Geopolitics Alpha

The Dollar’s Power Never Came From Oil

Published . Updated .

Key takeaways

  • The emergence of the dollar as the world’s currency was the result of the rise of the US as the preeminent global power.
  • Exposed: USO, XLE, UUP, XOM, CVX
  • Market reaction: USO −3.9% on the day; XLE +0.6% on the day; COP −1.3% on the day

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The Dollar’s Power Never Came From Oil

The emergence of the dollar as the world’s currency was the result of the rise of the US as the preeminent global power. But the slow erosion of US economic and political power will not automatically spell the end of the dollar system.

Directly affected

  • No company is named in this report.

Indirectly affected

  • UUP Invesco DB US Dollar Index Bullish Fund+1.9% 30d

    Invesco DB US Dollar Index Bullish Fund: it tracks currencies. Linked by “the dollar” (currencies) in this story.

  • FXE Invesco CurrencyShares Euro Trust-0.7% 12d

    Invesco CurrencyShares Euro Trust: it tracks currencies. Linked by “the dollar” (currencies) in this story.

  • USO United States Oil Fund-1.1% 30d

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

  • XOM ExxonMobil Holdings-2.7% 17d

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

  • CVX Chevron+3.0% 30d

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

  • COP ConocoPhillips+5.4% 19d

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

  • SHEL Shell+2.7% 10d

    Shell (crude petroleum and natural gas): 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
UUP-0.58%-0.82%base-0.60%after closeafter closeafter close
FXE+0.42%+0.75%base+0.66%after closeafter closeafter close
USO+5.62%-2.06%base-3.90%after closeafter closeafter close
XOM+8.37%+2.16%base-0.67%after closeafter closeafter close
CVX+7.15%+2.05%base-1.18%after closeafter closeafter close
COP+7.74%+0.44%base-1.29%after closeafter closeafter close
SHEL+5.91%+2.77%base-0.22%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.

The Dollar’s Power Never Came From Oil Jacobin

Source: Jacobin

The price since 9 Nov 2026: United States Oil Fund (USO) versus the S&P 500

CompanyWhenMoveStatus
Conocophillips (COP)that day-1.29%final price
Conocophillips (COP)three days earlier+0.44%final price
Conocophillips (COP)five days earlier+7.74%final price
Chevron (CVX)that day-1.18%final price
Chevron (CVX)three days earlier+2.05%final price
Chevron (CVX)five days earlier+7.15%final price
FXEthat day+0.66%final price
FXEthree days earlier+0.75%final price
FXEfive days earlier+0.42%final price
Shell (SHEL)that day-0.22%final price
Shell (SHEL)three days earlier+2.77%final price
Shell (SHEL)five days earlier+5.91%final price
United States Oil Fund (USO)that day-3.90%final price
United States Oil Fund (USO)three days earlier-2.06%final price
United States Oil Fund (USO)five days earlier+5.62%final price
Invesco DB US Dollar Index Bullish Fund (UUP)that day-0.60%final price
Invesco DB US Dollar Index Bullish Fund (UUP)three days earlier-0.82%final price
Invesco DB US Dollar Index Bullish Fund (UUP)five days earlier-0.58%final price
ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM)that day-0.67%final price
ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM)three days earlier+2.16%final price
ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM)five days earlier+8.37%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

Companies mentioned with this story

  • USO United States Oil Fund

    For “The Dollar’s Power Never Came From Oil,” 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 “The Dollar’s Power Never Came From Oil,” 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

  • UUP Invesco DB US Dollar Index Bullish Fund

    In “The Dollar’s Power Never Came From Oil,” Invesco DB US Dollar Index Bullish Fund (UUP) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Invesco DB US Dollar Index Bullish Fund: it tracks currencies. Linked by “the dollar” (currencies) in this story

  • XOM ExxonMobil Holdings

    ExxonMobil Holdings (XOM) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 9 Nov 2026 story “The Dollar’s Power Never Came From Oil.” 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

    For “The Dollar’s Power Never Came From Oil,” Chevron (CVX) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Chevron (petroleum refining): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story

  • COP Conocophillips

    In “The Dollar’s Power Never Came From Oil,” 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

  • SHEL Shell

    Shell (SHEL) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 9 Nov 2026 story “The Dollar’s Power Never Came From Oil.” Reason on file: Shell (crude petroleum and natural gas): oil producers' profits rise and fall with crude prices. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story

United States Oil Fund (USO) and the energy link

United States Oil Fund (USO) is the company in “The Dollar’s Power Never Came From Oil,” the 9 Nov 2026 Energy story.

What ties United States Oil Fund (USO) to the headline is this: United States Oil Fund: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story

Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE) is here too. Its reason reads: Energy Select Sector SPDR: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “oil” (oil) in this story

What this energy story puts on the calendar

USO traded between 143.02 and 171.80 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 148.41. UUP traded between 28.86 and 29.23 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 29.14. 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 100

“The Dollar’s Power Never Came From Oil” scores 46 out of 100. The score uses 1 sources, and 7 linked companies.