The latest Market Talks covering Energy markets. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires throughout the day.
0258 GMT - Ibiden could benefit from expected demand for artificial-intelligence server applications, SMBC Nikko Securities' Takeru Hanaya says in a research report. The brokerage sees Ibiden's technological edge in mass producing embedded multidie interconnect bridge through-silicon vias, which are used in AI server applications, as positive. The Japanese electronics and ceramic-product manufacturer's decision to invest in its Gama plant in Japan indicates that prospects for the EMIB-T market to take off have grown sufficiently, the analyst says. The brokerage upgrades the stock to outperform from neutral and raises the target price to 21,500 yen from 6,300 yen. Shares are 4.4% higher at Y16,370. (ronnie.harui@wsj.com)
2340 GMT - Oil edges lower in early Asian trade amid hopes of a new U.S.-Iran ceasefire that could ease worries over supply disruptions in Middle East. Mediators were working Monday to push the U.S. and Iran into a new ceasefire. "Signs of progress toward a return to diplomatic talks offset renewed tensions in the Middle East over the weekend," Kudo.com's Konstantinos Chrysikos says in an email. However, "situation in the Strait of Hormuz remained precarious, as navigation continues to be severely restricted, keeping the physical market tight," the head of Customer Relationship Management adds. Front-month WTI crude oil futures are 0.1% lower at $83.17 per barrel. (ronnie.harui@wsj.com)
2146 GMT - The agreed acquisition of WildFire Energy by publicly traded operator Magnolia Oil & Gas targeted "one of only a handful of remaining private equity-sponsored [producers] in any of the main [U.S.] shale plays that could boast hundreds of remaining drilling locations" that haven't been developed, says Andrew Dittmar, a principal analyst at Enverus, an energy-focused data analytics company. "The purchase boosts Magnolia's remaining location count by about 70%" in certain areas of South Texas' Eagle Ford Shale region, he says in a note. The deal shows that a strategy followed by WildFire's private-equity backers-Warburg Pincus and Kayne Anderson-of expanding the company through "a series of deals that significantly consolidated acreage...not owned by Magnolia while instituting operational improvements" paid out. (luis.garcia@wsj.com; @lhvgarcia)
1911 GMT - Crude futures settle higher in choppy trade as U.S.-Iran fighting escalates while mediators seek a 10-day ceasefire and return to talks. Oil's decline from overnight highs reflects diplomatic optimism rather than any meaningful improvement in the physical supply picture with the Strait of Hormuz almost at a standstill and Houthis threatening Saudi shipments via the Red Sea, Rystad Energy says in a note. "If a ceasefire does not materialize and Hormuz remains largely closed while the Houthi threat to Red Sea shipping intensifies, the risk of a significant rebound in oil prices would be substantial,"says Jorge Leon, the firm's head of geopolitical analysis. WTI settles up 0.9% at $83.23 a barrel and Brent rises 1.3% to $89.22 a barrel. (anthony.harrup@wsj.com)
1906 GMT - U.S. natural gas futures give back Friday's gains with soft LNG exports, strong production and healthy storage remaining as offsets to summertime cooling demand. The tropical depression that formed off the U.S. Gulf coast "isn't expected to strengthen into anything formidable," NatGasWeather.com says in a note. "Impacts are expected to be minor and mainly through the loss of a few cooling degree days along the coast due to showers, along with the potential for minor LNG and U.S. production disruptions," the forecaster adds. Nymex natural gas for August delivery settles down 1.8% at $2.860/mmBtu.(anthony.harrup@wsj.com)
1739 GMT - Oil futures are fluctuating between gains and losses after U.S.-Iran mediators propose a 10-day ceasefire and seek a return to negotiations following a weekend of military escalation that sent prices up overnight. "I think markets really want to get past this, so any piece of good news they're going to take it and run with it," says Tracy Shuchart of NinjaTrader Group. But "I think people are mispricing the risk here," she adds. The Houthis' declaration of a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia threatens the exit for Saudi oil through the Red Sea via the Bab el-Mandeb strait. "If you have the Strait of Hormuz closed, and you have the Red Sea effectively closed, we have a big problem," Shuchart says. WTI is up 0.3% at $82.70 a barrel and Brent gains 0.5% to $88.58. (anthony.harrup@wsj.com)
