U.S.-Iran tensions flare up; U.S. dollar index stabilizes after rising to a seven-week high

According to information from Zhitong Finance APP, by the fourth quarter of 2026, Goldman Sachs will focus on four investment themes in the energy and power complex: sustained momentum in oil and gas exploration and production (E&P), the U.S. electricity and LNG theme, upward revisions in the refining sector, and emotional mispricings in the mid- and upstream natural gas sector. Based on these themes, Goldman Sachs has selected 10 stocks with attractive risk-reward ratios.

The CEO revealed that there will be a 70% supply gap for certain products by early next year, and it will take 3 to 5 years to build new production capacity. Over the past two years, the company has increased the capacity of its key factory in the Tokyo metropolitan area to 12 times its original level and plans to invest at least $350 million in this plant and its adjacent facilities.

Spot platinum has just surpassed the $1,690.00 per ounce mark, currently quoted at $1,690.60 per ounce, up 2.73% on the day; Nymex platinum futures main contract is now quoted at $1,695.5 per ounce, up 3.26% on the day.

1. Oil prices fell on Friday as concerns over Middle Eastern supply eased. U.S. crude oil dropped by as much as 1.4% to $90.19/barrel, while Brent crude oil fell by up to 1.2% to $102.67/barrel. Previously, U.S. President Trump stated that there would be no attack on Iran before next month's midterm elections and mentioned that the two countries were having "productive" negotiations to end the war. 2. However, Brent crude is expected to rise on a weekly basis, closing Thursday up 4%, due to the oil tanker attack incident in the Middle East earlier this week. WTI crude may see a slight weekly decline, even as the U.S. Gulf Coast faces supply disruptions caused by hurricanes. 3. On Thursday, Trump said that the U.S. is engaged in "productive discussions" with Iran and that there are no plans to launch an attack before the November 3rd Congressional midterm elections. On the same day, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi said Tehran is reviewing the U.S. response to its proposal aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz within seven days. 4. The U.S. continues to put economic pressure on Iran, seeking to end the conflict that has persisted for nearly eight months. On Thursday, the U.S. imposed a new round of sanctions on Iran, targeting individuals, networks, and 17 vessels involved in transporting Iranian crude oil, refined petroleum products, and petrochemicals. 5. Oil prices have been highly volatile this week due to escalating threats to oil transportation in the Gulf region and the Strait of Hormuz since October. The oil market is also facing the impact of Hurricane Isaias in the Gulf of Mexico. According to the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, as of Thursday, oil producers in the region have shut in about 1.3 million barrels/day of capacity, accounting for 62.9% of current crude production due to the hurricane.