Market Reaction to Renewed US‑Iran Hostilities

Investing.com reported that European oil‑related equities rose on Monday after the United States and Iran exchanged fresh strikes over the weekend. Tehran announced another closure of the Strait of Hormuz, reviving doubts about an interim U.S.–Iran agreement signed last month that was intended to reopen the waterway after a 60‑day negotiation period.

Crude Price Surge

Brent crude futures increased by 2.9% to $78.24 per barrel by 04:25 ET (08:25 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose 2.7% to $73.34 per barrel. The price jump was directly linked to concerns over supply disruptions stemming from the Strait of Hormuz closure.

European Oil Equity Performance

The STOXX Europe 600 Oil & Gas index, a benchmark for European energy stocks, climbed 1.2%, making it one of the top‑performing sectors on the broader STOXX 600 index. Individual stock movements were as follows:

  • BP plc gained 2.3% (ticker shown as +2.09% in the article snapshot).
  • Royal Dutch Shell plc rose 1.1% (shown as +0.73%).
  • TotalEnergies SE advanced between 1% and 2.1%.
  • Equinor ASA increased between 1% and 2.1% (shown as +1.76%).
  • ENI S.p.A. rose between 1% and 2.1% (shown as +1.81%).
  • Repsol SA climbed around 2% (shown as +1.34%).
  • OMV AG rose about 1% (shown as +0.88%).
  • Maurel & Prom was listed with a marginal decline of ‑0.06%, though the narrative also described it as advancing; the net change is recorded as a slight drop.
  • Additional tickers LCO and CL posted gains of +2.24% and +2.11% respectively, while SXEP fell ‑0.76%.

Shipping Impact on the Strait of Hormuz

Ship‑tracking firm Kpler reported that vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to six vessels on Sunday, the lowest level in five weeks. Prior to the February‑late‑2022 conflict, the strait handled roughly 20% of the world’s daily oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply.

Geopolitical Context

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed to have targeted U.S. facilities across the Gulf on Sunday and American military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain on Monday, intensifying the risk of further supply disruptions.

Source Attribution

The article, authored by Vahid Karaahmetovic and published by Reuters on 13‑07‑2026 at 02:00 pm, was syndicated on Investing.com.