Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at 1:42 PM
Crude futures were higher in continuing up-and-down trade with spikes in geopolitical risk perception weighed against a bearish fundamental background.
Oil prices edged higher in early trading as markets remained highly sensitive to developments and continued to factor in a sizable risk premium ahead of U.S.-Iran talks.
Futures remain resilient, supported by geopolitical risk premiums, despite estimates that the market ran a surplus of roughly 1.5 million barrels a day in 2025.
Crude oil futures rose as the market maintained risk premium over the U.S.-Iran situation.
European natural-gas prices rose in early trading as traders fear any escalation between the U.S. and Iran could disrupt LNG flows in the region.
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