Oil shock to intensify as US Hormuz blockade threatens global markets
Closing the Strait of Hormuz outright would ignite a sharp and immediate surge in oil prices beyond previous spikes, and investors must brace for intensified volatility.
This is the warning from Nigel Green, CEO of global financial advisory giant deVere Group, as the risk of a blockade of the world’s most critical energy flashpoint moves from theory to plausible reality.
Around 17 to 20 million barrels of oil pass through the Strait each day, alongside a significant share of global LNG flows.
A sustained disruption would remove a volume of supply that cannot be quickly replaced, forcing an aggressive repricing across commodities, currencies, equities, and fixed income markets.
Nigel Green says: “Take that flow out of the system and Brent doesn’t move five or ten dollars, it moves structurally higher.
“A spike toward $120 or beyond becomes realistic very quickly, and that resets inflation expectations globally.”
Energy equities stand to be immediate beneficiaries. Integrated oil majors, US shale producers, and Middle Eastern exporters would see margin expansion and stronger cash generation. At the same time, energy-import-dependent sectors face a direct hit.
Nigel Green says: “Energy producers gain pricing power overnight.
“Airlines, shipping firms, chemicals, and heavy manufacturing lose it just as fast. Investors should be rotating capital accordingly rather than waiting for earnings revisions to catch up.”
Currency markets are likely to see sharp divergence. Oil exporters such as Norway and Canada could see support for their currencies, while large importers across Europe and Asia face downward pressure as trade balances deteriorate.
Nigel Green says: “Expect the Norwegian krone and Canadian dollar to strengthen on the back of higher crude.
“The euro, Indian rupee, and Japanese yen would come under pressure as import costs surge. Dollar strength remains supported in the short term through risk aversion, but inflation complicates the medium-term path.”
A sustained oil spike feeds directly into transport, food, and industrial input costs, increasing the risk that central banks delay or reverse expected rate cuts.
“Markets have been positioned for easing cycles. A sustained move in oil forces central banks to pause or even tighten again.
“This reprices rate expectations and hits rate-sensitive assets, particularly high-growth equities,” explains the deVere CEO.
Tech stocks and other long-duration assets are especially exposed to that shift. Higher discount rates reduce the present value of future earnings, increasing volatility in sectors that have led recent market gains.
“High-valuation tech becomes more fragile in an environment where rates stay higher for longer. There is a direct link between energy prices, inflation, and equity multiples that investors cannot ignore,” notes Nigel Green.
Fixed income investors face a split dynamic. Inflation risk pushes yields higher, while geopolitical stress drives demand for safe government debt, creating volatility across the curve.
He comments: “Long-duration bonds are vulnerable if inflation expectations reprice sharply. Shorter-duration and inflation-linked instruments offer more resilience in this type of environment.”
Commodities beyond oil are also likely to move. LNG prices could spike alongside crude, while gold typically strengthens as geopolitical risk intensifies and real yields become less predictable.
Nigel Green says: “Gold has a clear role here. It performs as a hedge against both geopolitical escalation and policy uncertainty. Energy-linked commodities will also move in tandem as supply concerns spread.”
Emerging markets will not move uniformly. Oil exporters in Latin America and the Middle East stand to benefit from improved fiscal inflows, while import-heavy economies in Asia face currency depreciation and capital outflows.
“Brazil and Gulf economies gain from higher export revenues. India and other major importers face immediate pressure on both currency and inflation.
“Capital flows will follow that divergence.”
Strategic allocation becomes critical as cross-asset correlations shift under stress. Concentrated exposure to any single region or sector increases vulnerability to rapid market repricing.
Nigel Green concludes: “This is a moment for active positioning. Energy exposure, selective commodities, and defensive assets should be balanced against reduced exposure to fuel-sensitive sectors and rate-sensitive equities.
“Escalation around the Strait of Hormuz has the capacity to alter global market direction within days, not months.
“Energy flows through this corridor underpin pricing across the entire financial system.
“Disruption here feeds into everything. Inflation, currencies, equity valuations, and policy decisions all adjust in response.”