The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Indian Oil Corp, which specializes in the oil and gas sector, A.S. Sahani, said during an industrial event held on Tuesday that India needs to strengthen its naval fleet to help refineries benefit from crude oil at reduced prices.
Sahani stressed, during a discussion session at the “Energy Technology and Innovation Conference” held in the state of Goa, in reference to the shortage of crude oil tankers: “We have neglected the shipping sector... and we must build our capabilities in this field.” Today, we get crude oil at discounted prices, but shipping costs eat into these gains. Shipping costs are a killer factor.”
Shipping rates for Russian oil exports from its western ports to India reached record levels in early October, driven by increasing risks in the Black Sea and a global rise in oil tanker fees.
Sahani added that India also needs to invest in building storage for crude oil and liquefied petroleum gas, which will give the country a few extra days of flexibility.
The Standard & Poor's 500 and Nasdaq indexes rose on Tuesday, with the decline in oil prices supporting investors' appetite for high-risk assets ahead of the Federal Reserve's decision on monetary policy this week, while investors also evaluated a group of major companies' business results.
Markets widely expect the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates unchanged on Wednesday, after raising them last month, although markets are pricing in the possibility of at least two additional increases by mid-2027, in light of the continued rise in major inflation indicators amid the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran, according to Reuters.
Brent crude prices fell for the second session in a row, amid volatile trading, but remained near their highest levels since late April.
By 9:57 a.m. EST, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 73.92 points, or 0.14 percent, to 52,287.66 points. On the other hand, the Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose by 12.45 points, or 0.16 percent, to 7,689.22 points, and the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 98.08 points, or 0.38 percent, to 26,267.46 points.
The decline in the shares of Sherwin Williams, a paint manufacturer, put pressure on the Dow Jones Index by 3.4 percent, after the company announced quarterly profits that fell short of expectations.
Shares of 6 of the eleven major sectors included in the Standard & Poor's 500 index rose, led by the technology sector, while the energy sector recorded the weakest performance.
The performance of stocks of giant companies and growth stocks varies. Tesla shares rose by about 3 percent, continuing its gains after rising by more than 5 percent in the previous session.
Shares of electronic chip companies also rose by 1.8 percent, recording gains for the third session in a row, after weeks of sharp declines. Shares of cloud computing companies specializing in artificial intelligence, CoreWave and Nebios, also rose significantly.
On the other hand, Meta shares fell by 1.1 percent, after the company raised the size of the largest fundraising operation through the issuance of shares in its history to $97.5 billion, to finance expansion in the field of artificial intelligence. The process also attracted interest from Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices, and Broadcom, whose total investments could reach $5 billion.
This move comes at a time when growing concerns about the feasibility of debt-financed spending, in light of rising borrowing costs, have put pressure on artificial intelligence stocks this month.
In this context, investors are awaiting the results of the giant technology companies “Alphabet”, “Microsoft” and “Amazon” later this week, searching for indications that huge investments in artificial intelligence are beginning to turn into growth in business and revenues.
Peter Andersen, founder of Andersen Capital Management, said: “If we see positive surprises and raised earnings expectations for any of the artificial intelligence stocks that will announce their results between now and the initial public offering of (Anthropic), I think the environment will be very positive for these companies.”
Anthropic, a company specialized in developing artificial intelligence, revealed on Monday that it had submitted its file for an initial public offering in the United States, in an important step towards a listing that may be among the largest in history, despite its disclosure of significant losses and security concerns.
Among other stocks, Boeing stock fell by 1.8 percent, after the company announced losses in the third quarter that exceeded analysts’ expectations. The shares of Xylem, which specializes in water management, also fell by 8.8 percent, after it lowered its expectations for the full year.
On the other hand, “Royal Caribbean” shares rose by 6.5 percent, after the cruise company raised its annual profit expectations, while “General Motors” shares rose by 5 percent, after it announced plans to transfer the listing of its shares to the Nasdaq Stock Exchange.
Investors are also looking forward to the midterm elections scheduled for November 3, which will determine control of the US Congress. On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of rising stocks outnumbered the declining stocks by a ratio of 1.16 to 1, while the ratio on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange was 1.24 to 1.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index recorded four new highs in 52 weeks, without recording any new lows. As for the Nasdaq Composite Index, it recorded 26 new highs, compared to 127 new lows.
Governments' calls to maintain several days' worth of supplies are no longer limited to preparing for natural disasters; Rather, it reflects a broader economic trend to reduce the impact of crises on the supply of goods and services, and reduce immediate dependence on public support networks, when supply chains are disrupted or vital facilities stop working.
From Japan to a number of European countries, the authorities encourage families to maintain stocks of water, food, medicine, and basic supplies sufficient for at least 3 days, while some countries increase the recommended period to a week or more. In Britain, for example, the government's "Be Prepared" campaign calls on families to keep supplies sufficient for 72 hours to confront any possible disruption to basic services.
In Japan, the government is preparing to launch a similar call on November 2, recommending that supplies be provided for at least 3 days, and preferably a week, in anticipation of natural disasters and supply disruptions.
