Interactive Brokers senior economist Jose Torres stated that WTI crude oil prices exceeding $120 a barrel would pose a serious risk to consumer spending in the US. This threshold, which is approximately 20% above current WTI prices, was last seen in June 2022 at $114.84, leading to a rapid tightening cycle. The national average price of regular gasoline recently jumped 16 cents in a single week to $4.32 a gallon on September 14, 2026, while WTI crude cleared $97.26 a barrel on September 9.