Key Takeaways

• Brent crude futures rose about 6% in the week to 23 October and WTI futures about 2.3%, as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia kept supply risk in focus.¹
• As of 09:43 (GMT+8) on 26 October 2026, Brent (UKOUSD) traded at $115.37 and WTI (USOUSD) at $102.35 on Vantage’s feed, a gap of $13.03.
• Both hourly charts held above their 50-period moving averages while RSI (14) fell from above 70 to 48.42 for Brent and 50.14 for WTI.

Brent crude finished last week about 6% higher and WTI about 2.3% higher, according to Reuters figures.¹ That reads like a near four-point win for Brent. On Vantage’s continuous hourly charts it was closer to one, and by 09:43 (GMT+8) on 26 October 2026, both had eased from Friday’s highs.

The crude oil price now, at that cut-off: Brent crude (UKOUSD) at $115.37 and WTI crude oil (USOUSD) at $102.35, about 2.0% and 1.8% below Friday’s last hourly prices. On any crude oil price ticker, the $13.03 gap between them is doing the interesting work.

This piece unpacks why Saudi export-route risk showed up more in Brent crude oil prices than in WTI, and how much of the split was a futures contract roll.

Much of the oil news coverage ran with the 6% versus 2.3% headline. We tested it against today’s crude oil prices.

Why Did Brent Crude Outpace WTI This Week?

Brent crude outpaced WTI as last week’s Houthi attack claims centred on Saudi export routes, a risk to the seaborne supply Brent benchmarks. A WTI contract roll appears to have widened the headline 6% versus 2.3% split; like-for-like measures put Brent’s lead nearer two points.

Table 1: Brent vs WTI at a Glance, as of 09:43 (GMT+8), 26 October 2026

Measure	Brent (UKOUSD)	WTI (USOUSD)
Benchmark Role	Global benchmark for seaborne crude	US benchmark, priced inland
Brent Crude Price (USD) / WTI Crude Price (USD), Vantage Feed	115.37	102.35
Futures, 26 October (CNBC, 13:18 GMT+8)	114.51 (down 1.89%)	101 (down 2.19%)
Weekly Change, Futures Headline	About +6%	About +2.3%
Like-for-Like Change, December Futures, 20 to 23 October	About +7.3%	About +5.1%
Weekly Change, Continuous Hourly Chart	About +5.2%	About +4.1%
Weekly Headline Spans a Contract Roll?	No (December throughout)	Yes (November to December)
H1 50-Period Moving Average	114.02	101.14
RSI (14), H1	48.42	50.14
Main Driver Last Week	Saudi export-route risk	Same supply risk, plus a US stock draw

Table 1 sources: TradingView H1 charts of Vantage UKOUSD and USOUSD (prices, MAs, RSI, chart changes); CNBC (20 and 26 October futures); Benzinga and Investing.com (23 October settlements); The Nation Thailand, carrying Reuters (weekly futures changes); CrudeOilPrice.org (contract months); Forbes Advisor (benchmark roles). Chart-based changes are approximate. Data as of 26 October 2026; indicative only.

That’s the short answer. The charts show how it played out.

Brent Crude Oil Price Today: Price Held, Momentum Faded

Both charts peaked late on 23 October: Brent touched about $118.20, closed Friday near $117.70, and opened Monday near $115.80; WTI crude oil reached about $104.80, closed near $104.25, and opened near $103.05. The weekend gap did most of Monday’s work.

Price is still above its hourly moving averages. At the cut-off, Brent sat about $1.36 above its rising H1 50-period moving average (MA) at 114.02 (200-period MA: 110.51), and the current WTI crude oil price sat about $1.21 above its 50-period MA at 101.14 (200-period MA: 98.32).

Momentum is a different story. On the TradingView setup used here, Brent’s hourly Relative Strength Index (RSI) sprinted above 70 during Friday’s rally and stood at 48.42 at the cut-off, below its own average of 64.20. WTI’s RSI took the same round trip to 50.14, against 64.71. Price held. Momentum did not.

If that sounds busy, Tuesday was busier. On 20 October, Brent fell from about $113.40 to about $107.40 inside one session and WTI from about $102.40 to about $96.20, as traders hoped for diplomatic progress in the Middle East, CNBC reported.² On a Brent crude oil price live feed or WTI crude oil price live quote, that was $6 in hours.

That’s the shape of the week, not the reason Brent finished with the bigger lead.

Saudi Export Routes Put Brent First

Much of the Brent crude oil news centred on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast. On 24 October, the Houthis said they had attacked an Aramco facility in Yanbu, the Rabigh refinery, and the East-West Pipeline; the Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed two missiles fired towards Yanbu and Taif.³

Separately, Aramco ordered the evacuation of its Dhahran headquarters on the Gulf coast on 22 October, Reuters reported.⁴ On Monday, the Houthis said they had hit the East-West pumping stations again, with no immediate Saudi confirmation.⁵ Vantage has not independently verified these claims.

