{"id":60476,"date":"2026-04-02T14:38:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T18:38:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-energy-markets-braced-for-150-oil-as-hormuz-crisis-escalates-spacex-eyes-75b-ipo\/60476\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T14:38:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T18:38:27","slug":"global-energy-markets-braced-for-150-oil-as-hormuz-crisis-escalates-spacex-eyes-75b-ipo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-energy-markets-braced-for-150-oil-as-hormuz-crisis-escalates-spacex-eyes-75b-ipo\/60476\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Energy Markets Braced for $150 Oil as Hormuz Crisis Escalates; SpaceX Eyes $75B IPO"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>JP Morgan (<a href=\"\/stock\/JPM\">JPM<\/a>) warns oil prices could surge to $150\/bbl<\/strong> if the Strait of Hormuz disruption persists into mid-May, with a near-term squeeze targeting the <strong>$120-$130<\/strong> range.<\/li>\n<li><strong>EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas called for a massive scale-up of the Aspides naval mission<\/strong>, labeling Iran\u2019s &quot;bounty&quot; demands for ship passage as an illegal &quot;pay-to-pass&quot; scheme.<\/li>\n<li><strong>SpaceX is reportedly in talks with Saudi Arabia\u2019s PIF for a $5 billion anchor stake<\/strong> ahead of a record-breaking 2026 IPO that could seek a <strong>$1.75 trillion<\/strong> valuation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>OpenAI has acquired tech talk show TBPN<\/strong> and slashed ChatGPT Business pricing to <strong>$20\/seat<\/strong> to consolidate its influence and market share in the enterprise AI sector.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Hormuz Crisis Drives Oil Toward Historic Highs<\/h2>\n<p><strong>JP Morgan (<a href=\"\/stock\/JPM\">JPM<\/a>)<\/strong> issued a stark warning on Thursday, stating that global oil prices are at risk of topping <strong>$150 per barrel<\/strong> if the current blockade of the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong> continues into mid-May. The bank expects a near-term &quot;squeeze&quot; to push Brent crude into the <strong>$120-$130<\/strong> range immediately, as the vital maritime chokepoint remains effectively closed to commercial traffic.<\/p>\n<p>While analysts at <strong>JP Morgan (<a href=\"\/stock\/JPM\">JPM<\/a>)<\/strong> ultimately expect the disruption to resolve later this year, they project oil will remain firmly above <strong>$100\/bbl<\/strong> through the second quarter of 2026. The current supply shock is being compared to the 1970s energy crisis, with nearly <strong>20% of global oil flows<\/strong> currently impacted by the regional conflict.<\/p>\n<h2>EU Condemns Iranian &quot;Bounty&quot; Scheme<\/h2>\n<p>EU Foreign Policy Chief <strong>Kaja Kallas<\/strong> delivered a sharp rebuke to Tehran, asserting that Iran cannot be allowed to charge countries a &quot;bounty&quot; to permit ships to pass through international waters. Kallas emphasized that international law does not recognize &quot;pay-to-pass&quot; schemes and urged member states to scale up the EU\u2019s <strong>Aspides naval mission<\/strong> to protect trade.<\/p>\n<p>The diplomatic situation remains fluid as <strong>Russia&#39;s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov<\/strong> held discussions with his Iranian counterpart regarding the blockade. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President <strong>Volodymyr Zelenskiy<\/strong> has offered Kyiv\u2019s assistance to international partners to help support security efforts in the region, highlighting the global stakes of the maritime standoff.<\/p>\n<h2>SpaceX Targets Massive $75 Billion IPO<\/h2>\n<p><strong>SpaceX<\/strong> is reportedly in advanced talks with the <strong>Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF)<\/strong> for a <strong>$5 billion anchor stake<\/strong> in the company\u2019s highly anticipated 2026 initial public offering. Sources indicate the investment would help prevent the dilution of the PIF\u2019s existing stake, which currently sits just below 1%.<\/p>\n<p>The rocket manufacturer, led by <strong>Elon Musk<\/strong>, has reportedly filed for its IPO confidentially and is seeking a valuation that could exceed <strong>$1.75 trillion<\/strong>. If successful, the offering could raise as much as <strong>$75 billion<\/strong>, dwarfing the previous record held by <strong>Saudi Aramco<\/strong>. Major Wall Street banks, including <strong>Goldman Sachs (<a href=\"\/stock\/GS\">GS<\/a>)<\/strong> and <strong>Morgan Stanley (<a href=\"\/stock\/MS\">MS<\/a>)<\/strong>, are said to be lining up for senior roles in the debut.<\/p>\n<h2>OpenAI Pivots to Media and Enterprise Growth<\/h2>\n<p>In a strategic move to control the narrative surrounding artificial intelligence, <strong>OpenAI<\/strong> has acquired the popular tech talk show <strong>TBPN<\/strong>. The program, which has featured industry titans like <strong>Meta (<a href=\"\/stock\/META\">META<\/a>)<\/strong> CEO Mark Zuckerberg and <strong>Microsoft (<a href=\"\/stock\/MSFT\">MSFT<\/a>)<\/strong> CEO Satya Nadella, will continue to operate with editorial independence while supporting OpenAI\u2019s marketing and communications efforts.<\/p>\n<p>Simultaneously, <strong>OpenAI<\/strong> is aggressively pursuing enterprise market share by cutting the annual price of <strong>ChatGPT Business<\/strong> from $25 to <strong>$20 per seat<\/strong>. The company also introduced a new pay-as-you-go pricing model for <strong>Codex-only seats<\/strong>, allowing engineering teams to scale their use of AI coding tools without the burden of fixed monthly fees.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways JP Morgan (JPM) warns oil prices could surge to $150\/bbl if the Strait of Hormuz disruption persists into 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