Exclusive | Inside the U.S. Military’s Open-Ended Mission to Keep Gulf Oil Flowing
Published . Updated .
This report is about oil and defense. Names like XOM typically gain because exxonMobil Holdings (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.
Directly affected
- No company is named in this report.
Indirectly affected
- USO United States Oil Fund+7.3% 30d
United States Oil Fund: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.
- XLE Energy Select Sector SPDR+6.2% 30d
Energy Select Sector SPDR: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.
- ITA iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF-2.9% 30d
iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF: it holds defense and aerospace contractors. Linked by “military” (defense) in this story.
- BWET Breakwave Tanker Shipping ETF+25.1% 18d
Breakwave Tanker Shipping ETF: it tracks tanker freight rates. Linked by “gulf” (tanker shipping) in this story.
- LMT Lockheed Martin+17.1% 30d
Lockheed Martin (guided missiles and space vehicles and parts): defense contractors gain when military spending rises. Linked by “military” (defense) in this story.
- RTX Rtx+0.4% 9d
Rtx (aircraft engines and engine parts): defense contractors gain when military spending rises. Linked by “military” (defense) in this story.
- NOC Northrop Grumman+5.3% 30d
Northrop Grumman (search, detection, navigation, guidance, aeronautical sys): defense contractors gain when military spending rises. Linked by “military” (defense) in this story.
- XOM ExxonMobil Holdings+10.3% 14d
ExxonMobil Holdings (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.
Price reaction, T-5 to T+3
| Ticker | T-5 | T-3 | T-1 | T0 | T+1 | T+2 | T+3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USO | +0.80% | -2.73% | base | after close | after close | after close | after close |
| XLENo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ITA | -5.65% | -3.85% | base | after close | after close | after close | after close |
| BWETNo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| LMT | -6.07% | -3.20% | base | after close | after close | after close | after close |
| RTX | -4.31% | -2.52% | base | after close | after close | after close | after close |
| NOC | -1.92% | -2.01% | base | after close | after close | after close | after close |
| XOM | +0.03% | -1.79% | base | after close | after close | after close | after close |
Closing-price change versus T-1, the last close before the story. T0 to T+3 fill in after each market close. Prices: Alpaca IEX.
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Exclusive | Inside the U.S. Military’s Open-Ended Mission to Keep Gulf Oil Flowing WSJ
Source: The Wall Street Journal
United States Oil Fund (USO) since this story, compared with the market
| Company | When | Move | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) | three days earlier | -3.85% | final price |
| IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) | five days earlier | -5.65% | final price |
| Lockheed Martin (LMT) | three days earlier | -3.20% | final price |
| Lockheed Martin (LMT) | five days earlier | -6.07% | final price |
| NOC | three days earlier | -2.01% | final price |
| NOC | five days earlier | -1.92% | final price |
| RTX | three days earlier | -2.52% | final price |
| RTX | five days earlier | -4.31% | final price |
| United States Oil Fund (USO) | three days earlier | -2.73% | final price |
| United States Oil Fund (USO) | five days earlier | +0.80% | final price |
| ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM) | three days earlier | -1.79% | final price |
| ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM) | five days earlier | +0.03% | final price |
Trades by members of Congress and officials in the stocks in this story
- Rep. Kevin Hern sold Lockheed Martin (LMT) (jointly held), worth $15,001 - $50,000 on 23 Sep 2026. That is 37 days before publication. Filed 13 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Kevin Hern sold Lockheed Martin (LMT) (jointly held), worth $15,001 - $50,000 on 23 Sep 2026. That is 37 days before publication. Filed 13 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Kevin Hern sold Lockheed Martin (LMT) (jointly held), worth $15,001 - $50,000 on 17 Sep 2026. That is 43 days before publication. Filed 13 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Kevin Hern sold ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM) (jointly held), worth $100,001 - $250,000 on 31 Aug 2026. That is 60 days before publication. Filed 25 Sep 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Kevin Hern sold Chevron (CVX) (jointly held), worth $15,001 - $50,000 on 23 Sep 2026. That is 37 days before publication. Filed 13 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar bought Chevron (CVX), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 2 Sep 2026. That is 58 days before publication. Filed 7 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Donald J Trump, an executive branch official, bought Chevron (CVX), worth $15,001 - $50,000 on 26 Aug 2026. That is 65 days before publication. Filed 8 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Michael T. McCaul sold Conocophillips (COP) (held by a spouse), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 26 Aug 2026. That is 65 days before publication. Filed 14 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Michael T. McCaul sold Conocophillips (COP) (held by a spouse), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 24 Aug 2026. That is 67 days before publication. Filed 14 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Donald J Trump, an executive branch official, bought Conocophillips (COP), worth $1,000,001 - $5,000,000 on 21 Aug 2026. That is 70 days before publication. Filed 8 Oct 2026. View the filing.
Public disclosure filings, not a recommendation. The filing link is the source document. News use of these reports still sits under 5 U.S.C. § 13107(c).
Companies in energy around United States Oil Fund (USO)
Companies that tend to gain
- XOM ExxonMobil Holdings
ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM) tends to benefit, medium confidence in the 30 Oct 2026 story “Exclusive | Inside the U.S. Military’s Open-Ended Mission to Keep Gulf Oil Flowing.” Reason on file: ExxonMobil Holdings (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story
No up or down call on file
- USO United States Oil Fund
For “Exclusive | Inside the U.S. Military’s Open-Ended Mission to Keep Gulf Oil Flowing,” United States Oil Fund (USO) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: United States Oil Fund: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story
- XLE Select Sector Spdr Tr
Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 30 Oct 2026 story “Exclusive | Inside the U.S. Military’s Open-Ended Mission to Keep Gulf Oil Flowing.” Reason on file: Energy Select Sector SPDR: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story
- ITA IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF
For “Exclusive | Inside the U.S. Military’s Open-Ended Mission to Keep Gulf Oil Flowing,” IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF: it holds defense and aerospace contractors. Linked by “military” (defense) in this story
- BWET Amplify Commodity Trust
In “Exclusive | Inside the U.S. Military’s Open-Ended Mission to Keep Gulf Oil Flowing,” Amplify Commodity Trust (BWET) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Breakwave Tanker Shipping ETF: it tracks tanker freight rates. Linked by “gulf” (tanker shipping) in this story
How energy news reaches United States Oil Fund (USO)
On 30 Oct 2026, “Exclusive | Inside the U.S. Military’s Open-Ended Mission to Keep Gulf Oil Flowing” is the story that connects United States Oil Fund (USO) to Energy.
For United States Oil Fund (USO), the reason on file says United States Oil Fund: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story
Also listed, Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE): Energy Select Sector SPDR: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story
Price levels for United States Oil Fund (USO)
ITA traded between 197.59 and 211.29 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 207.62. USO traded between 141.82 and 169.96 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 166.69. XLE traded between 61.05 and 69.86 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 68.46.
The energy score for United States Oil Fund (USO)
46 out of 100
“Exclusive | Inside the U.S. Military’s Open-Ended Mission to Keep Gulf Oil Flowing” scores 46 out of 100. The score uses 1 sources, and 8 linked companies.