#commodities

WTI rose $2.93 to $90.29 and Brent added $2.52 to $93.64 after a fresh U.S.-Iran exchange of strikes. The move keeps the Strait of Hormuz risk premium inside inflation, rates, and energy-equity pricing.

Brent crude fell $4.86 to $98.68 and U.S. crude dropped more than 4% to $91.83 after reports of progress toward a U.S.-Iran deal. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 2.9% to 65,158.19, its first close above 65,000.

Supertanker Idemitsu Maru, carrying 2 million barrels of Saudi crude, is set to arrive in Nagoya on May 25 — the first successful Strait of Hormuz passage since Iran's war began February 28, 2026. Japan's Middle East crude imports had collapsed 67.2% year-over-year in April as the strait was blocked.

A US-Iran peace deal framework is advancing, with proposed terms including a freeze on Iran's nuclear enrichment, release of frozen Iranian assets, and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping. Iran is expected to respond formally within 48 hours through Pakistan as mediator. Brent crude has fallen 14% from $126 to around $108, with WTI dropping below the $100 psychological level. Equity futures rallied broadly on the development.

Brent pushed above $114 after the UAE said it will leave OPEC and OPEC+ on May 1, removing the cartel's third-largest producer at a time of disrupted Hormuz shipping. Abu Dhabi framed the move as a capacity decision, not a break with oil-market stability.

Iran said it seized two container ships in the Strait of Hormuz after reports of three attacks; Brent briefly topped $100 before trading 0.5% higher at $99.03.

$760M of Brent crude futures were sold between 12:24 and 12:25 GMT, about 20 minutes before Iran said the Strait of Hormuz was open. Reuters said crude fell as much as 11% after the headline, adding to U.S. scrutiny of well-timed oil trades tied to Iran-war policy shifts.

Barry Callebaut $BARN fell as much as 17% after cutting its FY 2025/26 EBIT outlook to a mid-teens decline. The chocolate supplier cited a 61% slide in cocoa bean prices from the start of the fiscal year, volume pressure, supply disruption, and overcapacity.