Buc-ee’s has sued a small mini-mart in Ohio, alleging its cartoon beaver logo is too similar to the popular Texas-based chain’s iconic logo, adding to the various lawsuits the company has filed against small stores with cartoon animal branding despite an HBO show daring it to challenge someone its own size.

Beaver’s Mini Mart in Beavercreek, Ohio, was sued by Buc-ee’s late last month over alleged trademark infringement, according to WLWT. Buc-ee’s claims the store used a smiling cartoon beaver logo and red coloring that closely mimics its famous branding.

Buc-ee’s said it has been using the cartoon beaver logo for more than four decades and has several federal trademark registrations, according to the outlet. The chain also argues that Beaver’s Mini Mart started using the logo after Buc-ee’s had established trademark rights.

The logo could create “confusion among consumers” about whether the store is associated with Buc-ee’s, the company argued in the complaint.

BUC’EE’S SUES SMALLER GAS STATION CHAIN FOR COPYRIGHT, ARGUING CARTOON DOG IS TOO SIMILAR TO ITS BEAVER

Buc-ee’s opened its first location in Ohio earlier this year, but Beaver Mini Mart has no gas pumps, is miles from the nearest interstate and was operated before Buc-ee’s expanded into the state.

The mini-mart has been owned by Vik Boparai for more than a decade, years before Buc-ee’s first expanded out of Texas in 2018 and long before it opened its first Ohio store near Dayton in April. Beavers are also popular characters across Beavercreek, as numerous businesses and the local high school feature the rodent as their mascots, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer.

“I don’t know why they would sue a small business like mine,” Boparai told the outlet. “I have two kids and this store is how I feed them.”

Beavercreek Councilman Zach Upton also told the outlet that the lawsuit appears to be overreach and customers are unlikely to confuse the two logos.

“Common sense is not prevailing,” Upton said. “I can’t imagine anyone would be confused by the mini mart and Buc-ee’s. It’s not even in the same ballpark.”

The lawsuit comes after comedian John Oliver noted how Buc-ee’s has sued several small stores with cartoon logos, even when they bear very little or no resemblance to Buc-ee’s grinning beaver logo, and dared the chain to take on someone its own size.

On the July 26 episode of “Last Week Tonight,” Oliver urged Buc-ee’s to sue his show rather than small local stores with fewer resources to defend themselves.

“Buc-ee’s loves to sue other companies, particularly those with animal mascots,” Oliver said, pointing out that the chain has filed more than a dozen lawsuits and threatened more.

Oliver said Buc-ee’s has won nearly all the cases because the other companies typically settle and redesign their logos or because “most just don’t have the resources to fight a company this big.”

The comedian cites a legal expert who said Buc-ee’s should be careful with its decision to file so many lawsuits because it may eventually run into one with the resources to fight back.

“And that is where we come in,” Oliver said. “Because, it turns out, we very much have the will to get into a fight with Buc-ee’s.”

BUC-EE’S EXPANDS NATIONAL FOOTPRINT WITH 15 MORE LOCATIONS IN THE PIPELINE

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Oliver then reintroduced Mr. Nutterbutter, a 7-foot-tall squirrel mascot originally created for a 2017 segment targeting former coal executive Bob Murray, which sparked an unsuccessful defamation lawsuit against the show and HBO.

The show created a cartoon logo of Mr. Nutterbutter and put the logo on various products, including tumblers, hats, shirts, onesies, mugs and pajamas that are available for purchase for a limited time at Buc-Off.com.

“So, if any prominent gas station chain out there has an issue with our new logo and products and wants to get lawyers involved, then you know what? Bring it the f— on. Although remember, in doing so, you’d be directly taking food out of hungry people’s mouths,” Oliver said, noting that all profits would go to Hunger Free America, a nonprofit group working to end domestic hunger.

Fox Business has reached out to Buc-ee’s for comment.

