Brent crude trades near $105 as Iran attacks more Gulf targets, while shares are mixed

Brent crude oil is trading near the $105 per barrel level as Gulf countries report more attacks by Iran with the war entering its third week. Share prices in Asia were mixed and U.S. futures advanced. On Friday, Wall Street’s losses deepened as the war pushed oil prices higher, piling inflationary pressures on the global economy. The S&P 500 fell 0.6% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.3%. The Nasdaq composite dropped 0.9%. A measure of inflation closely monitored by the Federal Reserve moved higher in January, even before the war with Iran sent energy prices higher.