Brent Breaks Past $80 Barrier As Houthis Attack Red Sea

Brent crude oil broke past the $80 resistance level on Wednesday, as tensions in the Middle East continued to rise and as Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping showed no signs of easing, prompting concerns of price-impacting disruptions to the energy trade.  At 10:38 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Brent was trading at $80.20, up 1.22% on the day, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was trading at $74.96, up 1.38% on the day.  On Tuesday, Brent grabbed another 1% price hike when companies began to divert vessels away from the Red Sea, while the U.S.…