Author: Timothy St. John

Timothy St John is a seasoned financial analyst and writer, catering to the dynamic landscapes of the US and European markets. Boasting over a decade of extensive freelance writing experience, he has made significant contributions to reputable platforms such as Yahoo!Finance, business.com: Expert Business Advice, Tips, and Resources - Business.com, and numerous others. Timothy's expertise lies in in-depth research and comprehensive coverage of stock and cryptocurrency movements, coupled with a keen understanding of the economic factors influencing currency dynamics. Timothy majored in English at East Tennessee State University, and you can find him on LinkedIn.

Natural Gas Futures Jump after Oil Field Strike

Posted on March 18, 2026 by Timothy St. John

U.S. LNG futures rose to $3.11 on Wednesday following a devastating military strike by Israeli forces on the Iranian oil field South Pars.

LNG futures are higher due to rising tensions in Iran.

Natural gas climbed 2.7% today as a result of an oil field strike in Iran, and oil skyrocketed to nearly $110 per barrel. These are considerable increases from the previous day when those numbers had dropped, and the market may be in for many similar surprises as the Iran conflict drags on.

South Pars is the largest oil field in the world, and the loss of some of its resources could be devastating to the long-term health of the oil and gas markets. The LNG market in the United States is less affected since domestic and South American suppliers meet most of their needs.

Trump’s Unprecedented Move

In order to ease the transportation of oil and gas to areas where it is badly needed during this ongoing crisis, President Donald Trump has temporarily waived the Jones Act. This legislation requires that goods being shipped on marine vessels between U.S. ports have an American flag on them. This slows down shipments and is specifically hard on the oil industry. With that act out of the way for now, shipping can occur much more rapidly and with fewer hindrances.

This can help shipping companies make up those oil and gas deficits at a time when those supplies are limited by fighting around Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. This move should keep prices low and, coupled with the EIA’s decision to release 400 million barrels of oil from its emergency reserves, the gas market is managing to pull through the conflict with lower prices than it would otherwise. Gas companies are meeting demand more easily and preventing drastic shortages that might occur without the help of the Trump administration and the EIA.

Warm weather and high production levels have also kept LNG futures low in the United States. Even with pressure on the gas markets around the world due to the Middle East conflict, we anticipate that LNG futures for the U.S. market will remain close to their current range, trading between $2.95 and $3.30 for the next few weeks.

In the wake of the gas field strike, Brent crude oil is up 4.9% and Henry Hub is up 3.9%. We anticipate strong fluctuations for the oil and gas markets in the coming weeks until the situation is resolved and shipping and production resume as normal.

Sharp Drop for Bitcoin and New Price Prediction

Posted on March 18, 2026 by Timothy St. John

Bitcoin lost nearly 4% on Wednesday as it backpedaled from days of gains, hitting $71,272 (BTC/USD), and analysts think the recent gas field attacks are to blame.

Bitcoin lost $2,000 in value in less than two hours today.

This week, Bitcoin (BTC) spent much of its time close to $74K, but that changed quickly when the Iranian South Pars gas field was attacked by the Israeli military. Now, Iran is threatening to retaliate. Gas prices jumped in response, with Brent crude oil hitting $109 per barrel.

[[BTC/USD]]

This places Bitcoin in a precarious position where it is vulnerable to bearish movements. The coin may have lost much of its investor goodwill with the drop as it proves that it is just as susceptible to the Iranian conflict as the stock market despite weeks of resilience towards happenings there.

Bitcoin Lost Value at an Incredible Rate

On Wednesday morning, Bitcoin’s price dropped $2,000 per bitcoin in about an hour and a half. That is more than a sharp drop; it is the type of drop off that shatters perceptions and shifts the entire cryptocurrency market into a state of wariness and hesitancy.

The February Producer Price Index also influenced the price drop. The numbers reported were simply higher than expected. Wall Street anticipated an increase of 0.3% month over month, but the actual increase was 0.7%. That may seem miniscule, but the impact across the markets and in the pockets of Americans is significant. That leaves less money on the table for investors to spend on Bitcoin.

When that limiting factor is coupled with escalating conflict in Iran that could lead to an extended engagement Bitcoin has to give. Its bullish momentum was stopped, and the coin fell hard. The fighting in Iran could go on for months now, and longer conflicts lead to higher taxes to cover the cost of war. Lengthy fighting also creates a tighter economy as the market goes into war-time mode and limits available money to spend on risky assets.