Here’s why that matters for the spread. Reuters described the 1,200 km East-West Pipeline, which carries crude to Yanbu, as a main route for Middle East oil exports during the conflict.⁵ A threat to that route is a threat to seaborne supply, and Brent is the global benchmark for seaborne crude, while WTI is priced inland in the US.⁶ The link runs through the wider seaborne market, and freight and US exports still tie the two benchmarks together, which is why both rose.

“The market remains concerned about a potential escalation,” UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said on Friday.⁴ On Monday, Gallo Partners’ Michael Alfaro put the geopolitical premium at roughly $20 a barrel and flagged a slower-burning issue: “The real challenge is refining capacity.”⁷

WTI had support at home: US commercial crude stocks fell 3.1 million barrels to 412.5 million in the week to 16 October,⁸ about 3% below the five-year average.⁹ OPEC+ offered little offset; its core members pumped roughly 5 million barrels per day below pre-conflict levels in August.¹⁰

So Brent had a reason to pull ahead. The weekly numbers still overstated by how much.

The Contract Roll Behind the 6% vs 2.3% Split

Here’s the overlooked detail. November WTI expired on 20 October,² and it traded well above December into expiry: on 19 October, November settled at $103.66 and December at $98.54, EnergyNow reported.¹¹ A weekly crude oil futures price comparison that starts on November and ends on December mixes two contracts several dollars apart. Futures rolls are the least glamorous thing in oil, and this one appears to have done much of the heavy lifting.

Like-for-like numbers shrink the gap. From Tuesday’s settlements, December Brent was at $108.79 and December WTI at $98.28;² by Friday they had settled at $116.72¹² and $103.27,¹³ gains of about 7.3% and 5.1%. Vantage’s continuous charts, Friday close to Friday close, show Brent up roughly 5.2% (about $111.90 to $117.70) and WTI roughly 4.1% (about $100.10 to $104.25). Treat those decimals with some humility; cash prices and crude oil WTI futures settlements aren’t directly comparable.

Brent did outpace WTI last week, but measured like for like its lead was about one to two percentage points, not nearly four.

The real lead shows in the spread, which widened from about $11.80 at the 16 October close to about $13.45 a week later, in line with where the attack claims were aimed: Saudi export routes, not US supply.

A wider spread plus fading hourly momentum leaves a short list of levels in view.

Brent and WTI Levels Traders Are Watching

Hourly reference points, not signals:

Table 2: Brent and WTI H1 Levels as of 09:43 (GMT+8), 26 October 2026

Level	Brent (UKOUSD)	WTI (USOUSD)
H1 High, 23 October	About 118.20	About 104.80
Last H1 Close, 23 October	About 117.70	About 104.25
Price at Cut-Off	115.37	102.35
H1 50-Period MA	114.02	101.14
H1 200-Period MA	110.51	98.32
H1 Low, 20 October	About 107.40	About 96.20

Table 2 source: TradingView H1 charts of Vantage UKOUSD and USOUSD, accessed on 26 October 2026. Values marked ‘about’ are read from the chart and are approximate. Indicative only.

The Saudi-risk read on Brent’s premium weakens if the spread narrows towards mid-October’s $11 to $12 area while attack claims continue, and strengthens if Saudi Arabia confirms damage at Yanbu, Rabigh, or the pipeline.

On the charts, an hourly close below the 50-period MAs would show the momentum reset reaching price. Several of those tests land within six days.

Crude Oil News Today: What to Watch This Week

Our crude oil news today, oil price news today, and WTI crude oil news pages carry updates. The calendar (GMT+8):

• EIA Weekly Petroleum Status Report, 28 October: Released at 22:30.¹⁴ It feeds the WTI oil price side of the spread; last week’s draw was 3.1 million barrels.
• FOMC Decision, 29 October: Due at 02:00 after the 27 to 28 October meeting.¹⁵ Rate expectations reach crude partly through the US dollar.
• Brent December Expiry, 30 October: December Brent crude oil futures expire,¹⁶ so the roll effect above can apply to Brent too.
• OPEC+ Meeting, 1 November: The seven core members meet again.¹⁰
• US Midterms, 3 November: RBC Capital Markets’ Helima Croft told CNBC she sees “significant risk post-midterm” if the White House is pushed towards a tougher stance on Iran.¹²

In the wider commodity market news flow, one item has no date: Saudi confirmation of damage at Yanbu, Rabigh, or the pipeline.

Risk Picture for Crude Oil Traders

Last week’s headlines had Brent nearly four points ahead; like-for-like measures put it nearer one to two, and $13.03 of spread remained after Monday’s pullback. Whether it holds rests on Saudi confirmation, this week’s EIA data, and the Brent roll on 30 October.

