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Oil Prices Are Spiking — Here's What It Means for Your Gas Tank and Grocery Bill

  Published July 17, 2026 Crude oil is trading near one-month highs this week, and if you've filled up your tank recently, you've probably already felt it. The culprit: an escalating conflict in the Middle East that's disrupting one of the world's most important oil shipping routes — and it's starting to show up at Canadian pumps and, eventually, on grocery store shelves. What's happening with oil prices West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the North American benchmark, has been trading around the $79–$80 per barrel range this week — up roughly 5% over the past month. Brent crude, the global benchmark that matters more for what Canadians pay at the pump, has been hovering near $85 per barrel, also near a one-month high. The spike traces back to renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran. The U.S. reimposed a naval blockade on Iran and has intensified strikes, while Iran has responded with attacks on U.S. bases and threats to disrupt regional energy shipments further. ...

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Stock Market Today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq Futures Signal Rebound from Fed-Fueled Rout

                                          

U.S. stock futures indicated a rebound Thursday morning following a significant sell-off triggered by the Federal Reserve's latest interest rate decision. Futures tied to the S&P 500 rose by 0.5%, while those for the tech-heavy Nasdaq climbed 0.6%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures also saw a 0.5% increase.

The Federal Reserve's decision to scale back the number of anticipated rate cuts next year to two, coupled with Chair Jerome Powell's cautious remarks, led markets to interpret the move as a "hawkish cut," resulting in steep declines for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq. The Dow, meanwhile, is experiencing its longest losing streak in 50 years.

Despite the recent downturn, the Dow remains up over 12% for the year. On the economic front, the third estimate for third-quarter U.S. GDP showed a growth rate of 3.1%, surpassing earlier estimates. Additionally, weekly unemployment claims fell to 220,000, down from 242,000 the previous week.

Investors are now closely watching the market's response to these developments, hoping for a rebound in the coming days.




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