Brent Crude
The global oil benchmark — more relevant than WTI for European, Asian, and African markets.
Previous close $85.0947/bbl
52-week high
$95.0123/bbl
52-week low
$40.2771/bbl
YTD change
+85.68%
Historical series derived from BNO ETF and scaled to today's index level — shape is accurate, absolute levels are approximate (±small tracking error).Up over the period.
The 30-second take
Brent prices the seaborne oil market, covering roughly 70% of global crude trade. The Brent-WTI spread tells you something about US logistics (pipeline bottlenecks, Permian export capacity). A narrow spread (£2) means efficient US exports; a wide spread (£5+) signals stress. For UK/European interviews, always quote Brent, not WTI. Energy names like Shell and BP price their reserves off Brent.
Historical reference points
Bankers instinctively contextualise today's level against these moments. Each row shows how far the current level is above / below that reference.
- 2008 all-time highJul 2008$147.00/bbl-43.62%
- 2016 lowJan 2016$28.00/bbl+196.02%
- COVID crash lowApr 2020$19.00/bbl+336.24%
- Ukraine-war peakMar 2022$127.00/bbl-34.74%
Compare against
Master the whole framework
The live numbers are one leg. Read the lesson for the four things to always know, plus the full interview script.
Discussing Markets — read the lesson →