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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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TSX Futures Plunge Amid Global Market Sell-Off

 

Futures for Canada’s main stock index, the S&P/TSX, fell sharply on Friday as investors braced for crucial U.S. payrolls data amidst a global market downturn. The September futures on the S&P/TSX index were down 1.0% early in the morning.

The decline follows weaker-than-expected factory data from the U.S. on Thursday, which heightened fears of an economic slowdown and negatively impacted investor sentiment worldwide. Additionally, disappointing earnings reports from major tech companies like Intel and Amazon.com contributed to a sell-off in tech shares across markets.

Despite the overall downturn, an uptick in commodity prices helped limit the declines. Oil prices saw a slight increase, and gold was poised for its biggest weekly jump in four months.

Investors are keenly awaiting the U.S. non-farm payrolls data, expected to provide further insights into the state of the American economy. The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index had ended 1.7% lower on Thursday, marking its biggest daily decline since February.

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