The latest Market Talks covering Energy markets. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires throughout the day.

0921 ET - Oil futures are little changed as traders head into the weekend with talks planned between the U.S. and Iran that could determine whether the Middle East cease-fire holds. "Traders have evacuated the market for the most part with $7 moves like yesterday seemingly happening with little participation from human traders other than what they need to do in terms of hedging or cleaning up positions to get even flatter," says Scott Shelton of TP ICAP. "Maybe after this weekend we get some clarity on whether or not Iran and U.S. are so far apart that they can't come to an agreement." WTI is off 0.2% at $97.66 a barrel and Brent is down 0.5% at $95.41. (anthony.harrup@wsj.com)

0913 ET - Data around consumer confidence is mixed, Benchmark analyst Todd Brooks says in a research note. He points to the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index falling to 53.3 in March, from 56.6 in February. At the same time, The Conference Board's consumer confidence index painted a more resilient picture for the consumer in March, rising to 91.8 in March from 91 in February, despite the ongoing war and higher fuel prices. "The divergence between the two surveys underscores that the current economic reality is likely supportive of consumers' ability to maintain spending/consumption levels, but that the consumer mindset could be fragile, especially if forward inflationary fears begin to play out," Brooks writes. (connor.hart@wsj.com)

0912 ET - The cease-fire announced between the U.S. and Iran lessens the chances of more disruptive outcomes playing out, but won't shift forecasts for the British economy, Oxford Economics's Edward Allenby says in a note. "Even if a full-blown truce is agreed, it will take time for energy production and shipping traffic to return to normal levels," he says. OE isn't planning any major changes to its U.K. growth and inflation projections over the next couple of years when it updates them on April 13, Allenby says. OE's baseline assumes the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed until the end of April, with traffic levels rising to around 50% in May and June before recovering to normality over the subsequent six months. (edward.frankl@wsj.com)

0847 ET - European and Asian gas prices have risen broadly in line with Brent crude during the Iran war, though gains have been relatively contained despite damage to Qatar's LNG facilities, says David Oxley from Capital Economics. "It's arguably been surprising that both natural gas benchmarks have not risen further," the economist says. One explanation is seasonal: the shock came as the winter peak consumption period was winding down and ahead of the storage refill season. At the same time, early signs of fuel switching in Asia toward coal and renewables are weighing on gas demand expectations, helping to limit further upside in prices, Oxley says. (giulia.petroni@wsj.com)

0839 ET - Energy supply constraints are likely to continue in the coming months, despite the prospects of a resolution to the Middle East war in the coming days, Oxford Economics' Edward Allenby says in a note. Markets await the outcome of discussions between the U.S. and Iran this weekend. "Even if a full-blown truce is agreed, it will take time for energy production and shipping traffic to return to normal levels," Allenby says. (miriam.mukuru@wsj.com)

0838 ET - The past week has shown how sensitive markets are to changes in the global backdrop, Aviva Investors' Peter Smith says in a note. A small step away from the Middle East conflict was enough to reshape expectations for inflation, interest rates and risk-taking. The announcement of a two-week cease-fire prompted relief on markets as investors moved from the fear of the unknown to an air of cautious optimism, the senior investment director says. "Lower energy prices eased fears that inflation could re‑accelerate just as central banks were hoping to stabilize it," he says. Oil prices fell, lifting equities and causing bond yields to fall, after the cease-fire and plans for further talks between the U.S. and Iran. (emese.bartha@wsj.com)

0834 ET - Iran's ability to exert control over the Strait of Hormuz is likely to leave a lasting mark on global energy markets, says David Oxley, chief climate and commodities economist at Capital Economics. Oil producers in the region will likely be incentivized to expand output capacity and accelerate efforts to develop export routes that bypass the strait, reducing exposure to future disruptions. More broadly, the situation could reverberate within OPEC. "Any actions that are perceived to hinder the ability of other members to export oil could even raise questions about the future of the group," Oxley says. (giulia.petroni@wsj.com)

0807 ET - Nouveau Monde Graphite has a new Italian partner. Italian energy major Eni invested $70 million as part of the company's latest capital raise, giving it an 11.5% stake in the Canadian graphite and battery-materials developer. The deal anchors a broader private placement that also includes major Canadian institutional investors, Canada Growth Fund and Investissement Quebec, backed by the Canadian federal government and Quebec provincial government, respectively. In total, it has raised $297 million. (adriano.marchese@wsj.com)

0758 ET - Bitcoin stays modestly lower as investors await planned weekend talks between the U.S and Iran amid signs of strain in the two-week cease-fire agreed. "The ceasefire is fragile, the Strait of Hormuz is still constrained, and everyone is staring at the U.S.-Iran talks," Marex analysts say in a note. Iran is restricting traffic through the strait, citing Israel's continued attacks on Lebanon. Israel has agreed to hold talks with Lebanon after President Trump asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to scale back attacks. Bitcoin falls 0.3% to $72,196 after hitting a three-week high of $73,067 overnight, LSEG data show. Marex expects bitcoin to trade in a range until there's a sustained break above $73,000. (renae.dyer@wsj.com)

0756 ET - Global diversification away from the dollar, or de-dollarization, remains a risk but is temporarily halted by the Iran war, Nomura analysts say in a note. Major economies, including in Europe and Asia, have suffered a negative terms-of-trade impact and portfolio outflows due to the war, they say. De-dollarization will eventually gather momentum again, they say, citing surveys from investors, comments from world leaders and risks of further U.S. aggression and measures of foreign portfolio flows. Other potential dollar headwinds include Federal Reserve independence risks, a weaker U.S. economic outlook and increased hedges against the risk of the currency falling. The DXY dollar index falls 0.1% to 98.749 and Nomura expects a further 4% decline by year-end. (renae.dyer@wsj.com)

0643 ET - Stocks that would benefit from lower oil prices and an opening of the Strait of Hormuz turn to sharp gains in midmorning European trade as faith grows that a fragile U.S.-Iran cease-fire would hold. Traders may be looking through both sides' brinkmanship and taking an optimistic view on weekend negotiations to end the conflict, XTB's Kathleen Brooks writes. Airline Wizz Air is up 11.5% while German industrial groups Siemens and Heidelberg Materials gain 3% and 4.25%, respectively, after pivoting at around 0915 GMT. Conversely, defense stocks fall sharply. Rheinmetall is 5.9% lower while Hensoldt slides 5.5% following a similar about-turn. French defense group Thales also drops, with the stock down 3.1% for the session. (josephmichael.stonor@wsj.com)

0641 ET - The European Union, not national governments, should be responsible for planning more cross-border power lines, says Beatriz Corredor, chairwoman of Spain's electricity-grid operator Redeia. Spain and Portugal need more electricity interconnections with the rest of Europe through France in order to boost their renewable-energy exports to the continent, she tells the European Pulse Forum in Barcelona. Some countries oppose cross-border interconnections in order to protect their own energy markets, she says. "Even France, which is a nuclear power, needs our renewables sometimes," she adds. (cristina.gallardo@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 10, 2026 09:21 ET (13:21 GMT)

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