Heating Oil Hovers Between Gains and Losses
Heating oil futures oscillated near $4.5 per gallon as the physical displacement of roughly 20% of global oil transit continues to paralyze the distribution of middle distillates. This supply-side crisis is driven by the near-total shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz and fresh Houthi threats to Red Sea shipping which have forced global inventories down to critical levels. While tentative signals of a diplomatic breakthrough in the five-week Middle East conflict offer a potential ceiling the rally remains anchored by a massive risk premium following President Trump's ultimatum to target Iranian export hubs. The arrival of 10,000 additional US troops and the grounding of vessels in key waterways have created a price floor that outweighs the dampening effect of high financing costs and growth prospects. Consequently, heating oil remains tethered to WTI crude as the market awaits confirmation of a peace deal before pricing out the threat of total energy infrastructure destruction.