The economy in plain English, with sources
Future Macro covers oil, inflation, rates and the Fed, and what they cost you. Every number carries its date and source.
Brent · Oct 27, 2026 spot
$123.10Latest daily Brent spot price EIA has published. We check for a new one every day.
Source: EIA
As of Oct 27, 2026 (oil) and the week of Oct 26, 2026 (pump prices)
Numbers we're watching
Oil and pump prices come straight from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and are checked daily; last checked Nov 1, 2026. Real pay is from the BLS monthly release.
- Brent crude $123.10 per barrel, daily spot price Oct 27, 2026 · EIA
- Gas vs a year ago +$1.23 per gallon ($4.269 vs $3.035) week of Oct 26, 2026 · EIA
- Diesel $6.352 per gallon ($3.718 a year earlier) week of Oct 26, 2026 · EIA
- Real hourly pay −0.7% vs a year ago, after inflation September 2026 · BLS Real Earnings
From the latest video
What oil does to a paycheck
Gas and diesel against a year earlier, and pay against prices. Both charts come from the Brent video.
These charts use AAA’s daily average from Oct 19, as in the video. The numbers above use EIA’s weekly U.S. average, so the two can differ by a few cents.
Pump prices, a year apart
U.S. average per gallon
| Measure | A year earlier | Oct 19, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | $3.63 | $6.32 |
| Regular | $3.04 | $4.30 |
Pay rose 3.0%. Prices rose 3.7%.
Change vs a year earlier, September 2026
| Measure | Change vs a year earlier |
|---|---|
| Average hourly pay | +3.0% |
| Consumer prices (CPI) | +3.7% |
| Real hourly pay | −0.7% |
Source: BLS Employment Situation, Sept 2026; BLS CPI, Sept 2026; BLS Real Earnings, Sept 2026
Latest video · Oct 21, 2026
Watch, then check the sources
Brent Hit $109.86. What It Means for Inflation.
Source pages
Explainers and tools
Check the numbers yourself
- Release calendarCPI, jobs, PCE, GDP and Fed dates from the official schedules
- Gas-cost calculatorYour weekly and yearly fuel bill at the latest EIA price
- Headline vs core inflationTwo inflation numbers, and the one you feel
- Real vs nominal payWhen a raise still leaves you behind
- From oil to the pumpWhat a move in crude means per gallon
Newsletter
Three NumbersThe week in three numbers, every Sunday.
Each one comes with its date and source, plus a short note on what it means for your money.