Bitcoin may be under more serious selling pressure by the end of the day if the Fed rate decision is to keep the interest rate where it is. That seems the most likely scenario since gas prices are rising. Bitcoin may struggle to regain a foothold around $74K as it fights these several factors to reclaim recently lost gains.

Stock Tick up ahead of Federal Reserve Monetary Decision

Posted on March 18, 2026 by Timothy St. John

On Wednesday, all three major U.S. stock indices added 0.1% leading into the day’s monetary policy decisions from the Federal Reserve.

The Federal Reserve may not change the interest rate this week.

The Dow gained 0.1% on Wednesday morning in early trading, while the Nasdaq and S&P 500 both gained the same 0.1%. As has been the case since the Iran conflict started, stocks tend to rise when oil prices dip, and West Texas Intermediate futures fell to $94 a barrel on Wednesday- a decline of 1.5%.

The Federal Reserve is scheduled to meet later in the day and make a decision on interest rates. The vote could go either way- President Donald Trump has been pushing for rate cuts and the inflation rate has remained flat. On the other hand, inflation is still above the 2% that the Fed has been aiming for, and conflict in Iran could make matters worse.

Ongoing Conflict Causes Stock Prices to Fluctuate

The fighting in the Middle East has led to extreme price increases for the oil and gas industries, which in turn has created price fluctuations on the stock market. Stocks have been volatile for weeks as they move at the mercy of fluctuating oil prices.

President Trump has promised to protect ships passing through the dangerous Strait of Hormuz where Iranian forces have already destroyed one tanker. He has called on allies to form a coalition to assist, but reports say that not everyone asked is eager to help out.

Investors in the oil and stock markets are worried about the at-risk oil supply. With production facilities shutting down in Iran and nearby areas and shipping lanes becoming targets of opportunity for military forces, many supplies have been halted or redirected. The global impact has been significant, with oil suppliers switching their deliveries scheduled for South American countries to Europe and Asia in order to make a greater profit.

The rapidly shifting oil and gas markets and the changing situation in Iran have made the stock market more unpredictable than ever. The Fed interest rate decision is this week’s big influencing factor for the stock market, and Wall Street anticipates no change in the current 3.5-3.75% rate. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is likely to mention oil prices when laying out the Fed’s decision this week, and if he does, investors will watch those oil prices more closely for indications of future stock price change.

The stock market is hesitant and subdued at the moment, but once the Fed announces its decision, we expect the market to move quickly. If the Fed keeps the rate where it is, then the market is likely to dip Wednesday afternoon.

Ethereum Price Prediction after 13% Jump

Posted on March 17, 2026 by Timothy St. John

Ethereum (ETH) is outpacing the wider cryptocurrency market with impressive gains, adding 13% to its value over the last week to hit $2,339 (ETH/USD).

Ethereum price predictions are coming in from all corners as the coin has gained 13$ over the last week.

Over the last few days, Ethereum has made incredible upward progress and has been able to keep its gains and perform better than much of the crypto market during a time of conflict in the Middle East and falling stock prices. The next target for the coin should be $2,600, which it last held in late January.

[[ETH/USD]]

The coin’s momentum slowed on Tuesday, holding steady as it gained just 0.21% from the previous day. This will be a testing point for Ethereum’s long-term movement. If it can break free of the current holding pattern, it will likely see superb gains. If it gets stuck here, though, or falls from its current level, that could keep it back for the next week or so.

Ethereum Achieved Critical Support Level

The most remarkable achievement of the ETH price in recent days is overcoming the barrier to $2,150. That has been a sticking point for the coin in recent months, and now that it is well past that mark, it can move quickly higher, buoyed by strong investor sentiment.

The market is behind Ethereum, and strong inflows on spot Ethereum ETFs as well as a high trading volume are helping push the coin higher. Ethereum is trading around $31 billion per day right now, which is a drop of 15% from the previous day. We are definitely seeing some slowdown for the token, but that is to be expected after its sharp upturn in recent days.

Between Saturday and Monday, the coin jumped 14%, and this is one of the strongest upswings the coin has had in months. Investors are understandably hesitant to keep pumping up the coin when it may very well stall out at this point. Many investors have adopted the stance of waiting and seeing what happens next.

We anticipate strong resistance for Ethereum at around $2,400, but the coin could easily smash through the next few thousand dollars with a bullish shift that picks up its recent momentum and runs with it. The currently stabilizing coin is performing well and may create a higher support level very quickly as word spreads that the crypto market is healthy and enjoying excellent volume.

