Oil prices have jumped over $6 a barrel since the Hamas attack on Israel as a geopolitical risk premium became embedded in the oil price. The surprise attack brought up memories of the Yom Kippur War 50 years ago, in which the armies of Egypt and Syria launched a simultaneous surprise attack on Yom Kippur in 1973 that left Israel fighting for its existence. In the wake of that war, the Arab-producing states launched an oil embargo on the West which devastated growth. It’s no wonder oil prices popped this time.
I think investors should fade market’s war fears. Here’s why.