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Weekly oil prices in Brent, OPEC basket, and WTI futures 2020-2026

On March 9, 2026, the Brent crude oil price stood at 88.75 U.S. dollars per barrel, compared to 87.87. U.S. dollars for WTI oil and 115.54 U.S. dollars for the OPEC basket. Oil prices rose slightly that week.
Europe's Brent crude oil, the U.S. WTI crude oil, and OPEC's basket are three of the most important benchmarks used by traders as references for global oil and gasoline prices.

In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic resulted in crude oil prices hitting a major slump as oil demand drastically declined following lockdowns and travel restrictions. Initial outlooks and uncertainty surrounding the course of the pandemic brought about a disagreement between two of the largest oil producers, Russia and Saudi Arabia, in early March. Bilateral talks between global oil producers ended in agreement on April 13th, with promises to cut petroleum output and hopes rising that these might help stabilize the oil price in the coming weeks. However, with storage facilities and oil tankers quickly filling up, fears grew over where to store excess oil, leading to benchmark prices seeing record negative prices between April 20 and April 22, 2020.

As with most commodities, crude oil prices are impacted by supply and demand, as well as inventories and market sentiment. However, as oil is most often traded in future contracts (where a contract is agreed upon while product delivery will follow in the next two to three months), market speculation is one of the principal determinants for oil prices. Traders make conclusions on how production output and consumer demand will likely develop over the coming months, leaving room for uncertainty. Spot prices differ from futures in so far as they reflect the current market price of a commodity.

Public approval of the U.S. strikes on Iran in the U.S. February 2026

A survey conducted among American citizens at the start of the U.S. and Israeli military operations in Iran found that some 44 percent did not approve of the U.S. attacks. On the other hand, 34 percent did approve of such actions. A further 22 percent of respondents were unsure.

Total estimated damages during the anti-government protests in Iran 2026, by category

During the 50-day-long anti-government protest in Iran, an estimated 1,400 ATMs, 800 private vehicles, and 750 banks were damaged. Additionally, 350 mosques and 300 residential homes were reportedly harmed in the course of the events. 

The anti-government demonstrations initially broke out on December 28, 2025, due to economic issues in the country, including high inflation, the collapse of the Iranian currency, low wages, widespread unemployment, and the mismanagement of the state.

Projected AI capital expenditure of selected tech companies 2026

Amazon announced that it will spend 200 billion U.S. dollars on capital expenditure for AI, chips, robotics, and low earth orbit satellites in 2026. Google will spend between 175 billion U.S. dollars and 185 billion U.S. dollars. 

Daily Nikkei Stock Volatility Average Index 2026

On March 9, 2026, the Nikkei 225 Volatility Index (Nikkei 225 VI) reached a value of about 58.69. The index measures the expected volatility of the Nikkei 225 stock in Japan and is used as an indicator of market uncertainty. In the weeks prior, the index fluctuated mostly between values of around 30 and 35 before increasing significantly in early March 2026.