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Fitch: Brent Oil Price Could Reach $120 if Strait of Hormuz Closes for 6 Months

Published March 22, 2026, 14:13
Fitch: Brent Oil Price Could Reach $120 if Strait of Hormuz Closes for 6 Months

A new report by Fitch Ratings warns that the Brent oil price could reach $120 a barrel if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed for six months, or $100 a barrel if it is closed for three months. In its base case scenario, Fitch expects the Brent price to be $70 a barrel in 2026. In the event of a three-month closure of the Strait, the rating agency expects an average Brent price of $100 a barrel in 2026, with an increase to $130 a barrel during the closure and a decrease to $90 a barrel by the end of the year. If the closure lasts six months, the average price is expected to be $120 a barrel, with an increase to $130-170 a barrel during the closure and a decrease to $90 a barrel by the end of 2026. Fitch reports that in its base case scenario, the average Brent price is expected to be $70 in 2026, with an increase to $100 in March, $90 in the second quarter, and a decrease to $60 by the end of the year. The initial forecast before the war was $63 a barrel, due to oversupply in the market. The rating agency assumes that there will be no destruction of demand, as the current supply and the release of reserves by the International Energy Agency are sufficient to meet demand. However, it acknowledges that oil prices will remain volatile and that geopolitical risk is significant.