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How the Strait of Hormuz Crisis Is Hitting Your Wallet Right Now

Published May 17, 2026  |  Category: Oil Prices & Energy  |  By MoneySavings.ca If you've winced lately at the gas pump or noticed your grocery bill creeping up, you're not imagining it. A geopolitical crisis unfolding halfway around the world — at a narrow strip of water between Iran and Oman — is directly squeezing Canadian budgets. Here's everything you need to know, and what you can do about it. What Is the Strait of Hormuz? The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway just 33 kilometres wide at its tightest point, connecting the Persian Gulf to the open ocean. Despite its modest size, it is the world's single most critical energy chokepoint. Before this crisis, roughly 20 million barrels of oil moved through it every single day — about 20% of all the world's seaborne oil supply, plus significant volumes of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Think of it as the world's energy jugular vein. When it gets blocked, the entire planet feels it. What Happened? On Februa...

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Global IT Outage Sends Dow Futures Tumbling

                                             

The stock market faced turbulence today as Dow futures slipped following a massive global IT outage. This unprecedented disruption affected various sectors, including travel, finance, and healthcare, causing significant operational challenges worldwide.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures fell by 0.2%, reflecting investor concerns over the outage’s impact. The S&P 500 futures saw a slight increase of 0.1%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 futures edged up by 0.2%.

The outage, linked to a botched update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, led to widespread disruptions. Flights were grounded, banks experienced service interruptions, and media companies faced broadcasting issues. Although CrowdStrike has implemented a fix, the fallout continues to affect global markets.

Investors are now closely monitoring the situation, hoping for stability as the fix takes effect. The market’s reaction underscores the vulnerability of global systems to IT disruptions and the far-reaching consequences of such events.


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