The latest Market Talks covering Energy and Utilities. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires at 4:20 ET, 12:20 ET and 16:50 ET.
1232 ET - Transit through the Strait of Hormuz is practically nonexistent as shippers lack security guarantees amid the armed conflict. "There does not seem to be an obvious end in sight, in terms of restoring regional security for maritime trade in the near term," says Matthew Thomas, a partner in Blank Rome's maritime and international trade practice. "This is being viewed by many in the market as a potentially medium-to-long term period of disruption." The lack of war risk insurance for vessels would effectively prevent trade even without the overt Iranian military threat, he says. U.S. offers of insurance assistance through the Development Finance Corporation will take time "so it is hard to see how this would be likely to provide short-term relief." Oil futures are reflecting concerns about the duration of the closure, with WTI crude trading above $90 a barrel for the first time since October 2023.(anthony.harrup@wsj.com)
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"Energy & Utilities Roundup: Market Talk," by Anthony Harrup was published in the Wall Street Journal on March 6, 2026.