Mumbai: The divergence between Sensex and Nifty levels persisted for the second day on Tuesday as market participants continued to grapple with confusion around the rollout of the closing auction system launched the previous day. The expiry of Nifty weekly futures and options contracts on Tuesday added to the complexity, with several traders taking to social media complaining of unexpected moves in derivatives prices and losses on their positions.

The Sensex ended at 78,428.95, down 210.08 points or 0.27%, while the Nifty closed at 24,614.90, down 159.40 points or 0.64%, coming off early lows. At the day’s lowest levels, the Sensex was down 0.5% and the Nifty was down 1.4%. The partial recovery happened in the last five minutes of trading.

Read more: Nifty’s value doesn’t change suddenly at 3:30 pm, NSE clarifies amid CAS confusion

The differences in the intraday and closing levels over the past two days follow the introduction of the closing auction system, which changes the way the official closing prices of stocks traded in the futures and options (F&O) segment are determined. The closing prices are used to calculate index closing levels, value mutual fund portfolios and settle derivatives contracts.

Trading Volumes
“The main cause of the last-minute spike in the Nifty appears to be participation in the CAS (closing auction system) session, or possibly the lack of it because of the confusion,” said Kamlesh Shroff, president, Association of NSE Members of India. “While NSE’s CAS volumes were higher compared to yesterday, the number of UCCs (unique client code) traded during the CAS fell on Tuesday, suggesting fewer participants had a larger influence on the Nifty’s close. This makes it easier for large orders to move the market.”

The fall on Tuesday is a reversal of the previous day’s upmove when a late surge of 0.8% at around 3.28 pm led to the Nifty surging 1.6% at close, while the Sensex ended 0.7% higher, creating an unprecedented variance.
The new closing auction process, limited to the 200-odd stocks in the F&O segment, lasts about 20 minutes, from 3.15 pm to around 3.35 pm. During this period, the exchange first collects buy and sell orders and then matches them to determine a single official closing price for the stockUnder the old system, the closing price was based on the volume-weighted average price (VWAP) of trades during the last 30 minutes of trading. Unlike the earlier system, the new mechanism concentrates buy and sell orders into a single closing auction, making the closing price more sensitive to large orders.

The shift to the closing auction system has resulted in a drop in trading volumes in the last part of the trading session, said brokers. “The cash market saw volumes of only about Rs 1,500 crore in the last 30 minutes, against the usual Rs 6,000-7,000 crore, while open interest also declined,” said Samir Doshi, CEO, Marwadi Shares and Finance. “This makes market moves difficult to track and raises concerns around mutual fund NAV tracking and index rebalancing for MSCI or FTSE.”

F&O EXPIRY
Brokers said many traders and investors were still adjusting to the new closing auction mechanism, with several caught off guard during the first equity derivatives expiry under the new system on Tuesday. “This Tuesday’s expiry looked very different from the moves we usually see on expiry days, particularly as the index again shot up in the last few minutes of trading,” said Doshi. “We saw unusual moves in option prices, with virtually no decay in ATM (At the money) options, which is typically seen through the day by the close.”

Doshi said the uncertainty over how long the abrupt price moves would last is unnerving. “The Nifty climbed nearly 150 points late on Tuesday, and is likely to open lower again on Wednesday. This is making us question when this cycle will end.” Traders will now watch the expiry of the Sensex weekly derivative on Thursday to gauge the impact of the closing auction system on activity. “We are more worried about BSE, where volumes are so low that any sort of index manipulation would become much easier in the CAS session,” said Doshi. Shroff expects “normalcy” to return to the markets by Nifty’s monthly expiry later this month, saying participants are likely to have adjusted to the new system by then.

The government’s offer for sale (OFS) in insurance behemoth Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) opens for retail investors today, with analysts listing reasons why investors should consider participating.

