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Hormuz Oil Shipments Hit Six-Month High? ETFs to Win/Lose
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Key Takeaways
Hormuz oil shipments hit a six-month high as supply risks ease.
Falling oil prices could benefit retailers, airlines, India and gold miners.
Energy ETFs could face pressure if crude prices decline further.
Oil and liquefied natural gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz reached their highest level in six months over the past two weeks, indicating that energy flows through the key waterway are recovering, per a regional U.S. commander, as quoted on Bloomberg and published on Yahoo Finance.
The U.S. commander attributed the improvement to ongoing U.S. naval protection and mine-clearance operations, saying the efforts are “paying off.” Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s efforts to reroute crude exports through Oman helped ease concerns over supply disruptions following recent drone attacks on the kingdom’s East-West pipeline.
To offset the impact of the pipeline closure, Saudi Arabia has arranged ship-to-ship crude transfers off Oman’s Sohar port, located just beyond the Strait of Hormuz. The move is helping provide Asian refiners with additional crude supplies, according to CNBC, citing Reuters.
As risks of supply disruptions lessened,United States Brent Oil Fund LP (BNO) has slumped 4.8% over the past one week (as of Sept. 18, 2026).
ETFs to Gain or Lose
If oil prices continue to lose in the medium term, the below-mentioned ETF areas are likely to gain and lose.
Falling oil prices should benefit consumers by lowering spending at gas stations and easing overall inflationary pressures. This can improve consumers’ purchasing power and leave more room for discretionary spending, benefiting retailers. This is particularly relevant as retailers head into the holiday season, typically their busiest selling period of the year. Thus, SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT - Free Report) could benefit from a falling oil price environment.
Falling oil prices could benefit India by lowering the country’s import bill and easing inflationary pressures. Against this backdrop, India-focused ETFs like iShares India 50 ETF (INDY - Free Report) could benefit from lower energy costs and a potentially more favorable economic environment.
Falling oil prices could benefit airlines by lowering jet fuel costs, one of their largest operating expenses. This could improve airlines’ profit margins and leave more room for competitive fares or capacity expansion. Thus, U.S. Global Jets ETF (JETS - Free Report) could benefit from a decline in oil prices.
Falling oil prices could benefit gold miners by reducing energy and fuel costs, which are significant expenses for mining operations. Gold mining is heavily dependent on fuel, with 15–20% of all-in operating costs (per goldmoney.com) directly tied to energy (diesel for heavy equipment, electricity). Lower operating costs could improve miners’ profit margins and support earnings, potentially benefiting gold-mining ETFs such as VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX - Free Report) .
ETFs to Lose
Energy –Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE - Free Report)
Falling oil prices could weigh on energy companies by reducing revenue from crude oil production and potentially pressuring profit margins. As a result, lower oil prices could create a challenging environment for the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE - Free Report) , which has significant exposure to large U.S. energy companies.
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Hormuz Oil Shipments Hit Six-Month High? ETFs to Win/Lose
Key Takeaways
Oil and liquefied natural gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz reached their highest level in six months over the past two weeks, indicating that energy flows through the key waterway are recovering, per a regional U.S. commander, as quoted on Bloomberg and published on Yahoo Finance.
The U.S. commander attributed the improvement to ongoing U.S. naval protection and mine-clearance operations, saying the efforts are “paying off.” Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s efforts to reroute crude exports through Oman helped ease concerns over supply disruptions following recent drone attacks on the kingdom’s East-West pipeline.
To offset the impact of the pipeline closure, Saudi Arabia has arranged ship-to-ship crude transfers off Oman’s Sohar port, located just beyond the Strait of Hormuz. The move is helping provide Asian refiners with additional crude supplies, according to CNBC, citing Reuters.
As risks of supply disruptions lessened,United States Brent Oil Fund LP (BNO) has slumped 4.8% over the past one week (as of Sept. 18, 2026).
ETFs to Gain or Lose
If oil prices continue to lose in the medium term, the below-mentioned ETF areas are likely to gain and lose.
ETFs to Gain
Retail -- SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT - Free Report)
Falling oil prices should benefit consumers by lowering spending at gas stations and easing overall inflationary pressures. This can improve consumers’ purchasing power and leave more room for discretionary spending, benefiting retailers. This is particularly relevant as retailers head into the holiday season, typically their busiest selling period of the year. Thus, SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT - Free Report) could benefit from a falling oil price environment.
India -- iShares India 50 ETF (INDY - Free Report)
Falling oil prices could benefit India by lowering the country’s import bill and easing inflationary pressures. Against this backdrop, India-focused ETFs like iShares India 50 ETF (INDY - Free Report) could benefit from lower energy costs and a potentially more favorable economic environment.
Airlines -- U.S. Global Jets ETF (JETS - Free Report)
Falling oil prices could benefit airlines by lowering jet fuel costs, one of their largest operating expenses. This could improve airlines’ profit margins and leave more room for competitive fares or capacity expansion. Thus, U.S. Global Jets ETF (JETS - Free Report) could benefit from a decline in oil prices.
Gold Mining – VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX - Free Report)
Falling oil prices could benefit gold miners by reducing energy and fuel costs, which are significant expenses for mining operations. Gold mining is heavily dependent on fuel, with 15–20% of all-in operating costs (per goldmoney.com) directly tied to energy (diesel for heavy equipment, electricity). Lower operating costs could improve miners’ profit margins and support earnings, potentially benefiting gold-mining ETFs such as VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX - Free Report) .
ETFs to Lose
Energy –Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE - Free Report)
Falling oil prices could weigh on energy companies by reducing revenue from crude oil production and potentially pressuring profit margins. As a result, lower oil prices could create a challenging environment for the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE - Free Report) , which has significant exposure to large U.S. energy companies.