Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs cut their forecast for oil prices towards the end of the year and 2027 following developments in the peace negotiations between the United States and Iran earlier this week.
Morgan Stanley now sees Brent crude averaging $80 per barrel in the last quarter of 2026, and $90 per barrel in the third quarter, Bloomberg reported, citing a note from the bank’s commodity team. Morgan Stanley’s earlier forecast was for an average of $100 per barrel of Brent in the third quarter, while the fourth-quarter price forecast was unchanged.
“Much is still to be negotiated, and key risks remain, but for now, this is a key step towards a de-escalation of the conflict and higher oil exports via the Strait of Hormuz,” the analysts said, expecting a speedy recovery in tanker flows once the strait is reopened.
Goldman Sachs, meanwhile, cut its price forecast for the fourth quarter to $80 per barrel from $90 per barrel, and the 2027 average forecast for Brent crude to $75 per barrel from $80 in earlier forecasts. According to the bank’s commodity analysts, tanker traffic via the Strait of Hormuz would recover fully by the end of July.
Citi is even more bearish than its peers on oil prices. On Monday, the bank cut its oil price forecast to $75 per barrel of Brent in the third quarter of this year, falling further to an average of $70 per barrel in the final quarter. For 2027, Citi expects an average Brent price of $65 per barrel. That’s down from an earlier 2027 forecast of $80 per barrel of Brent.
The international benchmark earlier this week fell to the lowest since early March following the news of a preliminary peace deal between Washington and Tehran. Set to be signed on Friday in Switzerland, the deal will see Iran reopen Hormuz within 30 days.
Brent dropped below $90 per barrel on the news earlier today, extending the loss to trade at $82.51 per barrel at the time of writing. WTI was trading at $80.23 per barrel.
By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com
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