The Open Bell — Ep. 020 — 20 Jul 2026

Today on The Open Bell: The US and Iran escalated over the weekend in ways that will show up at your petrol pump this week, with Brent crude clearing $90 a barrel after strikes hit vessels near the Strait of Hormuz and took out a Kuwaiti oil processing facility, and the uncomfortable truth is that every tick higher in oil makes it harder for central banks to cut rates the way everyone was hoping. The AI chip trade has now given back nearly a fifth of its peak value in under a month, and Netflix missing its revenue target by roughly $40 million was apparently all it took to remind markets that "the future of tech" is still a business that has to hit its numbers. With the European Central Bank due to announce its next rate decision on Thursday, this is a good moment to sit with a genuinely awkward problem: a war in the Middle East is pushing prices up and squeezing growth at the same time, and there is no clean rate move that solves both. If today's episode was worth your commute, a five-star rating takes ten seconds and helps the next listener find the show. Hosted by Alex Monroe. New episodes every weekday morning at theopenbell.co Not investment advice. For informational purposes only. --- Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:16 Brent Tops $90 After US-Iran Strikes Hit Kuwait Oil Facility 03:11 US Semiconductor Index Down 20% From Peak as Netflix Crash D 05:45 ECB Rate Decision Due July 24 After June Hike Cycle Restarts 07:47 Closing thoughtsSupport the show