Why the Strait of Hormuz matters

Chokepoint could create multi-market shock for oil, LNG, fertilizer, and shipping

The Strait of Hormuz is like a narrow bridge on a major highway. If it’s blocked – or even if it’s technically open but ships avoid it because it’s too dangerous – the result isn’t just higher oil prices. There is a ripple effect through natural gas (LNG), fertilizer and global shipping, which can show up later as higher electricity bills, higher food prices, and weaker economic growth.

Why this chokepoint matters. Roughly 20 million barrels of oil per day (of about 110 million barrels consumed per day globally) move through this strait. In addition, a large share of global LNG shipments, and a meaningful amount of fertilizer moving by sea transit the same corridor. Any disruption doesn’t just hit one market – it simultaneously stresses several critical supply chains.

How markets are pricing the risk. Energy prices have jumped because markets are adding a risk premium for supply that could be disrupted. But pricing also suggests investors still expect the situation to resolve relatively quickly. That expectation shows up in a common commodity market pattern called “backwardation,” which occurs when the price of oil for immediate delivery is higher than the price for oil delivered later (for example, six to 12 months from now). In plain English, the market is saying: “Pain now, relief later.”

The big swing factor is time

Even if markets expect improvement later in the year, prices can still swing sharply day to day. Each new headline can change expectations about whether ships continue moving through the strait. The most important factor is how long the disruption lasts. The next two to four weeks are likely to be critical.

Scenario 1: Quick resolution (around ~three weeks)
This is the contained damage scenario. Oil and gas prices spike initially, but inventories and emergency measures limit real-world shortages. Shipping routes adjust, and prices gradually retrace as the immediate risk fades. Under this outcome, spot oil could drift back toward more normal levels later in the year.
Scenario 2: Extended disruption (into April)
Here the story shifts from a temporary market scare to a broader economic drag. Several pressures begin to build at once: Emergency buffers such as strategic petroleum reserves are used faster than expected, storage and logistics constraints begin to tighten, and Persian Gulf producers may have to slow output simply because moving barrels becomes more difficult or risky. At that point, the issue is no longer just higher oil prices. It becomes a multi-market shock involving oil, LNG, fertilizer, and shipping – pushing higher inflation while growth slows.
Scenario 3: Prolonged tail risk (May/June)
This is a lower-probability, but more severe scenario. If disruption persists for several months, the effects compound: larger spikes in oil and natural gas prices, price increases in petrochemicals and fertilizer, meaningful demand destruction as consumers and businesses cut back (which creates rising global recession risk), and greater financial stress in emerging markets, which are exposed to energy and food price shocks. Oil-exporting emerging markets would benefit (Latin America).

Disruptions

Equities: It may be too early to call it a dip. The near-term outlook for equities is highly sensitive to how quickly the strait stabilizes. A quick reopening could trigger a relief rally as the geopolitical risk premium fades. But if shipping conditions don’t meaningfully improve within a few weeks, markets could face higher volatility and deeper downside pressure. Another complication – this shock is arriving while investors are already managing several other uncertainties – from the artificial intelligence capital expenditure cycle to trade policy and questions around private markets. When the “uncertainty bucket” is already full, markets tend to be less forgiving.

Macro and rates: The core risk we see is higher-for-longer inflation. Our base case isn’t necessarily an immediate recession. The bigger macro risk is persistent inflation pressure. If energy and shipping disruptions linger, inflation may stay elevated for longer, making central banks slower to cut interest rates. That creates a difficult mix: growth slows, inflation stays sticky, and policy support arrives later than markets hope.

United States vs. Europe. Europe is generally more vulnerable because it is more sensitive to imported energy. The United States is structurally better positioned because it produces a lot of its own energy and can even benefit at the margin as an exporter when global prices rise.

Fertilizer and food: Delayed impact. One of the most overlooked channels is fertilizer. If shipments are delayed or prices spike, farmers may apply less fertilizer, crop yields can fall later in the season, and food prices can rise months after the initial energy shock. Because fertilizer use is highly seasonal, missing the application window cannot always be fully reversed later.

Oil supply response: Shale helps, but it isn’t a magic switch. Higher forward prices can encourage U.S. shale producers to increase supply. However, the response may be slower than in past cycles. Many producers now prioritize capital discipline, and shareholder returns over rapid production growth, which limits how quickly supply can expand.

Private credit: More headline risk than immediate fundamental collapse. The immediate risk in private credit is less about fundamentals and more about liquidity and sentiment. Semi-liquid investment vehicles facing heavier redemptions could see pressure if volatility rises. The deeper fundamental risks – such as refinancing challenges in certain sectors like software – are more likely to appear later. Private credit may not be the first domino, but it can become an amplifier if the macro backdrop deteriorates.

Investment takeaway

The simplest way we see to frame the situation is scenario-based. If tensions ease quickly, the risk premium could unwind rapidly, energy prices would fall, inflation pressure would ease, and risk assets rebound. If disruption persists, the story then becomes a multi-commodity supply shock involving oil, LNG, fertilizer, and shipping. That environment typically means higher volatility, greater pressure on import-dependent regions, and relatively stronger performance in energy-linked sectors while consumer-sensitive areas face the most strain.

Stephen Dover, CFA, is Franklin Templeton’s Chief Market Strategist and Head of the Franklin Templeton Investment Institute. Follow Stephen Dover on LinkedIn where he posts his thoughts and comments as well as his Global Market Perspectives newsletter.

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