What are oil futures ? They enable speculators to profit

What are oil futures? They enable speculators to profit from price changes without physical delivery. Market data reveal options implied volatility rising, hinting at possible large swings in Q3, a scenario that often spills over to energy stock performance. The One Big Beautiful Bill, the Trump Administration's signature policy, should alleviate declining production slightly. The act increases leasing offerings and lowers federal royalty rates, essentially making more land available to oil and gas companies at cheaper prices. An Iran retaliation that included closing off the waterway would be technically difficult to pull off but traders are afraid Iran could severely disrupt transit through it, sending insurance rates spiking and making shippers nervous to move without U.S. Navy escorts. What are oil futures? In real-time correlation, today’s WTI front-month uptick by 0.8% spilled into a 1% rally in U.S. energy mid-cap stocks. Short-term forecasts see renewed interest as refinery utilization climbs above 91%.