These recommendations gain economic importance in light of what the crises of recent years have shown about the fragility of supply chains in the face of shocks, starting with the “Covid-19” pandemic and ending with the repercussions of the Russian war on Ukraine and the turmoil that affected the energy and food markets.
These calls do not mean that governments expect an imminent crisis or a certain shortage of goods, but they indicate an increasing effort to enhance the ability of families and communities to overcome temporary interruptions, and to reduce losses that may result from the cessation of services or the disruption of the arrival of basic products.
This trend emerged clearly in the “Preparedness Union” strategy launched by the European Commission in March 2025, which called for enabling the population to rely on themselves for a period of no less than 72 hours when crises occur. The strategy was not limited to the readiness of individuals; It also included improving government coordination, enhancing early warning, protecting vital services, and developing cooperation between the public and private sectors.
In July 2025, the European Commission put forward an independent strategy to enhance the material stocks needed to confront crises, based on the lessons learned from the “Covid-19” pandemic and disruptions in the supply of energy and raw materials. It focused on improving coordination among member states, identifying gaps in strategic stocks, strengthening transportation and logistics infrastructure, and expanding cooperation with companies.
This approach reveals a difference between two types of preparedness: strategic stocks managed by governments or relevant institutions to ensure the availability of vital goods, and household supplies that allow families to meet their needs during the first days of the emergency. The two paths complement each other, but they do not replace the continued operation of supply chains or the intervention of the authorities when necessary.
From an economic perspective, the recommendations to build a household inventory mean that families are required to allocate part of their current spending to purchase goods that they may not need immediately, while taking into account expiration dates and stock replenishment. This may represent a greater burden on low-income families. Especially when preparations coincide with rising costs of living or food and energy prices.
But the size of the cost varies depending on the number of family members, the goods they already have, and the length of time you want to prepare. There are no unified estimates that allow determining the bill for these recommendations for all families in the countries concerned.
The financial impact can be reduced by gradually purchasing needs, increasing the quantities of long-lasting goods used in daily life, then consuming and renewing them periodically. This method allows you to build up a stock without having to buy large quantities at once or wasting food due to its expiration.
The issue is not limited to food and water; Families may need basic medicines, batteries, lighting sources, spare chargers, and hygiene supplies. These needs vary according to health and family conditions and the nature of the area in which they live.
The importance of household inventories goes beyond people's budgets to how the economy works in times of crisis. Disruptions to transportation, ports or electricity networks, for example, may limit stores' ability to restock their shelves, even if goods are available in other regions or from suppliers.
In such cases, household inventories can help postpone part of the immediate demand for stores and delivery services, giving stakeholders time to address logistical bottlenecks. However, this impact remains linked to the size and nature of the crisis, and does not represent a substitute for continued production, transportation and distribution.
The importance of strategic reserves managed by governments and companies is highlighted here. Especially in the food, energy, pharmaceutical and raw materials sectors. Having thoughtfully distributed reserves, along with alternative transportation and supply plans, may help limit supply disruptions and reduce the exposure of companies and consumers to severe fluctuations when shocks occur.
The Covid-19 pandemic crisis has shown that relying on a limited number of suppliers or production areas can expose entire sectors to disruption when factories stop or shipping traffic is disrupted. The disruptions in energy and agricultural supplies associated with the Russian war on Ukraine also highlighted the importance of diversifying sources of supply and providing alternatives to vital goods. The European Commission relied on these experiences in formulating its strategy to strengthen physical stocks.
Consumers' rush to buy essential goods at once may lead to temporary pressure on demand, and possibly shortages of some products in stores; Especially if companies cannot increase supply as quickly. But this is not an inevitable consequence of preparedness recommendations; The impact depends on consumer response, the size of available stocks, and the ability of supply chains to meet demand.
Therefore, the way government messages are directed represents an important factor in reducing unrest. Calling for the gradual purchase of needs, clarifying the types of goods required, and avoiding exaggerated storage helps reduce the possibility of buying out of fear, and the unnecessary pressure on stores and prices that may accompany it.
Monitoring markets and preventing monopolistic or exploitative practices, in addition to publishing clear information about the availability of goods, remain the responsibilities of economic and supervisory authorities. Also, ensuring the continuity of supplies requires cooperation with companies working in transportation, distribution, and storage, and not simply directing families to build private stocks.
The effectiveness of emergency preparedness is not measured by the size of what families store alone; Rather, it is the ability of the economy to continue providing basic needs when it is exposed to a shock. Household stocks provide a margin of time for individuals, while society's ability to overcome the crisis depends on the readiness of hospitals, water, electricity, transportation, and communications networks, and on the efficiency of the government response and the flexibility of companies.
From this standpoint, calls for preserving supplies appear to be part of a broader shift in economic risk management, based on distributing preparedness between the state, the private sector, and families. It is an approach that aims to reduce disruptions and losses when crises occur, not necessarily indicating their imminence.
Ultimately, the most important economic question is not whether households will need to use emergency stocks; Rather, it is the extent to which economies are prepared to ensure continued access to essential goods and services if supply chains or infrastructure are suddenly disrupted.
