Oil prices finished higher on Wednesday, buoyed by renewed worries over the potential for market disruptions in the Middle East, after losing much of their Israel-Hamas war premium during three consecutive session declines. Prices had been bogged down in early dealings as the trouble in the Middle East has yet…

Oil production cuts this year by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies have given the U.S. the price incentive it needed to lift domestic output to its highest level on record, and maybe even helped fuel the recent mergers among the big oil companies. Risks tied…

There are four reasons why oil prices are not trading that much higher than they did before the Hamas attack on Israel nearly three weeks ago, according to Capital Economics. In the past, “rising geopolitical tension in the Middle East — even if it doesn’t affect supply — has been enough to…

Crude-oil futures settled at their lowest in two weeks on Thursday, with prices still volatile as traders eyed the latest developments in the Middle East for any signs of growing risks to the market in the oil-rich region. Prices moved away from the session lows, but held onto a loss…

It’s official: gold is officially outperforming the S&P 500 stock index in 2023 due to an October rally that has brought the price of an ounce of the yellow metal to the cusp of the $2,000 mark, a level it hasn’t seen since May. Metals traders attributed gold’s gains to…

Consumer companies fell sharply after mixed earnings. Shares of Southwest Airlines slid to a more-than nine-year low after the air carrier reported third-quarter revenue and load factor that missed forecasts, as last-minute bookings disappointed. Hertz Group shares slid after the rental-car chain warned that volatile prices of Tesla cars and…

Shares of banks and other financial institutions were flat amid signs that consumers were pulling back on credit-card spending. The CBOE Volatility index, or VIX, also known as the stock market’s “fear gauge,” is at its most elevated level since the early summer, while Treasury yields are hovering near multi-year…

Shares of technology companies fell as momentum turned against the sector. The mega-cap tech companies that led the stock market all year have lost significant ground in recent sessions. Amazon.com shares were volatile in late trading after it reported earnings growth ahead of Wall Street expectation, but issued a muted…

Communications services companies fell after disappointing earnings from one cable giant. Comcast saw one of its biggest declines in recent years after reporting a decline in subscribers for its broadband and streaming units. Comcast also said Hollywood strikes hurt its studio business. Write to Rob Curran at [email protected] Read the…

Exxon Mobil said it is making progress on projects that should keep its oil production growing for years. But that message seems to have been overshadowed by otherwise disappointing news about earnings, plus the fact that the company is set to spend more money on capital projects than some analysts…