Geopolitics Alpha

Oil prices slide as midterm results ease Iran escalation fears

Published . Updated .

Key takeaways

  • Brent crude fell 2.5% to $101.02 as Trump said he has no immediate plans to strike Iran and Democrats took Congress
  • Exposed: USO, XLE, BWET, XOM, CVX
  • Market reaction: USO −4.8% on the day (still updating); XLE −3.7% on the day (still updating); BWET −13.7% on the day (still updating)

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Oil prices slide as midterm results ease Iran escalation fears

Brent crude fell 2.5% to $101.02 as Trump said he has no immediate plans to strike Iran and Democrats took Congress

Directly affected

  • No company is named in this report.

Indirectly affected

  • USO United States Oil Fund+6.3% 30d

    United States Oil Fund: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.

  • XLE Energy Select Sector SPDR+6.9% 30d

    Energy Select Sector SPDR: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.

  • BWET Breakwave Tanker Shipping ETF-3.3% 17d

    Breakwave Tanker Shipping ETF: it tracks tanker freight rates. Linked by “iran” (tanker shipping) in this story.

  • ITA iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF+1.1% 30d

    iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF: it holds defense and aerospace contractors. Linked by “iran” (defense) in this story.

  • XOM ExxonMobil Holdings+2.0% 16d

    ExxonMobil Holdings (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.

  • CVX Chevron+9.6% 30d

    Chevron (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.

  • OXY Occidental Petroleum+10.3% 18d

    Occidental Petroleum (crude petroleum and natural gas): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story.

  • COP ConocoPhillips+11.6% 30d

    ConocoPhillips (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

TickerT-5T-3T-1T0T+1T+2T+3
USO+5.38%+6.75%base-4.77%after closeafter closeafter close
XLE+2.64%+4.95%base-3.73%after closeafter closeafter close
BWET+7.18%+11.56%base-13.73%after closeafter closeafter close
ITA-4.02%-3.08%base-3.01%after closeafter closeafter close
XOM+2.57%+5.49%base-2.82%after closeafter closeafter close
CVX+1.76%+4.58%base-2.69%after closeafter closeafter close
OXY+4.03%+5.88%base-3.82%after closeafter closeafter close
COP+3.21%+6.66%base-3.27%after closeafter closeafter 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.

Oil prices slide as midterm results ease Iran escalation fears qz.com

Source: qz.com

The price since 4 Nov 2026: United States Oil Fund (USO) versus the S&P 500

CompanyWhenMoveStatus
Amplify Commodity Trust (BWET)that day-13.73%still updating
Amplify Commodity Trust (BWET)three days earlier+11.56%final price
Amplify Commodity Trust (BWET)five days earlier+7.18%final price
Conocophillips (COP)that day-3.27%still updating
Conocophillips (COP)three days earlier+6.66%final price
Conocophillips (COP)five days earlier+3.21%final price
Chevron (CVX)that day-2.69%still updating
Chevron (CVX)three days earlier+4.58%final price
Chevron (CVX)five days earlier+1.76%final price
ITAthat day-3.01%still updating
ITAthree days earlier-3.08%final price
ITAfive days earlier-4.02%final price
Occidental Petroleum (OXY)that day-3.82%still updating
Occidental Petroleum (OXY)three days earlier+5.88%final price
Occidental Petroleum (OXY)five days earlier+4.03%final price
United States Oil Fund (USO)that day-4.77%still updating
United States Oil Fund (USO)three days earlier+6.75%final price
United States Oil Fund (USO)five days earlier+5.38%final price
Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE)that day-3.73%still updating
Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE)three days earlier+4.95%final price
Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE)five days earlier+2.64%final price
ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM)that day-2.82%still updating
ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM)three days earlier+5.49%final price
ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM)five days earlier+2.57%final price

Trades by members of Congress and officials in the stocks in this story

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).

Who collects and who pays in energy

The side that tends to collect

  • XOM ExxonMobil Holdings

    In “Oil prices slide as midterm results ease Iran escalation fears,” ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM) tends to benefit, medium confidence. Reason on file: ExxonMobil Holdings (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story

  • CVX Chevron

    In “Oil prices slide as midterm results ease Iran escalation fears,” Chevron (CVX) tends to benefit, medium confidence. Reason on file: Chevron (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story

  • OXY Occidental Petroleum

    Occidental Petroleum (OXY) tends to benefit, medium confidence in the 4 Nov 2026 story “Oil prices slide as midterm results ease Iran escalation fears.” Reason on file: Occidental Petroleum (crude petroleum and natural gas): 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 “Oil prices slide as midterm results ease Iran escalation fears,” 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

    In “Oil prices slide as midterm results ease Iran escalation fears,” Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Energy Select Sector SPDR: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story

  • BWET Amplify Commodity Trust

    For “Oil prices slide as midterm results ease Iran escalation fears,” 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 “oil” (tanker shipping) in this story

  • COP Conocophillips

    In “Oil prices slide as midterm results ease Iran escalation fears,” Conocophillips (COP) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: ConocoPhillips (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story

How energy news reaches United States Oil Fund (USO)

The 4 Nov 2026 story “Oil prices slide as midterm results ease Iran escalation fears” names United States Oil Fund (USO) because of 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

Dates and price levels for United States Oil Fund (USO)

BWET traded between 788.51 and 1047.07 across 17 sessions. The latest close on file is 907.20. USO traded between 142.51 and 171.80 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 158.17. XLE traded between 63.05 and 70.15 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 66.70.

How solid the energy case looks

46 out of 100Price not final

“Oil prices slide as midterm results ease Iran escalation fears” scores 46 out of 100. The score uses 1 sources, and 8 linked companies. The price is not final yet.