LIC announced on Monday that the government plans to sell a 2.5% equity stake in the company as part of the base offer, with an additional 4% available as a green shoe option. The floor price was fixed at Rs 382 apiece, taking the total OFS size to nearly Rs 31,410 crore. The floor price implies a discount of 3% from the stock’s previous closing price of Rs 391.3 apiece on NSE.

The OFS opened for non-retail investors on August 4, and saw strong participation. The offer was oversubscribed more than 3 times its offer size. It now opens for retail investors today.

Investors can participate between 9.15 am and 3.30 pm using the separate OFS window on NSE and BSE. A minimum of 10% of the offer size has been reserved for retail investors. A discount of Rs 10 per share on the cut-off price has been set for retail and employees.

Should you participate in LIC OFS?

At the effective retail price of Rs 372 apiece (after the retail discount of Rs 10 per share), the stock is available at around 0.3x FY26 embedded value, a significant discount to listed private life insurers that trade at materially higher P/EV multiples, said Ajit Mishra, SVP of Research at Religare Broking. He noted that LIC has also strengthened its fundamentals, with the FY26 VNB margin improving to 21.2% and the solvency ratio rising to 2.35x, reflecting a robust capital position.

“While persistence remains an area to watch, the combination of compelling valuation, improving profitability and market leadership makes the OFS an attractive long-term investment opportunity,” according to the analyst.
Also read | Government unveils offer for sale to dilute LIC stake

LIC shareholding pattern

The government owned a 96.5% stake in LIC as of June 30, 2026, according to the latest data on the company’s shareholding pattern. This makes LIC one of the largest government-owned listed companies, and the public float must gradually increase to comply with minimum public shareholding requirements. More than 20.92 lakh retail shareholders meanwhile held a 1.55% stake in the insurance behemoth.

“The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) is a cornerstone of the nation’s financial sector, serving as India’s largest life insurer and the country’s second-largest public sector enterprise by market capitalisation. Its institutional eminence is recognised both domestically and globally, with LIC ranked as the fourth most valuable brand in India and the world’s third-strongest insurance brand. Furthermore, LIC’s exceptional operational scale and market penetration are exemplified by its Guinness World Record for the most life insurance policies sold within a 24-hour period, reflecting unwavering public trust and unmatched execution capabilities,” DIPAM secretary Arunish Chawla said.

Notably, the OFS marks the latest step in the government’s divestment efforts, following recent stake sales in PSUs like Coal India, NHPC, NLC India and more.

LIC share price

LIC shares plunged 9% on Tuesday after the OFS opened for non-retail investors. This marked the biggest single-day plunge recorded by the stock in more than two years. The stock has fallen over 8% in a week and 9% in a month, falling over 8% in 2026 so far.

In the longer term, LIC shares have delivered a negative return of 13% over one year, but gained around 19% in three years. The company has a market capitalisation of nearly Rs 4.94 lakh crore.

Also read | LIC shares sink 9% as OFS opens at 11% discount. Here’s all you need to know

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

When people think about family law, they often picture courtrooms, legal filings, and difficult conversations. Those moments are certainly part of the job, but they do not tell the whole story.

For more than two decades, Nedda Ledgerwood, California,  has built her career around preparation, thoughtful decision-making, and helping people understand a complex legal process. Based in Campbell, California, she has developed an independent family law practice that includes divorce litigation, mediation, and representation of children in family law proceedings. Along the way, she has learned that no two families are the same, and no two cases should be approached the same way.

“My career has taught me that you have to be willing to listen and learn what someone wants before moving forward,” Nedda says. “Every family has its own story, and that story deserves careful attention.”

Building an Independent Practice from the Ground Up

In 2005, Nedda made a decision that would shape the rest of her career. Early in her career, she opened her own law practice.

The beginning was modest. She shared office space with other experienced attorneys in Sunnyvale while building her client base one case at a time. Starting her own firm also gave her something she valued personally: the flexibility to grow a career while she and her husband were starting a family.

