The price of Brent crude, the benchmark international oil contract, dipped below $100 during the day, sending equities briefly higher. But stocks slid back into the red as Brent climbed back above the $100 mark. "Crude oil is continuing to dictate direction for markets as we head towards the end of a volatile week," said Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst with Forex.com. "Traders are trying to figure out what a fair value for crude oil is right now, given the big release of emergency oil reserves, and the temporary relaxation of sanctions on Russian oil sales that's already at sea," he said. This is still higher than the Fed's two-percent inflation target, and reflects a period before energy prices shot higher.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha March 14, 2026 15:30 UTC