Oil prices moved higher on Friday, March 27, with Brent crude pushing toward $110 per barrel even as President Donald Trump postponed attacks on Iran’s power grid. 

“As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

This suggests that the market is more focused on the risk of a prolonged conflict rather than catchy daily headlines. Naturally, the concern is mostly centered on the potential impact of disrupted flows through the Strait of Hormuz, where around 20% of the world’s daily oil traffic flows.

Although prices are still below their peak near $115 earlier this week, the benchmarks are significantly higher compared to where they were before the current conflict in the Middle East erupted earlier this month. However, statistics become truly impressive when we rewind all the way back to January.

How much would a $1,000 investment in crude oil at the start of 2026 be worth?

Brent crude was priced at just $60.42 on January 2. With the prices hovering around $110 at press time, the benchmark is up nearly 83% so far in 2026. 

In other words, a $1,000 investment made at the start of the year would now be worth approximately $1,820 to $1,830, highlighting how sharply the commodity has rallied amid geopolitical tensions.

For comparison, gold, traditionally the go-to hedge asset in times of economic uncertainty, is up less than 2% during the same period because of the crash that’s taken place over the past couple of weeks. The precious metal is now trading at $4,415 per ounce, up from $4,332 on January 2.

The S&P 500, on the other hand, is down 5.5% year-to-date, while Bitcoin (BTC), the digital equivalent to gold, has plummeted 25%, now trading at just around $66,800. This, some market watchers argue, could imply that oil could drag U.S. stocks lower.

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