Middle East War Disrupts Oil Prices and Stock Market
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 07 2026
0mins
Should l Buy ORCL?
Source: CNBC
- Oil Price Surge Impacts Market: The ongoing Middle East war has led to a 35.6% spike in U.S. WTI crude oil prices within a week, marking the largest weekly gain since trading began in 1983, closing above $90 per barrel, which directly contributed to a 3% drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and a 2% decline in the S&P 500.
- Investor Sentiment Deteriorates: Despite the oil price surge, the market did not crash, indicating that investors are still searching for stocks that can remain stable in a high oil price environment, reflecting a focus on individual company performance amidst broader market volatility.
- Oracle Earnings in Focus: Cramer highlighted that Oracle's earnings report on Tuesday after the close is highly anticipated, with investors hoping for positive updates on its data center buildout and profitability, especially given the pressure from significant debt financing.
- Inflation Outlook Complicated: The consumer price index (CPI) data will be released on Wednesday, and the spike in oil prices complicates the inflation outlook; Cramer warned that if inflation does not show signs of decreasing, the Federal Reserve will struggle to justify further rate cuts, which could have profound implications for the market.
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Analyst Views on ORCL
Wall Street analysts forecast ORCL stock price to rise
34 Analyst Rating
25 Buy
9 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 138.800
Low
180.00
Averages
309.59
High
400.00
Current: 138.800
Low
180.00
Averages
309.59
High
400.00
About ORCL
Oracle Corporation offers integrated suites of applications plus secure, autonomous infrastructure in the Oracle Cloud. The Company operates through three businesses: cloud and license, hardware and service. Its cloud and license business is engaged in the sale, marketing and delivery of its enterprise applications and infrastructure technologies through cloud and on-premise deployment models including its cloud services and license support offerings, and its cloud license and on-premise license offerings. Its hardware business provides infrastructure technologies including Oracle Engineered Systems, servers, storage, industry-specific hardware, operating systems, virtualization, management and other hardware-related software to support diverse IT environments. Its services business provides services to customers and partners to help maximize the performance of their investments in Oracle applications and infrastructure technologies.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Analyst Optimism: Despite challenges, Guggenheim analyst John DiFucci remains bullish on Oracle, setting a price target of $400, suggesting nearly 170% upside, reflecting confidence in its cloud infrastructure and database technology.
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- Strong AI Demand: Oracle's recent earnings report highlighted that demand for AI infrastructure continues to outpace supply, and the company has committed not to raise additional debt this year, providing reassurance to investors, even though margins in its data center business are not particularly strong.
- OpenAI Financing Boost: OpenAI's successful completion of a $120 billion private financing round enhances confidence in its ability to meet infrastructure commitments over the next eight years, positively impacting Oracle's partnership and market outlook.
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- Investor Sentiment Shift: Despite the AI sector facing a reality check similar to the dot-com bubble of 2000, the strong demand for AI solutions suggests that this pullback could be short-lived, presenting a potential entry point for investors.
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