Brent Crude Settles at US$116.72, Up 3.1% | Oil, Oct 23
Key Facts
- Brent crude settled at US$116.72 a barrel, up 3.1%, and US crude (WTI) at US$103.27, up 3.8%.
- The US oil fund USO jumped 4.32% to US$169.53 and the Brent fund BNO rose 3.0% to US$70.99.
- Latin American producers rose in New York: Petrobras 2.11% to US$26.16, YPF 3.07% to US$50.68 and Ecopetrol 4.64% to US$17.80.
- Prediction markets: Polymarket gives 80% to WTI touching US$105 in October and 36% to US$110 (US$4.1 million traded; 8:52 pm ET, 23 October).
Today’s Focus
Oil climbed again on Friday, 23 October, and Latin American producers rose with it. Brent crude settled at US$116.72 a barrel, up 3.1%, and WTI at US$103.27, up 3.8%.
The US oil fund USO gained 4.32%. Petrobras, YPF and Ecopetrol all advanced in New York.
What matters today. Higher oil lifted Latin American producers and raised fears about inflation and interest rates.
01 The session in one read
Brent, the international oil benchmark, settled at US$116.72 a barrel, up 3.1%. WTI, the US benchmark, settled at US$103.27, up 3.8%.
The US oil fund USO rose 4.32% to US$169.53, and the Brent fund BNO gained 3.0% to US$70.99. Latin American producers rose with crude: Petrobras gained 2.11%, YPF 3.07% and Ecopetrol 4.64%.
Oil is Latin America’s most important export commodity, and it matters for US drivers too. Higher crude usually raises petrol prices within weeks.
Buyers dominated on Friday and the funds rose even more than the benchmarks. Our verified sources do not explain the cause of the move in detail.
The risk is two-way: a rapid rise can reverse quickly if supply fears fade.
02 The board
Brent settled at US$116.72, up 3.1%, and WTI at US$103.27, up 3.8%. The fund USO closed at US$169.53, up 4.32%, and BNO at US$70.99, up 3.0%.
Petrobras, YPF and Ecopetrol all closed higher in New York.
| Asset | Level | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Brent crude (US$ a barrel) | US$116.72 | +3.10% |
| WTI crude (US$ a barrel) | US$103.27 | +3.80% |
| US oil fund (USO) | US$169.53 | +4.32% |
| Brent fund (BNO) | US$70.99 | +3.00% |
| Petrobras (PBR) | US$26.16 | +2.11% |
| YPF (YPF) | US$50.68 | +3.07% |
| Ecopetrol (EC) | US$17.80 | +4.64% |
Source: RT close, 2026-10-23. Where a commodity has no spot feed, an exchange-traded tracker or leading producer is shown as a labelled proxy.
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Latin America — Cross-Market Board
| Instrument | Last | Change | YoY | Prev. | High | Low | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBOV | 205,082.56 | +0.47% | +21.85% | 204,120.12 | 168,310 | 167,142 | — |
| IPSA | 10,746.36 | -0.31% | — | 10,780.31 | 11,210 | 10,984 | 1,513,213,483 |
| IPC MEX | 69,678.08 | -0.30% | +12.17% | 69,889.73 | 66,121 | 65,405 | 108,886,187 |
| MERVAL | 3,017,221 | — | +30.51% | 3,022,485 | 3,042,365 | 2,991,150 | — |
| COLCAP | 2,540.10 | +0.46% | — | 9.04 | 9.05 | 9.02 | 4,133 |
| BVL PERÚ | 57,021.19 | +0.13% | — | — | — | — | — |
| USD/BRL | 5.16 | +0.01% | -5.13% | 5.16 | 5.18 | 5.14 | — |
| EUR/BRL | 5.95 | +1.01% | -5.83% | 5.89 | 5.98 | 5.94 | — |
| USD/MXN | 17.06 | -0.24% | -8.58% | 17.10 | 17.08 | 17.01 | — |
| USD/CLP | 913.98 | +0.04% | -5.67% | 913.65 | 915.11 | 906.68 | — |
| USD/COP | 3,140 | +0.03% | -22.04% | 3,139 | 3,141 | 3,105 | — |
| USD/PEN | 3.36 | -0.66% | -4.82% | 3.38 | 3.38 | 3.35 | — |
| USD/ARS | 1,493 | +0.10% | +12.96% | 1,491 | 1,494 | 1,480 | — |
| USD/UYU | 40.27 | +1.24% | +1.80% | 39.77 | 40.27 | 40.23 | — |
| USD/PYG | 5,939 | +1.68% | -19.54% | 5,841 | 5,939 | 5,925 | — |
| USD/BOB | 11.64 | -0.76% | +72.04% | 11.73 | 11.72 | 11.64 | — |
| USD/DOP | 58.34 | +1.25% | -3.44% | 57.62 | 58.34 | 58.04 | — |
| USD/CRC | 445.92 | +0.89% | -9.71% | 441.97 | 448.50 | 445.92 | — |
03 What moved it
The dollar index rose 0.14% on Friday, so the price rise came despite a slightly firmer dollar.
Higher oil can keep inflation high and interest rates higher for longer, which weighed on gold and metals on Friday. The University of Michigan survey showed US consumers expecting 4.7% inflation over the next year, as forecast and up from 4.6% before, according to the RT economic calendar.
04 The Latin American read
Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Mexico all produce oil. Petrobras, YPF and Ecopetrol are their main listed companies, and all three gained on Friday.
For Argentina, higher oil supports the shale basin Vaca Muerta. For Colombia, oil is the largest export, and the peso gained 0.31% on Friday.
05 The names to watch
USO tracks US crude futures, so it moved more than Brent on the day. BNO tracks Brent futures.
Petrobras, YPF and Ecopetrol are the simplest ways for US investors to follow Latin American oil.
06 The outlook
The direction of oil depends on supply news from the Middle East, which our verified sources did not detail on Friday. A further close above US$116 would extend the rally.
The US crude stock report on 28 October is the next scheduled data point.
07 What to watch
- US crude stocks: The weekly report is due on 28 October at 14:30 UTC.
- The Fed: Its decision on 28 October at 18:00 UTC.
- Brent at US$116: A close below it would end the rally.
- Latin American producers: Whether Petrobras, YPF and Ecopetrol hold Friday’s gains.
What Prediction Markets Say
Polymarket, a crypto-based prediction market, gives 80% to WTI crude touching US$105 at some point in October and 36% to US$110, with about US$4.1 million traded on the contract (read 8:52 pm ET, 23 October 2026). It gives about 10% to US$115.
These prices are bets, not forecasts.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Brent rise on Friday?
It settled at US$116.72 a barrel, up 3.1%.
Which Latin American oil companies are listed in New York?
Petrobras (Brazil), YPF (Argentina) and Ecopetrol (Colombia).
What is USO?
A US-listed fund that holds US crude futures.
When is the next US oil stock report?
On 28 October 2026 at 14:30 UTC.
Market data: RT
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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