Heating oil price slips today, but distillate stock squeeze keeps traders on edge
New York, Feb 20, 2026, 14:02 EST — Regular session Heating oil futures in the U.S. slipped on Friday, giving up a portion of Thursday’s gains as crude prices hovered close to six-month peaks. The March NY Harbor ULSD contract dropped 2.2 cents, or 0.8%, settling at $2.59 per gallon. April contracts slid roughly 1% to $2.48. That keeps the front months trading above later ones—traders call this “backwardation,” and it typically points to a tight supply in the near term.