Market news that explains a move in manufacturers’ input and energy costs, newest first. Each item links its sources.
Inflation
Consumer prices rose 0.4% in October (seasonally adjusted) and 0.3% excluding food and energy, the third straight 0.3% core gain. Food rose 0.5% and energy 0.7%. BLS published no 12-month rate because October 2025 prices were never collected during the shutdown. Producer prices for October follow on November 13.
Sources: BLS CPI news release, CNBC
Food and grain
The November WASDE lowered the 2026 corn yield to 179.6 bushels an acre from 181.2 and cut 2026-27 corn ending stocks to 1.758 billion bushels from 1.849 billion; soybean stocks fell to 300 million bushels. Corn rose 12 cents and soybeans 36 cents after the report. Tighter grain supply supports the grains producer price index after its autumn slide.
Sources: Ohio's Country Journal, RFD-TV
Electricity
EIA forecasts U.S. electricity consumption rising from about 4,216 billion kWh in 2025 to about 4,306 billion in 2026 and about 4,370 billion in 2027. Commercial sales, which EIA says include data centers, pass residential sales; industrial gas use rises to 23.8 Bcf a day in 2026. Growing large loads keep upward pressure on industrial power prices.
Sources: Reuters via BOE Report, MLQ.ai
Natural gas
EIA now expects Henry Hub to average $2.87 per MMBtu from November through March, 16% below last month's outlook, because mild weather cut heating demand and left more gas in storage. International gas prices are at their highest since December 2022, keeping U.S. LNG export plants near capacity. Supports low industrial gas costs this winter.
Sources: EIA Short-Term Energy Outlook, November 2026, Gain Consulting
Oil
EIA's November Short-Term Energy Outlook expects Brent to stay near $100 a barrel for the rest of 2026 and to ease to about $77 by late 2027. It lifted its 2027 average retail diesel forecast 12% to $5.03 a gallon, citing tight product markets; U.S. crude inventories ended October at the lowest October level since 2014. Moves WTI, diesel and, with a lag, chemical producer prices.
Sources: Gain Consulting (summary of EIA STEO, Nov 10 2026), BigGo Finance
Oil
WTI futures fell about 17.5% from roughly $105 in late October to $86.65 on November 5, then recovered to about $92.50. Chemical producer prices have followed oil with about a one-month lag since 2016, so the slide should show up in December chemical prices if it holds.
Sources: investingLive
Natural gas
Henry Hub futures dropped from a $3.28 high on October 13 to $2.60 on October 26 as warmer-than-normal weather into early November delayed heating demand.
Sources: American Gas Association
Natural gas
The November contract expired at $2.776 after spot gas touched $2.52 on October 26. December futures near $3.06 price a winter premium of about 30 cents over spot.
Sources: TradingNEWS
Natural gas
U.S. LNG export plants were already running near capacity, so the roughly $26 gap between European and Louisiana gas could not pull more U.S. gas overseas. Several Northeast citygate hubs traded below Henry Hub through October.
Sources: TradingNEWS
Chemicals
Buyers are advised to watch ethylene, propylene and benzene rather than crude oil alone: an oil spike does not lift every resin equally, because supply, inventories and operating rates also set pricing power.
Sources: Plastics Today
Natural gas
Wood Mackenzie expects Henry Hub to approach $5 per MMBtu in real terms by 2035, up from the $2–$4 range of the past decade, as AI power demand and LNG exports grow.
Sources: World Oil
Chemicals
U.S. polyurethane resin prices rose 8.86% in the week ending March 13 as isocyanate and polyol feedstock costs climbed; the Strait of Hormuz had been closed since late February, cutting naphtha flows to Asian chemical plants.
Sources: ChemAnalyst
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