Oil and gas companies are expected to report enormous profit growth as the war in Iran drives energy prices higher, but their stocks continue to underperform because investors question whether those gains will last. Political sensitivity and uncertainty around oil prices may also make companies reluctant to immediately increase dividends or stock buybacks.

President Trump initially celebrated rising oil prices because they boosted U.S. energy profits. However, after the Iran war pushed crude prices from roughly $66 to an average of $95 per barrel between March and June, oil companies and their allies are now poised to receive major financial gains. The situation has become politically inconvenient for Trump, who is no longer pleased with the consequences of the price surge.

Iran’s renewed threat to the Strait of Hormuz leaves Trump facing a stark choice as oil reserves shrink, fuel prices rise, and the conflict escalates.

Oil prices climb as cracks in the U.S.-Iran cease-fire, renewed Hormuz tensions, and potential strikes revive volatility in global energy markets.

Voting machine vs. weighing machine. The voting machine is winning.

The global oil market has avoided the catastrophic supply crunch many feared when the Iran war broke out, but it’s far from balanced.

Fitch Ratings upgraded its oil and gas sector outlook to “improving” from “neutral,” and Moody’s maintained its positive outlook.

Oil markets remain highly volatile as the Iran War enters its fourth month. Energy expert Dan Pickering discusses the structural shifts triggered by the Strait of Hormuz closure and how investors can navigate a market increasingly disconnected from facts on the front lines.

Same story, different day

Oil and gas production won’t rebound quickly even if the Iran war ends soon. Why Devon Energy, Baker Hughes, and other stocks can weather the storm.

Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

The U.S. and Iran are each trying to trigger economic damage to make the other side relent. The standoff risks worsening the damage across the global economy.

Europe faces widening fuel shortages as Middle East conflict strains global energy supplies, with jet fuel shortfalls expected to hit California and the West Coast.