Picture a showdown, a ‘battle royale,’ if you will. On one side, we have the mighty Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, an oil powerhouse. On the other, the formidable U.S. Federal Reserve is the epicenter of global monetary policy. The battleground? Oil prices.

The narrative from Bank of America hints at the likelihood of the oil market remaining under pressure, at least until the Fed relaxes its monetary policy grip.

Remember last summer? When oil prices casually flirted with the triple-digit mark? Fast forward to today and there’s a markedly different picture. Prices have taken a tumble. The main protagonist behind this downward trend, according to Francisco Blanch, a commodities strategist at BofA, is the Fed’s ‘pedal to the metal’ monetary tightening approach. It’s a policy that has sparked concerns of softer economic growth, effectively outpacing any impact from production cuts by Saudi Arabia and other major oil producers.

Imagine a face-off between Saudi Arabia’s Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and Fed Chairman Jay Powell. In this tug-of-war, oil seems to be stuck in the middle, unlikely to break free until the Fed decides to ease its monetary stance.

Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, currently trades around $74 a barrel, marking a decline of 11% this year and a significant 25.5% drop from last year.

This level is alarmingly low for the Saudis. Their ambitious mega-projects necessitate oil prices to hover above the $81 mark, as highlighted in a recent Wall Street Journal report.

To counteract the slump, Saudi Arabia announced an additional production cut of 1 million barrels per day starting in July, building on previous cuts from earlier this year.

However, the decision-makers of oil prices might not be the Saudis. Blanch forecasts a rebound to $80 a barrel by year’s end, attributing this to the Fed likely nearing the end of its rate hike cycle as inflation begins to simmer down.

Market sentiments resonate with Blanch’s analysis. The CME FedWatch tool indicates a hefty 93% probability of central bankers hitting the pause button on rate hikes at their policy meeting on Wednesday.

Adding a dash of optimism to this mix is China. With its status as one of the world’s largest crude importers, a potential rebound in its economy could provide an additional tailwind to oil prices.

So, as the Saudi-Fed battle royale continues, all eyes will be on oil prices – will they bend to the will of the Fed’s monetary policy or rise from the ashes of production cuts? It’s a narrative worth following for investors and entrepreneurs alike. Stay tuned.