“I wanted to work for myself,” she says. “It allowed me to build a practice that reflected my values while creating the flexibility that was important for my family.”

As the years passed, her practice expanded throughout the San Jose area. While her case load and experience grew, the principles behind the practice remained consistent. She wanted clients to receive straightforward advice, honest communication, and careful preparation.

Experience Is Built One Case at a Time

Success in family law rarely comes from treating every situation the same way.

For Nedda, every case has added another layer of experience. Every client has presented different challenges, different priorities, and different goals, but there are some cases that are just much more complicated than others.

“You can never assume that because you’ve handled one case, you’ve seen them all,” she says. “Every family brings its own circumstances, and asking questions teaches you what you need to know.”

That perspective has reinforced the importance of continual learning. People and laws evolve. Court procedures change. Families face new challenges. An attorney’s responsibility is to keep learning alongside them.

Preparation has become one of the habits that defines her work. Before important meetings or hearings, she carefully reviews case files and notes. She also values discussing complex issues with trusted colleagues when different perspectives can improve the outcome.

“I read my case files carefully and review my notes,” Nedda explains. “I also talk with colleagues. Good preparation gives you a stronger foundation for making sound decisions.”

Building Expertise Across Family Law

Over the course of her career, Nedda’s work has extended across several areas of family law.

She represents clients navigating divorce litigation. She helps families resolve disputes through mediation. She also serves as an attorney representing children, giving young people a voice during legal proceedings that can have a lasting impact on their lives.

Each role requires a different mindset.

Litigation calls for careful legal analysis and advocacy. Mediation requires neutrality and bridging  communication. Representing children demands thoughtful listening and an understanding that their experiences are often different from those of the adults involved. All require problem-solving.

Those responsibilities have broadened her perspective as an attorney.

“I’ve learned that education is incredibly important,” she says. “When people understand the process, they are better prepared to make informed decisions.”

Helping clients understand what to expect has become just as important as explaining the law itself.

Professional Lessons That Continue to Shape Her Work

After more than twenty years in family law, Nedda believes experience is less about having all the answers and more about asking better questions.

One lesson has remained consistent throughout her career: assumptions can create unnecessary problems.

“I encourage people to ask questions and stay open to different perspectives,” she says. “It’s important to realize you can be wrong and continue learning.”

She also believes professionalism depends on maintaining composure, even when emotions are running high.

“Stay even-tempered,” she says. “Don’t engage in unhealthy dynamics. Focus on understanding the situation before reacting.”

Those habits have become part of her professional routine because they help create better conversations and, ultimately, better legal representation.

Contributing to the Family Law Profession

For Nedda, practicing law has never been only about resolving individual cases.

She believes attorneys also have a responsibility to strengthen confidence in the legal profession through integrity, preparation, and consistent follow-through.

“My goal has always been to enjoy the work I do while helping people,” she says. “I also want to contribute positively to the reputation of the legal profession.”

That commitment continues to shape her practice today.

Whether she is preparing for litigation, guiding clients through mediation, or representing children, her focus remains the same: approaching every matter with careful preparation, honest communication, and a willingness to keep learning.

After more than two decades, those principles continue to define both her career and the practice she has built in California.

Every day, business leaders and investors are flooded with headlines, opinions, and predictions. New technologies emerge overnight, markets react in real time, and social media offers endless perspectives on what comes next.

While the volume of information has never been greater, Josh Koren Miami investor and former hedge fund manager, believes one skill has become even more valuable: the ability to think independently.

Over more than 15 years on Wall Street, Koren has built his career by focusing on research instead of reactions. From his start in investment banking to leading research teams and founding his own hedge fund, he has learned that long-term success comes from asking better questions, challenging assumptions, and staying committed to understanding the businesses behind the headlines.

“When information is everywhere, your advantage comes from understanding it better than everyone else,” Koren says. “Research gives you confidence. Headlines only give you opinions.”

