Oil prices slipped in early Friday trade, capping a volatile week, after US President Donald Trump signalled progress in talks with Iran to end the ongoing conflict and announced a 10-day pause on strikes targeting the country’s energy infrastructure.

The decline follows a sharp rally in the previous session, when Brent surged 5.7% and WTI climbed 4.6% on rising concerns over further escalation. Despite the strong gains, trading activity in the front-month Brent contract remained subdued, with volumes hitting their lowest level since February 27, just ahead of the United States and Israel initiating strikes on Iran.

Crude oil price on March 27

Brent futures declined 90 cents, or 0.8%, to $107.11 per barrel at 0024 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) fell 83 cents, or 0.88%, to $93.65 per barrel, giving up part of the gains seen in the previous session.Despite the recent surge, Brent is set for its first weekly decline in six weeks, while WTI is on track for a second straight weekly loss, as Trump continued to highlight the possibility of a resolution to the war.

In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump said, “As per Iranian Government request … I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time.”
Meanwhile, the Pentagon is preparing to deploy thousands of troops from the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, according to two sources cited by Reuters, signalling a continued military buildup even as diplomatic efforts are underway.
Iran has outlined a set of conditions for ending the conflict, stating that the first requirement is a complete halt to attacks and assassinations. It has called for firm guarantees to prevent any recurrence of war, along with a clear mechanism to assess and ensure compensation for war-related damages. Tehran also emphasised that hostilities must end not only against Iran but also against resistance groups across the region.
The conflict has severely disrupted flows through the Strait of Hormuz, which typically handles about one-fifth of global crude oil and LNG shipments. International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol described the situation as more severe than the oil shocks of the 1970s combined with the gas market impact of the Russia-Ukraine war.

What’s next?

International brokerage Macquarie has said that even if tensions ease in the near term, oil prices are likely to find support in the $85–$90 range, with a gradual move back toward $110 until normal flows through the Strait of Hormuz resume. The note added that if disruptions persist through April, Brent could still climb to $150 per barrel.
Looking ahead, crude prices could move higher from current levels. According to Kayanat Chainwala of Kotak Securities, oil may rise to $120 per barrel in the near term and potentially touch $150 if the conflict continues.

Nuvama Institutional Equities echoes the same view. The continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which handles around 20 million barrels per day, could push crude prices to the $110–150 per barrel range.

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

There is a quiet recalibration happening in the relationship between brands and the people they are trying to reach. It is not loud or sudden.

It is accumulating in the background of every overcrowded inbox, every AI-assembled content feed, and every brand interaction that feels technically correct but humanly hollow. As observed by Clickout Media, the real shift is not just in how content is produced, but in how it is judged.

Audiences are getting better at sensing when something was made for them versus made at them. The volume of the latter, accelerated by AI production tools, is sharpening that instinct.

The result is a market where trust has become the most consequential variable in marketing performance, and where the methods for building it are increasingly distinct from those that merely simulate it.

The Credibility Gap AI Cannot Bridge

AI can produce content that is accurate, well-structured, appropriately toned, and strategically distributed. What it cannot produce is the underlying credibility that makes an audience predisposed to believe what they are reading.

That credibility is built over time through consistency, earned media placements, expert voices with demonstrated knowledge, and brand behaviour that aligns with communication. These are long-cycle investments. They do not appear immediately in performance reports, but they increasingly determine whether AI-assisted marketing converts or simply contributes to noise.

Earned Media Carries a Signal That Paid Cannot Replicate

A mention in a respected publication carries a different weight than a sponsored placement in the same outlet. Audiences understand that editorial coverage represents a decision made independently of the brand. That signal of third-party validation is one of the few credibility shortcuts that cannot be commoditised.

In an environment saturated with paid and generated content, the scarcity and value of earned coverage is increasing. Brands that have invested in building a profile that attracts editorial attention are holding an asset that compounds as the content landscape becomes more crowded.

