar Refuses to FollowActionForex
- Iran Tensions Push Oil Near $94rigzone.com
Carried over from earlier days
- Strait of Hormuz to remain closed until US fulfills memorandum terms — parliament speakerTASS
- Governments’ borrowing costs hit further multi-decade highs as US-Iran peace hopes fadeThe Guardian
- Oil Supertanker Earnings on Mideast Route Near $510,000 a Daygcaptain.com
- Brent: War-linked range trading outlook – BBHFXStreet
- Brent Breaks $90 — Now US 10-Year at 4.75% Holds the Bigger Market TestActionForex
- Borrowing costs hit fresh highs on inflation fearsbbc.co.uk
- Iran prepares to keep economy alive as US threatens further sanctionsAl Jazeera
- U.S. Diesel Reserves Sit Near 23-Year LowsOilPrice.com
- Update: Oil extends gains to fourth day as Hormuz fighting drags onInvestingLive
- South Africa to Australia: Why coal profits are surging during Iran warAl Jazeera
- EIA Shows Crude Oil Inventories Still RisingOilPrice.com
Scheduled events
As of
| Event | Forecast | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, August 20 | ||
| 1-y Loan Prime Rate | 3.00% | CNY |
| 5-y Loan Prime Rate | 3.50% | CNY |
| RMPI m/m | -1.8% | CAD |
| IPPI m/m | -0.4% | CAD |
| NHPI m/m | 0.0% | CAD |
| Friday, August 21 | ||
| Foreign Direct Investment ytd/y | CNY | |
| Core Retail Sales m/m | 0.2% | CAD |
| Retail Sales m/m | 0.4% | CAD |