by Mark Chandik | Apr 7, 2026
Oil has captured much of the attention amid the conflict in the Middle East. While a limited number of tankers are transiting the region, the Strait of Hormuz is largely blocked, disrupting nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply. But it’s not simply oil. Let’s...
by Mark Chandik | Mar 30, 2026
How long the war might last is not clear, but its effects are being felt in global energy markets. Oil moves easily across borders, which means supply disruptions quickly lead to higher gasoline prices. However, it is harder to ship natural gas around the world. That...
by Mark Chandik | Mar 23, 2026
Against the backdrop of the war, the Federal Reserve met last week and decided to hold its key rate—the fed funds rate—unchanged at 3.50–3.75%. The decision was completely expected. What jolted investors was Fed Chief Jay Powell’s hawkish tone. First, let’s define two...
by Mark Chandik | Mar 17, 2026
A quick trip to fill up the gas tank is a painful reminder that prices at the pump have jumped over the last couple of weeks—Figure 1—due to supply concerns. There are fears that higher prices will exacerbate inflation and hurt the economy, as cash that might have...
by Mark Chandik | Mar 9, 2026
What is the efficient market theory? Textbooks have been written to fully explain the theory. But if we can sum it up in one sentence: Assets, such as stocks, reflect all publicly available information. It is a foundational principle of finance. You might be...