1439 GMT - The dollar has failed to benefit from higher oil prices in July as markets focus on interest-rate differentials, Standard Chartered's Steve Englander says in a note. Since the resumption of U.S.-Iran strikes, the dollar has dropped. If the market expects the Federal Reserve to be less reactive to higher oil prices on the assumption of little or temporary inflation impact, the dollar could fall further in the near term, he says. Standard Chartered still expects dollar strength over the medium term. "However, we need to see either a clearer cyclical rebound in the U.S. economy or a more definitive upward move in equilibrium real [inflation-adjusted] interest rates before dollar strength emerges."The DXY dollar index rises 0.2% to 100.95.(renae.dyer@wsj.com)
1351 GMT - Higher energy and food prices are likely to keep total inflation in Canada near 3% for the remainder of the year, says Michael Davenport from Oxford Economics. The end of the US-Iran ceasefire and the resumption of military attacks in the Mideast poses a significant risk to Canada's CPI outlook, Davenport adds. Offsetting this risk, however, is the amount of excess slack in the economy and continued easing in shelter inflation, which Davenport contends should keep core CPI at bay and the Bank of Canada on hold. (Paul.Vieira@wsj.com; @paulvieira)
1338 GMT - Canada's total inflation decelerated to 2.8% in June, due mostly to lower gasoline prices following a pact in June between the US and Iran, says Andrew Grantham, economist at CIBC Capital Markets. Gas prices, however, have accelerated amid a renewal of military strikes in the Middle East. Grantham says prices rose 0.3% on a seasonally-adjusted basis when food and energy are excluded. He attributes this to temporary travel-related cost increases related to the World Cup matches in Toronto and Vancouver. The Bank of Canada's preferred measures of core inflation decelerated in June, and Grantham says this reinforces CIBC's call for the BOC to remain on the sidelines through 2026. (Paul.Vieira@wsj.com; @paulvieira)
1336 GMT - Canadian inflationary measures are still looking relatively muted after four months of oil supply disruption, says Desjardins' Royce Mendes. The headline consumer price index fell 0.4% in June as lower global oil prices drove energy costs down, leaving annual inflation at 2.8%. Core inflation excluding food and energy picked up, rising 0.3% on-month in seasonally adjusted terms, though Mendes says that looks tied to the temporary effect of the World Cup. "Despite the recent spike in global oil prices, the Bank of Canada can rest easy that passthrough to other goods and services remains very limited," he economist says. (robb.stewart@wsj.com; @RobbMStewart)
1326 GMT - U.S. natural gas futures are lower with LNG maintenance still curbing feedgas flows and a softer outlook for near-term power-sector demand. Heat and smoke from Canadian wildfires cleared over the northeast, raising solar energy output and lowering electricity demand, although Texas will see some triple-digit "feels like" temperatures by mid-week, Gary Cunningham of Tradition Energy says in a note. "Outlooks for power-sector demand and continued maintenance at LNG export terminals are simply too bearish for a rally," he adds. "The August contract is likely range bound between $2.80 and $2.95 until something changes." Nymex gas for August delivery is off 1% at $2.882/mmBtu. (anthony.harrup@wsj.com)
1320 GMT - Oil futures pull back from the overnight highs reached on the military escalation in the Middle East as Iran says it has received proposals from mediators for a return to negotiations. Stepped up U.S. and Iranian strikes at the weekend pushed Brent and WTI to their highest levels in more than a month. "This movie has been seen before and as retail gasoline prices lift back up while Iranian oil revenue is again cut back, both sides will be looking for an off-ramp," Ritterbusch & Associates says in a note. WTI is up 0.2% at $82.68 a barrel and Brent is up 0.6% at $88.66. (anthony.harrup@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
July 20, 2026 22:58 ET (02:58 GMT)
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