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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: Chip Stocks Surge as Nvidia Leads the Way

U.S. stock futures surged on Monday as chip stocks shone, with Nvidia leading the charge. Contracts on the Nasdaq 100 jumped almost 1%, while S&P 500 futures rose roughly 0.7%, poised to build on Friday's tech-led rally. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures also saw a modest rise of 0.3%.

The upbeat mood kicked off the first full-on week of 2025 for traders, highlighted by the release of the December nonfarm-payrolls report scheduled for Friday. Chip stocks rallied after a record revenue and strong sales forecast from Nvidia's server partner Foxconn, boosting optimism for AI-fueled growth. Nvidia shares rose 2% in pre-market trading, while peers AMD and Micron Technology each gained over 3%.

Focus remains on Nvidia later Monday when CEO Jensen Huang gives the keynote speech to start the CES tech conference. Investors will be listening for signs that Nvidia's new Blackwell chip has overcome supply glitches.



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