Watching Crude and the Inflation Ripple

Bit of a head-scratcher with crude today, seeing $USO up +1.26% at 126.6, especially after the run we've had. It's not a massive spike, but it's enough to keep me thinking about the inflation narrative. Every time oil gets a sustained push, it's like a little alarm bell for the Fed, right? It makes their job of bringing inflation down that much harder, or at least prolongs the 'higher for longer' rate rhetoric.

I'm still looking for clarity on the path of rates, and crude's stickiness at these levels doesn't really help paint a clearer picture. It's keeping me fairly defensive, mostly focused on quality names that can weather continued economic uncertainty. Not making any big moves yet, but definitely keeping a close eye on the energy sector and how that filters down into broader economic data. It just feels like one of those indicators that, if it starts to really run, could throw a wrench into any soft-landing hopes.