Crude oil prices moved about $6 within one session on 20 October and opened Monday roughly $1.90 lower in Brent and $1.20 lower in WTI than Friday’s last prices, so headline risk can move price while markets are closed. A Stop Loss order limits losses to a planned size in normal conditions, but in a gap it can be filled at a worse price than the level set. Brent and WTI share one driver this week, so combined exposure matters.

Leverage works in both directions: at 1:10, the maximum for oil CFDs for UK retail clients, a 2% move in the underlying price equals a 20% change relative to the margin used, whether the move is for or against a position. Here, position size relative to account equity determines how much of an account a single headline can move.

Crude Oil Prices Today: FAQs

What Is the Brent Oil Price Today?

As of 09:43 (GMT+8) on 26 October 2026, Brent (UKOUSD) traded at $115.37 on Vantage’s feed. Brent crude futures fell 1.89% to $114.51 on Monday, CNBC reported.⁷

What Is the Current WTI Crude Oil Price?

At the same cut-off, WTI (USOUSD) traded at $102.35. On the futures side, the WTI crude price fell 2.19% to $101 in the same CNBC report.⁷

Why Is Brent Crude Priced Above WTI?

Brent is the global benchmark for seaborne crude, which often travels farther, while WTI is priced inland in the US.⁶ Measured on today’s crude oil rate from Vantage’s feed, the gap was $13.03 at the cut-off, and it widened last week as risk centred on Saudi export routes.

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References

[1] “Brent falls 1.34% on October 26 despite Saudi supply fears – The Nation Thailand” https://www.nationthailand.com/news/world/40072732 Accessed on 26 October 2026.

[2] “Oil prices fall as traders hope for diplomatic progress in Middle East – CNBC” https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/20/oil-price-wti-brent-crude.html Accessed on 26 October 2026.

[3] “Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim new attacks on oil facilities and airports across Saudi Arabia – France 24” https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20261024-yemen-s-houthi-rebels-claim-new-attacks-on-oil-facilities-and-airports-across-saudi-arabia Accessed on 26 October 2026.

[4] “Brent Crude Hits More Than Five-Month High On Houthi-Saudi Attacks, UAE Oil Spill – HuffPost (Reuters)” https://www.huffpost.com/entry/brent-crude-hits-more-than-five-month-high-on-houthi-saudi-attacks-uae-oil-spill_n_6adb617ae4b027da9ae574e7 Accessed on 26 October 2026.

[5] “Houthis say they attacked Saudi oil pumping stations, Riyadh airport as fighting intensifies – The Star (Reuters)” https://www.thestar.com.my/news/world/2026/10/26/houthis-say-they-attacked-saudi-oil-pumping-stations-riyadh-airport-as-fighting-intensifies Accessed on 26 October 2026.

[6] “Crude Oil Price Today – Forbes Advisor” https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/oil-prices-today/ Accessed on 26 October 2026.

[7] “Oil slides over 2% as traders weigh Saudi attack risks, demand destruction – CNBC” https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/26/oil-prices-today-wti-brent.html Accessed on 26 October 2026.

[8] “U.S. Stocks of Crude Oil and Petroleum Products – U.S. Energy Information Administration” https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_stoc_wstk_dcu_nus_w.htm Accessed on 26 October 2026.

[9] “USA Crude Oil Stocks Drop 3MM Barrels WoW – Rigzone” https://www.rigzone.com/news/usa_crude_oil_stocks_drop_3mm_barrels_wow-22-oct-2026-184911-article/ Accessed on 26 October 2026.

[10] “OPEC+ agrees to keep November oil output targets steady – CNBC (Reuters)” https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/04/opec-agrees-to-keep-november-oil-output-targets-steady.html Accessed on 26 October 2026.

[11] “Oil Prices Surge as Middle East Attacks Push Brent Above $111 and WTI Back Above $100 – EnergyNow” https://energynow.com/2026/10/oil-prices-surge-as-middle-east-attacks-push-brent-above-111-and-wti-back-above-100/ Accessed on 26 October 2026.

[12] “Oil Jumps to Nearly 6-Month High as Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia Stoke Supply Fears, While Trump Faces Fuel-Price Headwinds Ahead of Midterms – Benzinga” https://www.benzinga.com/markets/commodities/26/10/62577115/oil-prices-surge-houthi-attacks-saudi-arabia Accessed on 26 October 2026.

[13] “Crude Oil WTI Futures Historical Prices – Investing.com” https://www.investing.com/commodities/crude-oil-historical-data Accessed on 26 October 2026.

[14] “Weekly Petroleum Status Report Schedule – U.S. Energy Information Administration” https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/supply/weekly/schedule.php Accessed on 26 October 2026.

[15] “Meeting Calendars and Information – Federal Reserve” https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/fomccalendars.htm Accessed on 26 October 2026.

[16] “Oil Futures Expiry Calendar 2026-2027: Brent and WTI – CrudeOilPrice.org” https://crudeoilprice.org/oil-futures-expiry-calendar/ Accessed on 26 October 2026.