Markets
Israeli attack on Iran sends oil prices higher
(Meghdad Madadi/Getty Images)

Oil prices jump after Israel’s attack on Iran

Crude jumped over 6% in early trading and is on track for its biggest gain in three years.

US crude oil prices jumped as much as 7% Friday following Israel’s attack on Iran’s nuclear sites and top military leadership, raising tensions and the prospect of an all-out war between the two regional powers.

Benchmark US West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose more than 7% in early trading, putting it on track for its biggest one-day gain since March 2022, during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Israeli attacks upended one of the dominant stock market dynamics this year: a lagging energy sector. Iran reportedly launched drone strikes in response.

Through Wednesday’s close, the S&P 500 energy sector — which includes integrated oil giants like Chevron and Exxon, as well as oil and gas drillers and field services companies — was up just 0.4% on the year, compared to the 2.8% gain for the broader index.

That underperformance is, in part, the outgrowth of low prices pushed by global cartel OPEC+, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, which has been expanding production despite expectations that the global economy could slow.

But on Friday that gap with the overall index almost entirely closed as the market saw heavy losses in fuel-reliant industries like cruise line Carnival and airlines. Meanwhile, the energy sector jumped more than 1% in early trading.

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SpaceX gets a wave of bullish ratings from Wall Street analysts

SpaceX received more than a dozen positive analyst calls on Tuesday — including from major Wall Street banks — as they initiate coverage on Elon Musk’s space and AI company.

SpaceX went public on June 12 at a $2.2 trillion valuation, the largest debut in history. While the company hasn’t yet posted a profit, it seems to have convinced Wall Street that it will get there and grow its valuation on the way.

Of the at least 17 analysts that gave a rating on Tuesday, all but one gave it a “buy” or “outperform” rating. MoffettNathanson was "neutral."

The ratings come as SpaceX joined the Nasdaq 100 index, a benchmark tech-heavy basket of companies that underpins millions of portfolios. The inclusion adds built-in demand for the stock from index funds and ETFs.

Still, SpaceX fell more than 5% on Tuesday amid a broader sell-off, and is currently effectively flat from its opening price of $150 a share.

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Nike sinks to lowest level since 2014 after warning of “challenged” sales environment in Q4 report

Did Nike do it?

Investors had a mixed reaction after the global sports apparel company reported its fourth quarter earnings on Tuesday after the bell. Shares initially rose 5% as Nike beat out Wall Street expectations amid a hefty tariff refund bonus. However, the stock then sank to its lowest level since August 2014 in postmarket trading.

Here are the Q4 numbers:

  • Revenue of $11.0 billion (estimate: $10.8 billion).

  • Adjusted earnings per share of $0.20 (estimate: $0.12).

Ahead of this report, Nike warned that results would be flattered by a one-time tariff refund (now estimated at roughly $0.52 per share for the bottom line). That gave the company an extra cushion in snapping its streak of seven quarters of year-over-year profit declines.

Over the past year, the company had been punished by tariffs on imported goods, stagnant consumer spending, and increasing competition from other footwear brands like New Balance, Adidas, and Hoka.

Outgoing CFO Matthew Friend deemed it an “increasingly challenging operating environment, where sell-through remains challenged.”

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