Brent Above $80 on Hormuz Disruptions Complicates Fed Rate-Cut Expectations in 2026

WTI holding above $77 has prompted the ECB, RBI, and Philippine BSP to flag upside inflation risk, shifting central bank bias from easing toward pause. A sustained $80-plus oil regime directly pressures the 100-basis-point Fed cut thesis that underpins current growth and tech valuations in XLE versus SPY rotation.