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The oil market, in can form (Getty Images)

These two charts show how the Iran war is causing markets to price in a longer oil supply crunch

The rise of third-month Brent futures relative to front-month this week is unprecedented since at least 1989.

Luke Kawa

For the oil market, aspirational rhetoric and coordinated action are telling one story, and the futures curve is telling quite another.

US-Israeli attacks against Iran, and the Gulf nation’s subsequent targeting of oil-producing nations in the region and attempts to deter the transport of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, have resulted in upheaval in global energy markets. Futures prices have pushed higher, closing above $100 per barrel for the first time since August 2022.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump said the war is “very complete, pretty much” and would be over “very soon.” That was later followed by member nations of the International Energy Agency agreeing to release 400 million barrels of oil from their reserves in a move to alleviate the supply crunch.

World powers other than Iran, and particularly US leadership, are trying to give the impression that this spike in energy prices won’t last long or be too severe.

Meanwhile, the story from the oil market this week has been the exact opposite: pricing in a longer stretch of higher prices.

Third-month Brent oil futures (for delivery in July, in this case) have jumped more than 10% this week. This would be just the 27th time that’s happened in the span of a week since February 1989. Usually, a big pop like that is associated with the outperformance of front-month futures because it’s a tied to a near-term supply shortage relative to demand. That’s what was going on the first week that markets were digesting this conflict, seemingly expecting a quick resolution.

Not so this time: this week is shaping up to be just one of seven in which third-month Brent futures rise 10% and outperform front-month futures, as of 9:20 a.m. ET. And for all those other instances, the outperformance of third-month futures was very modest. Again, not the case this time.

In other words, this looks to be (at least in my lifetime) the most aggressive repricing of not-so-short-term oil price risk. That’s an outcome that prediction markets are starting to coalesce around, as well. Event contracts suggest the implied probability is for the closing peak in front-month WTI futures by year-end to range from $135 to $140 in 2026. That’s meaningfully higher than the intraday peak of just shy of $120 seen on Sunday evening.

Read more: What analysts say they’re looking for next in the oil markets

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Lululemon’s stretch getting tested: Stock plunges after after outlook is cut

Lululemon shares are down double digits in premarket trading after the company cut its full-year sales and profit outlook, overshadowing a Q1 beat and raising fresh concerns about the brand’s turnaround efforts.

The company now expects fiscal 2026 revenue to be flat to down 1%, compared with its prior forecast for 2% to 4% growth. Guidance for full-year diluted earnings per share was dragged down to a range of $10.95 to $11.15, below the company’s previous guidance of $12.10 to $12.30 and well below Wall Street’s estimate of $13.26.

Key numbers for Q1:

  • EPS of $1.69 vs. the $1.68 expected.

  • Revenue of $2.47 billion vs. the $2.43 billion expected.

The modest top-line beat masked a widening divergence between Lululemons geographic markets. While international revenue rose 22% overall with a 30% increase in Mainland China, the bigger problem remains North America, where revenue fell 5%.

Interim co-CEO and CFO Meghan Frank acknowledged during the earnings call that recent product rollouts underperformed. A highly anticipated yoga campaign failed to generate its expected halo effect across broader product lines.

Profitability metrics took a major hit, with gross margins contracting by 410 basis points to 54.2% due to mounting tariff costs and promotional markdowns. Operating income consequently fell 37% year over year to $276.9 million.

“We experienced spikes of negative commentary in the media and on social channels with regard to our brand, which had an impact on traffic and overall top-line performance,” Frank said during the earnings call. “And second, not all of our product launches have met our expectations. While we have had several successful launches so far this year, we have seen others as we start Q2 not generate the anticipated guest response.”

Lululemons valuation has already been steadily compressing for years. While it was once one of retails richly valued stocks, investors have been questioning whether the company can return to the double-digit growth era.

The results also arrive during a leadership transition. Lululemon announced back in April that former Nike executive Heidi ONeill is set to take over as CEO in September, with investors looking to her to revive growth in North America and restore the brands growth.

As Lululemon faces both macroeconomic pressure and brand-specific challenges, its stock has dropped around 40% year to date.

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US job growth skyrocketed in May, blasting past expectations

The US economy added 172,000 jobs in the month of May, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday, sending 10-year Treasury yields higher.

The strong May job market surprised economists. Experts had predicted only 85,000 new jobs — just half the reported number. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.3%, as expected.

The job growth story is a hopeful spot for the economy as consumers continue to feel inflationary pressure from the Iran war.

Job gains were buoyed by the leisure and hospitality sector, which added 70,000 jobs, as well as local government, healthcare, and education.

Both the March and April jobs reports were revised upward, making them collectively 93,000 higher than previously reported.

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