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Gas Prices Are Spiking Again — Here's How to Protect Your Wallet as the Iran Conflict Escalates

  Published July 20, 2026 If it feels like you're filling up more often for the same money lately, you're not imagining it. Oil markets jolted higher to start the week, and Canadian drivers are almost certain to see it at the pump in the next few days. What just happened Brent crude — the global benchmark that drives Canadian gas pricing — jumped nearly 4% on Monday to trade above US$90 a barrel, its highest level since mid-June, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate traded near US$84. The move came after the United States and Iran escalated hostilities over the weekend, including strikes on vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz and an attack on an oil facility in Kuwait. That strait matters enormously to your gas bill: roughly a fifth of the world's oil supply normally passes through it. When shipping through it slows or stalls, traders price in a "risk premium" almost immediately — and that shows up at Canadian pumps within days, not weeks. What it mea...

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Stock Market Today: Futures Slide Amid Government Shutdown Fears and Sticky Inflation

                                         

U.S. stock futures took a hit on Friday as investors braced for a potential government shutdown and digested mixed inflation data. Futures tied to the S&P 500 dropped 1%, while Nasdaq futures plunged 1.3%, and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures fell around 0.5%.

The looming government shutdown, driven by the House of Representatives voting against a spending bill, has heightened concerns among investors. Additionally, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge, the core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index, showed a slight month-over-month increase of 0.1% in November, indicating persistent inflationary pressures.

Key companies like Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom faced significant pressure, while Tesla saw a 6% drop following a vehicle recall. Bitcoin prices also retreated nearly 10% amid record ETF outflows.

Investors remain cautious as they await further developments on both the political and economic fronts.



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