The head of Europe’s central bank just said financial markets don’t understand what they’re in for.
This is Christine Lagarde saying the damage is already done. Most people have absolutely no idea. Here is what she actually said.
Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz. That chokepoint carries 20% of the world’s oil and gas. Markets shrugged. Investors assumed it would blow over. Lagarde told The Economist that technical experts are not talking about months for recovery. They are talking about years.
Helium travels through the Strait of Hormuz. Helium is not a balloon gas. It is the invisible ingredient inside every advanced microchip on earth. Qatar supplies 35% of the world’s commercial helium. Qatar’s facilities have gone dark. Spot prices have surged past $450 per thousand cubic feet. Most chip fabricators carry less than three months of inventory. The world is building AI data centers at record speed. The raw material that makes the chips possible is now scarce.
Meanwhile Brent crude has hit $99. Earlier spikes passed $120. US gasoline is up 30%. Iraq cut 1.5 million barrels a day. Saudi Arabia paused its largest refinery. Europe is heading into this with gas storage at 30% capacity.
And the ECB is not cutting rates to soften the blow. It is considering hiking them to fight inflation.
Slow economy. Rising prices. Tighter money. All at once.
Gandalv / @Microinteracti1
This is Christine Lagarde saying the damage is already done. Most people have absolutely no idea. Here is what she actually said.
Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz. That chokepoint carries 20% of the world’s oil and gas. Markets shrugged. Investors assumed it would blow over. Lagarde told The Economist that technical experts are not talking about months for recovery. They are talking about years.
Helium travels through the Strait of Hormuz. Helium is not a balloon gas. It is the invisible ingredient inside every advanced microchip on earth. Qatar supplies 35% of the world’s commercial helium. Qatar’s facilities have gone dark. Spot prices have surged past $450 per thousand cubic feet. Most chip fabricators carry less than three months of inventory. The world is building AI data centers at record speed. The raw material that makes the chips possible is now scarce.
Meanwhile Brent crude has hit $99. Earlier spikes passed $120. US gasoline is up 30%. Iraq cut 1.5 million barrels a day. Saudi Arabia paused its largest refinery. Europe is heading into this with gas storage at 30% capacity.
And the ECB is not cutting rates to soften the blow. It is considering hiking them to fight inflation.
Slow economy. Rising prices. Tighter money. All at once.
Gandalv / @Microinteracti1
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