Blockade and a hard place

A fresh escalation in the Gulf, with Iranian missile attacks on shipping and a U.S. blockade declaration, pushes oil sharply higher and overshadows today's U.S. inflation report. Headline CPI had been forecast to fall below 4%, but with oil re-accelerating, that backward-looking relief may already feel like a moot point. Fed Governor Christopher Waller says core inflation is simply "too high," and markets are now pricing almost a 50% chance of a rate hike as soon as this month. Plus, Fed Chair Kevin Warsh faces Congress for the first time later today.

Today’s recommended read: China blu...