Wall Street Today | Gas prices upend small businesses

Oil advanced as the war in Ukraine neared the end of its first month, and investors tracked geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. West Texas Intermediate rose above $106 a barrel in early trading after two weeks of declines.  

The Singapore dollar looks set to move up the regional currency rankings next quarter with rising core inflation expected to spur further policy tightening from the city-state's central bank in April.

The currency should be better positioned to weather higher U.S. yields than most Asian peers. While other regional central banks remain content with accommodative policy, the Monetary Authority of Singapore appears set to change its exchange-rate band next month to allow for further local dollar appreciation.

Fifty-two percent of small-business owners said that higher energy prices were affecting their businesses, according to a March survey of more than 780 small businesses for The Wall Street Journal by Vistage Worldwide Inc., a business coaching and peer advisory firm.

Higher fuel costs are the latest obstacle for small businesses, which have borne the brunt of inflation and supply-chain challenges because they don’t have the heft and sophistication to thrive in a time of strong demand and short supply. Small businesses are also struggling to find workers in a tight labor marekt. Meanwhile, rising interest rates will mean higher costs for firms that need to take on debt to fund inventory and for other purposes.

About 1,200 privately held green startups raised a record $45 billion last year, roughly double the previous year’s total, according to PitchBook. Companies tied to sustainability raised just as much by going public on U.S. stock markets, giving the once-capital-starved industry a $90 billion war chest.

Whether or not investors turn a profit, the cash could jump-start the transition away from fossil fuels if companies achieve breakthroughs for longstanding challenges in areas such as energy storage, sustainable products and supplies of raw materials.

Automation and robotics are typically associated with multi-million budgets at multi-billion dollar companies. But as the cost of technology has come down, it’s become more affordable to smaller companies — even small businesses.   

Local restaurants are investing in self-ordering kiosks; robots that track inventory are becoming less expensive, and packaging bots can be hired at a cost lower than temp workers. The search for cost savings is greater in a market with labor shortages and inflation in many costs, from raw goods to wages.

Amazon argued in its motion to dismiss the D.C. lawsuit that pricing restrictions in its contracts with sellers are common in the retail industry and entirely legal.