Natural Gas Loses 1-Month High with Record Production Levels

Posted on March 17, 2026 by Timothy St. John

Natural gas futures dropped from $3.18 to $3.02 per MMBtu on Tuesday as the United States LNG production levels hit a record high and weather warmed further.

Natural gas price fluctuations due to Iran conflict, warm weather, and low withdrawals.

Warmer weather is coming to the U.S., which means that natural gas demand is dropping. Production levels are at incredibly high levels right now, and last week’s withdrawal was 38 billion cubic feet- less than predicted. All of these factors are working together to bring the LNG rate down 4.4% from the previous day.

Even with war in the Middle East and global LNG supplies threatened by Iran’s action in the Strait of Hormuz, the domestic supply for the United States remains very high. Local demand is dwindling, and export terminals are meeting outside demand perfectly fine.

Small Withdrawal Leads to Price Drop

The EIA expected last week’s natural gas withdrawal to be around 42 bcf, but it fell short of that estimate by about four billion. Natural gas rates dropped as a result, back to the comfortable $3 level that has been the standard through much of the fighting in Iran. That war has greatly disrupted international shipments of LNG and crude oil but has had little effect on LNG levels in the United States. Most of that comes from domestic or local sources and the inventory is not dependent on Middle East suppliers.

The price of natural gas in the U.S. is still elevated from where it was before fighting broke out between Iran and the United States. The price was under $3 and rose to hover just above that level over the last two weeks. The winter season is drawing to a close, though, and that was clearly indicated by the lower than anticipated withdrawal number.

LNG futures have enjoyed a sympathy rally with crude oil but have not risen at the same rate as that commodity. We may still see a rally for LNG futures soon if the global gas supply does not hold out. With continued fighting in Iran, shipping routes are at risk and supplies of natural gas and crude oil may not reach their intended destination.

This turmoil has allowed gas companies to raise their prices and divert shipments to the highest paying customers. U.S. investors should expect to see further price fluctuations on LNG futures for a while as the Iran conflict creates an unpredictable market environment.

New BTC Price Prediction On $74K Holding Pattern

Posted on March 17, 2026 by Timothy St. John

Bitcoin (BTC) has found support around $74,000 this week, holding onto gains made Monday to secure its position at a four-week high.

Bitcoin has elevated the entire crypto market this week.

On Monday, Bitcoin fell just short of $76K and has not settled to $73,842 (BTC/USD) with just 0.04% in gains for the last 24 hours. It is remarkable that the coin has not fallen further after climbing so high in such a short period of time. The coin moved from $70.6K to $75.7K in two days, gaining 7.2%.

[[BTC/USD]]

This is noteworthy in that it is a four-week high for the coin and the token is being supported at that level and not dropping back to its previous level below $70K. This indicates bullish movements, the ability to retain gains, and an overall upward momentum that could be sustained over the long term.

Bitcoin Outperforms Stock Market

Investors should also take note that Bitcoin is performing better than the majority of the stock market right now. Yes, there are some energy and tech stocks that are doing well, but for the most part, the stock market in the United States is low due to rising oil prices and the ongoing fighting in Iran.

When investors worry about the economy and rising prices of necessities like oil, they usually step back from spending on cryptocurrency and other risky assets. However, Bitcoin has seen tremendous market support and excellent investor sentiment in recent days.

With Bitcoin’s bold and unexpected moves, investor interest has been piqued. Trade volume remains elevated- around $55.5 billion per 24 hours. That is a 24% increase from the previous day, and even though BTC has not kept close to the $76K mark, trade volume is still very high.

We do not expect Bitcoin to experience a strong upward surge and sustained bullish movement. Instead, the coin appears to be settling into a rhythm of ebbs and flows that is gradually pushing it higher to where it may be able to achieve the price points of 2025 that set new records for the market. This is healthy growth rather than spurious, unpredictable swings, and that makes Bitcoin an interesting investment choice and a safer bet than what it was throughout much of last year.

Spot ETFs for Bitcoin are on the rise, with days of recorded inflows that have pushed back against the previous strong out outflows. Bitcoin’s recent performance has also elevated the wide market and pulled Ethereum (ETH) up 13% in the last week. What is happening with the BTC rate is not an isolated case. We are seeing the entire crypto market perform well during a time when stocks are fluctuating wildly. This makes it easy to predict that Bitcoin will hit close to $80K this week or early next week and then keep climbing from there.

Oil Price Jump Erased Monday Stock Market Rebound

Posted on March 17, 2026 by Timothy St. John

Crude oil prices climbed once more on Tuesday, pushing down stock market values and causing all three major U.S. stock indices to fall 0.2% or more.

Chevron performed very well in the last few days as Iran fighting intensifies.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.2% on Tuesday, losing 99 points in the face of rising oil prices. Investor sentiment is being heavily impacted by fluctuating oil prices and the fighting in Iran. An increase of 4% for oil prices permitted Brent crude oil to bounce back above $100 per barrel.

At the same time, stock prices fell on investor worries about the economy and the impact that oil prices will have on consumer budgets. That leaves less room for unnecessary, frivolous spending as consumers focus on the essentials and the economy shrinks.

Strait of Hormuz Safety Concerns Investors

The rapidly fluctuating stock and oil markets this week have been the result of the changing situation in the Strait of Hormuz. This major shipping lane is under attack, and Iran has already destroyed one oil tanker there. The United States government has vowed to assist and protect ships passing through the strait, but the waterway spans 104 miles and the ships passing through it account for about 20% of the world’s crude oil and LNG supplies.

Selling pressure is intense right now as this important sea passage is a target of opportunity for Iran hoping to strike back at U.S. and Israeli oil interests. If the oil supply is threatened, then stock prices are likely to fall quickly in response. That is what we have seen over the last two weeks as this war has continued, and investors should expect more of the same until the situation is resolved.

Some of the largest stock market price fluctuations have occurred in the energy sector, as expected, with premarket trading for this niche taking off on Tuesday morning. Shell (SHEL) hit a record high on Monday and continued to rise on Tuesday, and this gas and oil company stands to profit tremendously from the increased demand for its resources while supplies are placed in jeopardy.

Gas and oil prices could continue to rise this year, and Goldman Sachs predicts an increase of around 20-30% throughout 2026. BP (BP) has been rising swiftly over the past two weeks, outperforming the rest of the market and benefitting tremendously from events in the Middle East. Several oil companies have moved less than expected last week, showing sluggish reactions to rapidly rising oil prices. One of those was Exxon Mobil (XOM) at first, but it has now moved 6.7% in the last week.

Chevron (CVX) has moved about the same, adding 6.4% in a week after a slow first week during the war in Iran. We anticipate further bullish movement from energy stocks as the fighting continues, and that may have the effect of pushing down the rest of the stock market as investors feel the pinch on their wallets.

Bitcoin Price Prediction as Token Closes in on $74K

Posted on March 16, 2026 by Timothy St. John

Falling oil prices have made space for crypto tokens to perform better as the week begins, and Bitcoin is now up to $73,826 (BTC/USD) in a strong performance.

Bitcoin is having trouble moving higher after achieving $74K.

Bitcoin (BTC) has not just reclaimed its recent gains but has also climbed higher than it has been since early February. The coin is up by 3.5% over the last day and is starting to stall out at the time of writing. It may be running out of steam or might be slowing down before a further surge.

[[BTC/USD]]

The price of Bitcoin has also climbed as spot ETF inflows increase. For the last week, the market has witnessed a reversal in that area of the market which is pulling up crypto tokens as a whole.

Bitcoin Encounters Hesitant Investors

In 2025, a strong move like Bitcoin made Monday would have resulted in continuous upward momentum. That is not so in 2026 when investors are much more skeptical and hesitant. They want to wait and see what Bitcoin will do next and if it can hold onto its gains.

For the past few months, Bitcoin has spent much time falling and little time climbing or holding onto gains. Only since late February did the coin start to climb back and hold onto some of its progress. Bitcoin fell to $62K on February 24^th and then climbed. It fell again shortly afterwards, but only to $63K.

That was followed by another surge in early March that peaked at $73K. But Bitcoin fell once more and ended up at $66K. A pattern was starting to emerge that made investors and analysts both more hopeful. It appears that Bitcoin is making progress, slowly but surely. That is an encouraging sign for the beleaguered token that has spent so long below its last record high back in October.

Indicators show that buyers are helping the coin move higher, but many investors are holding back. Trade volume is high- up 140% from the previous day, but there is hesitancy to embrace Bitcoin at $74K. Now, Bitcoin has stalled and may have trouble moving higher, but for now, it is not losing its gains. That is a promising indicator for investors looking for a reason to buy in now while the coin is at a four-week high.