Learning the Value of Preparation

Koren grew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where preparation became part of his mindset at an early age. He played ice hockey throughout his youth, an experience that taught him discipline, accountability, and the importance of putting in the work long before the game begins.

That same approach carried into the classroom. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance with a concentration in Financial Accounting from Penn State while also taking classes at the London School of Economics and Political Science. The combination gave him both a strong financial foundation and a broader perspective on business and global markets.

“I’ve always enjoyed understanding how businesses work,” Koren says. “Financial results matter, but they only tell part of the story. You have to understand the people, the strategy, and what makes a company different.”

Building a Foundation on Wall Street

Koren began his career in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group at Evercore Partners, where he worked on complex transactions and learned how experienced professionals evaluate businesses from every angle. The role reinforced the value of preparation and taught him that strong decisions are rarely made without careful analysis.

From there, he continued building his expertise through analyst roles at JAT Capital Management and Caxton Associates before becoming a Managing Director at Kavi Asset Management. Each stop introduced him to different investment philosophies and research processes, helping him refine his own approach over time.

Rather than searching for shortcuts, Koren learned that every business deserves to be evaluated on its own merits.

“Every company has its own story,” he says. “The challenge is separating temporary excitement from long-term business fundamentals.”

Developing an Independent Perspective

After years of working alongside respected investors, Koren founded Musketeer Capital Partners, a long and short equity hedge fund focused on technology, media, and telecommunications companies. Building his own firm allowed him to create an investment process centered on independent thinking and disciplined research.

He later became Head of Technology, Media and Telecommunications and Director of Research at Pleasant Lake Partners, where he continues analyzing companies operating in some of the fastest-changing sectors of the economy.

Throughout his career, Koren has found that meaningful insights often come from looking beyond conventional wisdom rather than simply following consensus.

“It’s easy to follow the crowd,” he says. “It’s much harder to develop conviction through your own work. That’s where experience becomes valuable.”

Make Better Decisions by Asking Better Questions

After spending years evaluating businesses, Koren believes one of the biggest mistakes people make is searching for quick answers instead of asking better questions. Whether someone is leading a company, building a business, or evaluating an opportunity, he says thoughtful decisions begin with curiosity.

“People naturally want certainty,” Koren says. “But in business, certainty is rare. The goal isn’t to know everything. It’s to understand enough to make a thoughtful decision.”

He encourages leaders to avoid making decisions based solely on headlines or popular opinion. Instead, he believes it is more valuable to understand why a company succeeds, what risks could change its direction, and whether its strengths can endure over time.

That mindset has guided him throughout his career. While industries evolve and technologies change, disciplined thinking remains one of the few competitive advantages that never goes out of style.

“The best decisions usually aren’t the fastest,” he says. “They’re the ones backed by preparation, curiosity, and a willingness to challenge your own assumptions.”

Explaining Complex Industries in a Changing World

Technology continues to reshape nearly every industry, creating both opportunities and uncertainty for businesses and investors. As someone who has spent much of his career focused on the technology, media, and telecommunications sectors, Koren has become a regular contributor on CNBC, where he shares perspectives on artificial intelligence, software, semiconductors, and many of the world’s largest technology companies.

Rather than focusing on short-term market movements, his commentary often centers on understanding the long-term business trends behind them. He believes that while technologies evolve quickly, the principles used to evaluate strong companies remain remarkably consistent.

“Technology changes quickly,” Koren says. “The questions don’t. Is the business improving? Can it continue creating value? Those are the things that matter.”

Staying Curious for the Long Term

Away from Wall Street, Koren enjoys surfing, kiteboarding, wake sports, boxing, and mixed martial arts. Each activity requires patience, focus, and the ability to stay composed under pressure, qualities that also influence how he approaches his professional life.

Looking back on his career, Koren believes that experience is valuable not because it provides all the answers, but because it teaches people how to keep asking the right questions.

