March may be a turning point as markets look fragile
March has provided the turning point for market sentiment in the past. Do not be surprised if it does this year, too
After pushing towards $120 a barrel in February, oil markets look fragile again. Macroeconomics, geopolitics, tepid demand and buoyant supplies are all beginning to weigh on Brent again. March has provided the turning point for market sentiment in the past. Do not be surprised if it does this year, too. In London on 4 March, Brent was trading above $110/b. Despite the 6% drop since February’s highs, however, those levels still look pricey and vulnerable. Bad macroeconomic news is swirling across the world again. As it trimmed its oil-demand growth forecast for 2013 last month, the International Energy Agency (IEA) nonetheless remained positive, noting improvements in the Chinese and US econo
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy






