NEW YORK, Feb 4, 2026, 06:57 (EST) — Premarket
- Heating oil futures gained in early trading, tracking the stronger crude oil prices.
- Traders kept a close watch on Middle East developments and awaited the upcoming U.S. inventory report.
- After wild swings earlier this week, price action stayed choppy.
NYMEX heating oil futures edged higher Wednesday morning, with the March contract gaining 2.90 cents, or 1.2%, to $2.4383 a gallon by 6:54 a.m. EST. Prices fluctuated between $2.4162 and $2.4467, following Tuesday’s close at $2.4093. (Investing)
This matters because heating oil serves as the wholesale benchmark for distillates — a category covering diesel fuel and home heating oil. Even small shifts in futures prices can quickly affect trucking fuel surcharges and winter heating bills, particularly when inventories run low.
This market’s been driven by headlines lately. Traders are scrambling to figure out if a geopolitical risk premium is creeping back—or if the upcoming inventory data will dial down the jitters once more.
Crude prices edged higher amid renewed tensions between the U.S. and Iran, a key factor influencing refined products like heating oil. The U.S. military reported downing an Iranian drone, while Iranian gunboats closed in on a U.S.-flagged tanker, shifting focus back to the Strait of Hormuz. Industry data showed U.S. crude stockpiles fell by more than 11 million barrels last week. Meanwhile, planned U.S.-Iran talks in Oman on Friday remained in play. (Reuters)
Heating oil typically follows crude prices, but it can surge ahead if diesel demand remains strong or concerns rise over refinery production. That’s when distillates break away from the usual pattern.
“The diplomatic effort to avoid a U.S. military strike in Iran is unravelling,” Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho, said in a note Tuesday. The market has taken each new development as a test of whether rising tensions will disrupt energy supplies. (Reuters)
But this trade comes with a risk. Should official data reveal rising distillate supplies, or if diplomatic efforts calm the tensions, the surge in heating oil demand could evaporate fast—leaving those who bought in late vulnerable.
Next in line is the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Weekly Petroleum Status Report, usually out shortly after 10:30 a.m. Eastern on Wednesdays — the closest firm catalyst coming up for a market fueled by both risk and speculation. (Eia)