In a world where information is unlimited, and opinions compete for attention every minute, he believes thoughtful research and independent thinking remain lasting advantages for leaders in every industry.

“There’s always another headline,” Koren says. “What lasts is your ability to think clearly and keep learning.”

SpaceX shares climbed nearly 6% Tuesday morning, trading at $121.28 as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, as investors positioned ahead of the company’s first quarterly earnings report as a publicly traded company, due after the closing bell.

Tuesday’s gains extend a rebound that began Monday, when SpaceX shares rose 5.7%, snapping a seven-session losing streak that had pushed the stock well below its June initial public offering price. Despite the two-day rally, shares remain down roughly 30% from SpaceX’s $135 IPO price and more than 45% below the $225.64 all-time high the stock reached on June 16, just days after it began trading on the Nasdaq.

A defining week for the newly public company

Tuesday’s earnings report marks SpaceX’s first financial disclosure as a public company since its record-setting $85.7 billion IPO in June, the largest in history. Management is scheduled to discuss the results on a live audio-only webcast at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time, giving investors their first detailed look at the company’s second-quarter performance across its three main business lines: space launch operations, Starlink connectivity, and a growing push into artificial-intelligence infrastructure.

The report also carries added significance because it triggers the first major release of insider-held shares under SpaceX’s staggered lock-up structure. Beginning Thursday, Aug. 6, roughly 911.5 million shares, representing up to 20% of eligible insider holdings, become eligible for sale, a pool of stock worth well over $100 billion at current prices. That looming supply increase has weighed heavily on investor sentiment in recent weeks, with some analysts warning that a wave of insider selling could pressure the stock further regardless of how Tuesday’s earnings are received.

Analysts remain broadly bullish despite the slide

Even as the stock has struggled since its debut, Wall Street’s overall outlook on SpaceX remains largely positive. Of 28 analysts covering the stock, 27 carry buy-equivalent ratings, with only one recommending a sell, according to data compiled by Benzinga. Consensus price targets sit in the range of $231 to $236, implying substantial potential upside from current levels, while Morgan Stanley has set a particularly bullish $300 price target. RBC Capital has maintained an Outperform rating with a $225 target heading into Tuesday’s results, and Bernstein has recommended buying the stock with a $239 price forecast.

Bernstein analysts told CNBC that Starship, SpaceX’s massive next-generation rocket system, remains the central factor investors should watch in justifying the company’s valuation, alongside its access to semiconductor supply, regulatory approvals and compute capacity for its expanding AI ambitions. The firm has argued that quarterly financial results matter less to the long-term investment case than management’s demonstrated confidence in the company’s broader growth trajectory.

A financial picture still defined by heavy losses

SpaceX’s underlying financials continue to show a company operating deep in the red even as revenue grows. The company posted a net loss of nearly $5 billion in 2025 on $18.7 billion in sales, followed by a first-quarter 2026 loss of about $4.28 billion. Within that overall picture, Starlink has emerged as the company’s lone clearly profitable segment, generating $1.19 billion in operating profit on $3.26 billion in first-quarter revenue, while SpaceX’s newer AI infrastructure segment posted a $2.47 billion operating loss over the same period.

Looking further ahead, SpaceX’s own capital expenditure projections point to a dramatic escalation in spending, growing from nearly $49 billion this year to as much as $118 billion by 2028, with total company debt projected to exceed $218 billion over that same stretch. That scale of planned investment, aimed largely at expanding launch capacity, Starlink infrastructure and AI computing power, has fueled ongoing debate among investors over whether SpaceX’s current valuation adequately accounts for the years of heavy spending still ahead.

Heavy short interest adds to the volatility

SpaceX has also become one of the most heavily shorted stocks on Wall Street since its debut, with bearish positions against the company valued at roughly $24.6 billion, a figure that exceeds the short interest built up against Tesla. Investors betting against the stock have accumulated an estimated $7.3 billion in mark-to-market gains since SpaceX began trading, reflecting the sharp decline in shares since their June peak. The options market is currently pricing an implied move of roughly 14% to 15% in either direction around Tuesday’s earnings release, underscoring just how much uncertainty remains heading into the report.