What Industry Experts Are Seeing

Neil Roarty, spokesperson for Clickout Media, describes the dynamic clearly: “The trust economy is not a concept. It is what is determining outcomes. In Web3, finance, and tech, the brands converting audiences are the ones that have built credibility over time. AI has made it easier to reach people. It has not made it easier to be believed by them.”

This reframes the AI conversation in marketing away from capability and towards credibility capital. This form of capital takes time to build, resists imitation, and compounds in ways that technology alone cannot.

AI should be understood as a distribution and efficiency layer built on top of a credibility foundation. Without that foundation, increased efficiency does not translate into meaningful results.

Where the Trust Economy Is Playing Out in Real Time

Thought Leadership Is Separating Into Two Distinct Tiers

There is a growing divide between thought leadership that genuinely informs and thought leadership that simply follows a format. Content grounded in real expertise and original insight is commanding attention. Content that is generic or easily replicable is being filtered out more aggressively. The gap between these two is widening.

Community Trust Is Becoming a Measurable Asset

Engaged communities are becoming quantifiable assets. AI-driven analytics can now distinguish authentic engagement from inflated metrics, shifting investment towards brands with real relationships rather than superficial reach. This is especially pronounced in sectors like Web3, where community has always been central to value.

Influencer Authenticity Is Under Greater Scrutiny

Advanced audience analysis tools are making it easier to detect inauthentic endorsements. As a result, brands are shifting towards fewer, more credible influencer partnerships. Trust is only transferable when it is genuine, and audiences are increasingly able to recognise when it is not.

The Long Game on Search Is Changing

AI-powered search is prioritising entities with verifiable authority rather than isolated pieces of optimised content. Building that authority requires sustained investment in content depth, earned media, and consistent visibility in credible outlets. Brands that have made those investments are seeing more stable performance.

FAQ

How does earned media contribute to AI-era marketing performance?

It provides credibility signals that AI-generated content cannot replicate. Independent editorial validation increases trust and influences how audiences interpret all other brand communication.

Can AI assist in building trust, or only in distributing content?

AI can improve how effectively credible content is distributed and matched to the right audiences. However, the substance of trust must already exist. AI amplifies credibility; it does not create it.

Why is trust particularly important in sectors like Web3 and finance?

These are high-stakes categories where decisions carry real consequences. Audiences are more sceptical and better informed. Marketing that lacks credibility does not just underperform, it can damage brand perception.

What is the most common mistake brands make when trying to build credibility quickly?

Confusing visibility with credibility. High output and paid reach can create awareness, but not trust. Credibility is built through expertise, consistency, and third-party validation over time.

Conclusion

The trust economy is not a reaction against AI. It is a consequence of it. As content volume increases, the value of what cannot be generated increases alongside it. This includes expertise, earned media, authentic relationships, and brand credibility.

The marketing organisations defining this era are those that understand AI as a tool for amplifying trust, not replacing the work required to build it.

Clickout Media is a PR and marketing agency specialising in Web3, finance, and tech, securing top-tier media placements, building editorial relationships, and connecting brands with audiences in ways that drive measurable growth.

This article was written by

White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks was appointed as co-chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), expanding his role within the Trump administration.

President Donald Trump established PCAST through an executive order on Wednesday, aimed at bringing together leading figures in science and technology to advise the president and strengthen U.S. leadership in those fields.

The new role positions Sacks to oversee a broader range of technology issues and deepen the White House’s engagement with major tech companies.

“We’ve accomplished a lot in the first year, but the President wants to keep the pedal to the metal on everything tech. That’s exactly what we will do,” Sacks told FOX Business.

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The council will include up to 24 members, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison.

A senior adviser to the president told FOX Business that Sacks will continue serving as AI and crypto czar while taking on a broader portfolio.

“David will always be his crypto and AI czar, but to the admin more broadly, this new role will allow him to advise on a broader range of critical tech issues,” the adviser said.

