Oil: Fragile ceasefire keeps supply risks elevated – Wells Fargo

FXStreet Insights Team FXStreet

Wells Fargo’s international economics team notes that a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East leaves Oil market risks elevated and conviction on the outlook low. They still assume active conflict ends by mid‑2026 and expect Oil to trend lower into H2 2026, but emphasize that large potential supply shut‑ins and slow normalization could keep prices and volatility higher than markets imply.

Ceasefire fails to resolve Oil risks

"The announced ceasefire looks fragile and keeps Middle East risk elevated."

"We still assume active conflict ends by mid‑year and oil trends lower into H2 2026, but conviction on the outlook remains low amid persistent geopolitical stress."

"This is a large and worsening supply shock."

"The IEA estimates potential oil supply shut‑ins near 10 mbpd, roughly 10% of global supply, with conditions deteriorating further through April."

"Ceasefire does not mean normalization. Shipping through Hormuz and energy production will recover slowly, if at all, without durable peace."

(This article was created with the help of an Artificial Intelligence tool and reviewed by an editor.)

Author

FXStreet Insights Team

FXStreet

The FXStreet Insights Team is a group of journalists that handpicks selected market observations published by renowned experts. The content includes notes by commercial as well as additional insights by internal and external analysts.

GBP/USD remains slightly bid near 1.3300

GBP/USD now advances marginally and manages to dispute the 1.3300 region on Tuesday. Indeed, Cable regains some balance on the back of the lacklustre performance of the Greenback, all preceding the Fed’s meeting on Wednesday and the BoE’s gathering on Thursday.

EUR/USD recedes from tops, back below 1.1400

EUR/USD manages to set aside part of the recent weakness and clinches decent gains on Tuesday. Indeed, spot keeps the trade below the 1.1400 mark amid acceptable losses in the US Dollar, all following rising optimism of a US-Iran deal and steady caution prior to the FOMC gathering on Wednesday.

Gold bounces on poor US data

Gold remains under marked downside pressure on Tuesday, although the $4,000 zone per troy ounce emerges as a decent support for now. The precious metal’s pullback comes despite the modest losses in the US Dollar in a context of easing geopolitical tensions ahead of the key Fed event on Wednesday.

XRP falls toward $1.00 despite dwindling exchange reserves

Ripple (XRP) continues to trade under increasing pressure on Tuesday. This marks the second consecutive day of declines, reflecting broader risk-off sentiment as investors appear to shift gears in anticipation of the Federal Reserve (Fed) interest rate decision. On Wednesday, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged in the 3.50%-3.75% range.

Warning signs in the stock market: Is this the top, or just a very short fuse?

Overnight, South Korea's Kospi fell more than 10%, SK Hynix lost close to 15% and Samsung Electronics lost 13%. Into that, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures traded up around 1% on paint and soft drinks, and S&P 500 futures sat roughly flat. An index that absorbs a memory-chip panic and prints nothing is not a calm market.

US Dollar mid-year outlook: Exceptional currency, exceptional risks?

The US Dollar enters the second half of 2026 in a markedly different position from a year ago. The King currency has recovered, reflecting persistent US inflation, changing expectations for Fed policy, geopolitical tensions and renewed demand for defensive assets.