Broader market backdrop

SpaceX’s rally Tuesday came alongside broader strength across Wall Street, with Nasdaq futures up more than 0.6% and S&P 500 futures also higher in early trading, as investors digested a wave of strong corporate earnings from other major companies and continued optimism around easing tensions in the Middle East. That supportive backdrop has helped several beaten-down growth stocks, including SpaceX, find some footing in recent sessions even as company-specific concerns around valuation and share supply persist.

With earnings due after Tuesday’s close and the lock-up expiration following just two days later on Thursday, SpaceX faces a compressed window in which both its financial performance and the market’s appetite for a massive new supply of shares will be tested simultaneously. Analysts widely view the earnings report as the company’s best near-term opportunity to stabilize investor sentiment before insider selling potentially accelerates, though the scale of uncertainty reflected in the options market suggests Wall Street remains far from settled on how the results, and the days that follow, will ultimately play out for one of this year’s most closely watched newly public companies.

Oil prices extended fall for a third session in a row on Wednesday after as investors tracked developments around efforts to end the U.S.-Iran conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping.

Crude oil price on August 5

Brent crude futures were down $1.1, or 1.34%, at $78.30 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude declined $1.43, or 2%, to trade at $74 a barrel.

Brent had settled more than 5% lower on Tuesday, extending Monday’s sharp decline after comments from Qatar fuelled hopes that an agreement could be reached soon. Before the conflict began, nearly 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the Strait of Hormuz, while oil prices had risen 50% in March alone.

Also read: Iran, Oman near Hormuz reopening deal as talks advance

Speaking to CNBC, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington and Tehran could reach an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as early as Tuesday or Wednesday. According to him, such a deal would allow commercial vessels to move freely through the waterway.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. was participating in talks involving Iran and Oman. While negotiations were moving forward, he noted that no final agreement had been reached.
Qatar, which is serving as a key mediator in the negotiations, said efforts were continuing to secure a short-term breakthrough that could pave the way for broader discussions between the U.S. and Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump also spoke with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani to discuss ways to de-escalate the situation. Separately, a Bloomberg report said Iran was considering allowing European countries to remove mines from the Strait of Hormuz, although Tehran has not officially confirmed the report.

A key hurdle in the negotiations remains whether Iran will continue to seek a degree of control over the strategic waterway and whether the U.S. will reject such a proposal.

Trump said on Monday that discussions with Tehran had begun and described the current situation as Iran’s “last chance” to strike a deal. Iranian officials, however, maintained that no negotiations with the U.S. were taking place.

Where is oil headed?

The outlook for oil prices continues to depend on how long supply disruptions persist. JPMorgan estimates that every additional month of disruption could lift Brent crude prices by about $7 to $8 a barrel. If the disruption extends to three months, the bank expects average monthly Brent prices to reach around $114 a barrel.

Goldman Sachs has also cautioned that Brent could rise to $120 a barrel if disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil transit route, continue.

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Read more: How the Iran war exposed cracks in the US-Israel partnership

Despite that risk, Goldman Sachs’ base case assumes tensions in the Middle East will eventually ease. Under that scenario, the bank expects Brent to average $80 a barrel in the fourth quarter and $75 a barrel next year. However, it said the risks to its forecast remain skewed to the upside, citing the possibility of continued disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.

“The direction of our outlook is unchanged; the path and the timeline have shifted. We still expect oil to cool as we move into 2027, for three reasons: supply outside the conflict zone is expanding, with OPEC+ raising production targets, the UAE at record output and non-OPEC barrels responding to price,” said Anindya Banerjee, Head of Commodity Research at Kotak Securities.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of Economic Times)

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