As AI and crypto czar, Sacks has helped drive a series of policy shifts aimed at reshaping U.S. artificial intelligence strategy, including rolling back prior restrictions and expanding federal oversight.

CLASSIC BRAND BECOMING A STATUS SYMBOL IN TRUMP’S WHITE HOUSE

In his first week in office, Trump signed an executive order revoking a Biden-era policy that took a more cautious approach to emerging technologies like AI and blockchain.

Trump later signed another executive order in December 2025 establishing a national framework for AI regulation, preempting state-level rules. The order argued that U.S. companies must be able to innovate “without cumbersome regulation.”

In July 2025, the White House released its “Winning the AI Race” action plan, outlining more than 90 federal policy initiatives focused on accelerating innovation, building infrastructure and strengthening the nation’s position in global AI development and security.

More recently, the White House unveiled a national AI policy framework aimed at creating a “consistent” standard for development nationwide while addressing concerns around censorship, free speech and child protection.

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Sacks has also played a key role in shaping the administration’s cryptocurrency agenda.

Within days of taking office, Trump signed an executive order promoting U.S. leadership in digital assets, banning the development of a central bank digital currency and creating a presidential working group on the issue.

In March 2025, Trump signed an order establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile, positioning the country as a leader in government-backed digital asset strategy.

READ MORE FROM FOX BUSINESS

Congress followed with the passage of the GENIUS Act in July 2025, the first major federal legislation on digital assets, creating a regulatory framework for payment stablecoins. The bill passed with bipartisan support in both chambers.

The administration has also moved to ease regulatory pressure on the crypto industry, including ending several SEC investigations and installing crypto-friendly leadership at key agencies.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was defunded — a move Sacks called his “personal favorite” — eliminating what he described as the crypto industry’s most aggressive enforcement arm.

The Nasdaq tumbled more than 2% to confirm a correction on Thursday while the S&P 500 and the Dow fell more than 1%. Investors scrambled for safety on fears of escalation in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, which has sent oil prices soaring and exacerbated inflation concerns.

Thursday marked the biggest one-day decline for the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 since January 20.

President Donald Trump said Iran must make a deal with the U.S. or face a continued onslaught, while warning that taking control of Iran’s oil was an option. A senior Iranian official told Reuters the U.S. proposal for ending nearly four ‌weeks of fighting is “one-sided and ⁠unfair,” while ⁠stressing that diplomacy had not ended. Stock futures pared losses slightly after the market closed when Trump said he was pausing attacks on Iran’s energy plants for 10 days until April 6 at the Iranian government’s request. He said talks with Tehran were going “very well.”

Earlier, the lack of any clear signs of progress sent oil prices soaring, with U.S. crude futures settling up 4.6% compared with a 5.7% advance for Brent futures.

As a result, stock indexes erased gains from Wednesday when investors had been betting on a de-escalation in the war, which has disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

‘FOG OF WAR’

“The back and forth seems to be happening at a quicker pace. On top of it, we don’t know who Trump is negotiating with,” said Doug Beath, global equity strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, adding that uncertainty about the war was causing investors to sell equities. “There’s a lot of conflicting signals, and it’s really the fog of war, the ⁠uncertainty of ‌all of it that’s driving this.”
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 469.38 points, or 1.01%, to 45,960.11, the S&P 500 lost 114.74 points, or 1.74%, to 6,477.16 and the Nasdaq Composite shed 521.74 points, or 2.38%, to 21,408.08. The technology-heavy Nasdaq closed down 10.7% from its October 29 closing record high, confirming it has been in a ⁠correction since that date. A correction is a decline of 10% or more from a recent market high.
Noting that stock markets have generally been weaker on Fridays since the Iran war began a month ago, Peter Tuz, president of Chase Investment Counsel, said the S&P 500 could follow the Nasdaq in confirming a correction.

