Brent crude has surged back above $100 as geopolitical tensions continue to pressure global energy supplies. That doesn’t just matter at the gas pump. Higher oil prices can affect transportation, inflation, interest rates, corporate margins and virtually every business in America.

For traders, however, there’s another question: have some oil-related stocks already moved too far? That’s where we introduce the Stall Method, our strategy for identifying potentially exhausted rallies and targeting 5%–10% downside moves using purchased puts. We also look at the Federal Reserve and the renewed possibility of higher interest rates. Rising oil prices and persistent inflation pressures have increased expectations that the Fed may need to tighten monetary policy further. We’ll talk about what higher rates mean for business owners, stock valuations and the market — and how sharp selloffs can potentially create setups for our Stretch, Fear and Hammer protocols. Finally, we break down the aftermath of the Trump–Xi summit.

The United States and China have announced tariff reductions covering roughly $60 billion in trade, while discussions involving technology, AI, agriculture and future trade negotiations continue. We examine which sectors and stocks could be affected and where traders should be watching for the next move. The goal isn’t to trade headlines blindly. The news tells us where to look. The protocol tells us whether to trade. In this episode, you’ll learn how we use the 22 Method, Stall Method, Stretch Method, Fear Method and Hammer Protocol to turn major market events into structured trading decisions. Topics: Oil prices, Brent crude, $100 oil, Federal Reserve, interest rates, Fed rate hike, Trump Xi summit, China tariffs, stock market, options trading, put options, short puts, trading strategies, business news, inflation, AI chips, U.S.–China trade.