WTI Futures Fall 2.33% as Gold Edges Up to $4,321.20

Crude oil futures declined on Friday, September 25, 2026, while gold moved higher. WTI futures (CLUSD) fell 2.33% to $92.41 from $94.61 at Thursday's close, a drop of $2.20. Gold (GCUSD) rose 0.54% to $4,321.20 from $4,298.00.

The FRED daily WTI spot price series showed $85.23 for the same date. The spot and futures figures come from different sources and are reported separately.

In currency markets, the dollar-tracking ETF UUP slipped 0.24% to 28.62, while the Fed's nominal broad dollar index stood at 120.33. Bitcoin eased 0.35% to $84,093.13 from $84,385.46.

Weekly positioning data from the CFTC showed speculative net long positions in crude oil at 141.1 thousand contracts, up from 135.9 thousand the previous week. Gold speculative net positions were 225.9 thousand, down from 230.3 thousand, and copper net positions rose to 90.5 thousand from 75.1 thousand. The Baker Hughes U.S. oil rig count was 455, compared with an estimate of 453 and 452 the prior week.

Energy shares moved in the same direction as crude futures: the Energy sector ETF (XLE) fell 0.90% to 62.04, one of three sector funds to decline on the day.

Headlines during the session pointed to oil and transport costs as themes. A WSJ headline referred to a week of "Volatile Oil Prices," and another WSJ article was titled "The Cost of Transporting Pretty Much Everything Just Won't Stop Going Up." Fox Business ran a segment titled "Putting 'ECONOMIC SCREWS' to Iran indefinitely is 'taking shape'."

Data

Data: FMP, FRED. Figures are close-to-close unless stated.

In the news

• WSJ: Stocks Rise to Cap Week of Increasing Yields, Volatile Oil Prices
• WSJ: The Cost of Transporting Pretty Much Everything Just Won't Stop Going Up
• Fox Business: Putting 'ECONOMIC SCREWS' to Iran indefinitely is 'taking shape': Jackie DeAngelis