“After three good years for markets, a selloff of 10%-20% should not surprise anyone. We had one last year during the tariff proposals. Bad technical indicators might, however, encourage selling and discourage buying until the situation clears up,” Tuz said.

Most of the S&P 500’s 11 major industry sectors lost ground. Energy was the biggest gainer, adding 1.6%. The only other sector to show a percentage gain was defensive utilities , which added 0.2%.

The biggest sector laggards were communications services , down 3.5%, and technology, which lost 2.7%.

META, ALPHABET DROP AFTER VERDICTS The communications index was under pressure after jurors found Meta and Alphabet’s Google liable in the first two trials from a growing wave of lawsuits accusing social media firms of harming children. ‌Meta shares finished close to 8% lower while Alphabet lost more than 3%.

In technology, chip stocks were a big drag with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index tumbling 4.8% after three sessions of gains. Leading declines in the Dow were shares of artificial intelligence chip leader Nvidia, which finished down more than 4%. Earlier on Thursday, the OECD warned the Middle East conflict has knocked the global economy off ⁠a stronger growth path, with the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz threatening to push inflation sharply higher.

With high oil prices fanning inflation fears, central banks are in a tough spot regarding interest rates, with traders no longer pricing in any easing from the U.S. Federal Reserve this year. Two rate cuts had been expected before the Iran conflict erupted, according to the CME Group’s FedWatch Tool. Earlier, data showed new applications for U.S. unemployment benefits rose slightly last week, suggesting a stable labor market and giving the Fed scope to hold rates steady while monitoring the impact of the Iran war. U.S.-listed shares of gold miners, including Sibanye Stillwater and Harmony Gold, fell more than 4% as bullion prices lost more than 2%.

Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 3.16-to-1 ratio on the NYSE, where there were 121 new highs and 202 new lows. On the Nasdaq, 1,385 stocks rose and 3,423 fell as declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 2.47-to-1 ratio. The S&P 500 posted 20 new 52-week highs and eight new lows.

Volume was light, with 16.50 billion shares changing hands on U.S. exchanges compared with the 20.54 billion average for the last 20 sessions.

The Oil Fuel Fund Management Committee has raised fuel prices by 6 baht per liter due to rising global oil prices and significant diesel costs, while planning support for vulnerable groups.

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Key Points

• The Oil Fuel Fund Management Committee approved a 6 baht-per-liter increase in diesel and gasoline subsidies, effective March 26, amid rising global oil prices driven by Middle East tensions.
• Diesel prices in Singapore have surged, pressuring domestic pricing. The Fund has faced over 2.5 billion baht in daily subsidy costs, prompting officials to align domestic prices with neighboring countries to deter smuggling and stockpiling.
• The government is preparing support measures for vulnerable groups and businesses while urging efficient energy use as the country faces ongoing volatility in global energy markets.

The Oil Fuel Fund Management Committee has approved a reduction in subsidies for diesel and gasoline, resulting in a 6 baht-per-liter increase across all fuel types as global oil prices continue to rise. The price adjustment, effective today (Mar 26), comes amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, which have driven sharp increases in international fuel prices.

Diesel prices in the Singapore market have surged significantly, adding pressure to domestic pricing. The Oil Fuel Fund has been absorbing subsidy costs of more than 2.5 billion baht per day, placing a strain on its financial position and prompting authorities to act to preserve liquidity for long-term price management.

Officials said the adjustment also aligns domestic fuel prices more closely with those of neighboring countries, where fuel costs have already risen. Maintaining lower prices had raised concerns over cross-border smuggling and stockpiling, which could further strain national resources.

The government is now preparing support measures to ease the impact on vulnerable groups, transport operators, farmers, and businesses. Authorities are also urging the public to use energy efficiently as the country navigates ongoing volatility in global energy markets.

Source : Thailand’s Oil Fund Cuts Subsidies , Raises Fuel Prices by 6 Baht

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