Stocks Jump Monday as Oil Prices Fall

Posted on March 16, 2026 by Timothy St. John

Stock market indices closed low on Friday but surged on Monday after oil prices dipped. The Iran war has been making energy rates fluctuate and has been playing havoc on Wall Street.

Oil prices are dropping as it looks like the United States is not ready to stop the war in Iran.

The Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.1% on Monday while the S&P 500 gained 0.9% and the Dow added 0.8%. The increase was due to oil prices falling after weeks of rising rates in the energy market. This may only be a small reprieve in the ongoing Iran crisis, though.

Oil prices dropped from just above $200 per barrel to $95 per barrel on Monday, with WIT crude falling 3% and Brent crude dropping 1%. This change in rates has come on the heels of an announcement from the treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. He said that the U.S. government is following oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

Energy and Tech Stocks Climb

Energy prices are dipping for now but could be back up after any further alterations occur near Iran. Because no agreement for peace is being considered by the parties involved for now, we expect fighting there to continue. Energy stocks are up almost across the board, with a number of high performing assets from that sector already this week.

BP (BP) gained 0.95% on Monday while EOG resources (EOG) climbed 0.94%. Permian Resources (PR) added 0.21%, and Chord Energy Group (CHRD) rose 2.07%. Even with gas prices dropping, most analysts expect the market to rebound quickly and energy stocks to continue to climb for now.

Meta is one of the top-earning technology stocks so far for the week with gains of 2% on Monday. The Magnificent Seven, which mostly consist of tech stocks, are very bullish at the start of the week. Alphabet (GGOGL) added 0.64% while Apple (AAPL) gained 1%. Microsoft (MSFT) is doing well too, with gains of 0.86% for the day. The tech sector is still climbing from last week’s gains, which may leave many stocks near record highs,

Of course, Nvidia (NVDA) is the one to watch for indicators as to how AI-related tech stocks will perform. Nvidia jumped 2.23% on Monday in a strong performance that continues to allay fears over the death of the AI market and overspending concerns from investors.

President Donald Trump spoke to reporters over the weekend and told them that Iran is ready to make a deal, but he is not. It appears that the war will drag on for longer, which could make for a volatile stock market and declining stock values overall.

Ethereum Price Prediction Following Crypto Market Tumble

Posted on March 12, 2026 by Timothy St. John

The cryptocurrency market experienced minor losses on Thursday after a bullish week, and Ethereum (ETH) fell 1.34% over the last day while the stock market slipped on rising oil prices.

The cryptocurrency market is down today but retains most of its gains from recent days.

Ethereum is down to $2,050 (ETH/USD) as a downward trend sweeps the crypto market. Bitcoin (BTC) fell 1.03% on Thursday along with XRP (XRP), which lost 2.05%. Widespread decline erased some of the gains from the previous day and most of the gains from the last week across the crypto market.

[[ETH/USD]]

Selling pressure climbed as oil and gas prices jumped globally. Many regions are expecting gas shortages in the near future as the war in Iran continues. Most of the crypto market experienced increases early on in the week, and Ethereum ETF inflows were recorded at $57 million for March 11^th.

Ethereum Back above $2,000

Even though Ethereum slipped on Thursday, it remained above the psychologically significant $2,000 level, which it passed on Monday. As long as Ethereum can keep from slipping below there, it will likely enjoy strong investor support and excellent consumer sentiment. The ETH rate has continuously dropped below $2K throughout March but shows support around that level that is promising.

On the whole, the crypto market is mildly bullish and is moving from gain to gain over time in 2026. Bitcoin is behaving similarly with repeated gains and losses, but with higher lows achieved each week. That means that when ETH and BTC fell in recent weeks, they did not fall as much as the time before and have kept from slipping back into long-term bearish trends.

Over the last year, Ethereum has gained 8%, which is not as much as most analysts predicted. However, 2026 has been a slow year for the market, and for Ethereum to hold onto its gains and remain above $2K for any length of time bodes well for the coin’s future prospects.

Ethereum remains mildly bullish and yet precarious at the same time. If a strong enough factor hits the market, it could drive Ethereum down with incredible force and bring it back to its 2026 lows, but the current economic climate is healthy for crypto. Ethereum may enjoy a boost from the recent CPI report that showed that inflation is still at 2.4%. It may also get a boost from this week’s jobs report that demonstrated that unemployment claims have fallen in the United States. These factors could help propel Ethereum to $2.1K very soon and strengthen the support level above $2K.