Concerns Over Oil Surplus Impact Crude Prices — Are Energy ETFs a Rival to Gold and Bitcoin?
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Nov 28 2025
0mins
Should l Buy META?
Source: TipRanks
Oil Price Trends: Benchmark crude prices, including West Texas Intermediate and Brent, have hit one-month lows due to ongoing U.S.-China trade tensions and fears of a supply glut linked to potential easing of sanctions on Russian oil.
OPEC+ Production Adjustments: OPEC and its allies have increased oil output since April, but have paused further increases through Q1 2026, citing seasonal factors, while still planning a small raise for December.
Energy ETFs Performance: Energy ETFs like XLE and VDE have shown modest year-to-date gains, while XOP has declined; investors are shifting focus to gold and Bitcoin, with significant outflows from energy funds.
Future Outlook: Despite current challenges, energy companies are well-positioned with strong free cash flow, and the International Energy Agency projects steady global oil demand growth through 2035, even as geopolitical risks and U.S. sanctions impact supply dynamics.
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Analyst Views on META
Wall Street analysts forecast META stock price to rise
44 Analyst Rating
37 Buy
6 Hold
1 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 668.690
Low
655.15
Averages
824.71
High
1117
Current: 668.690
Low
655.15
Averages
824.71
High
1117
About META
Meta Platforms, Inc. is building human connections, powered by artificial intelligence and immersive technologies. The Company's products enable people to connect and share with friends and family through mobile devices, personal computers, virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) headsets, augmented reality (AR), and wearables. It also helps people discover and learn about what is going on in the world around them, enabling people to share their experiences, ideas, photos, videos, and other content with audiences ranging from their closest family members and friends to the public at large. The Company's segments include Family of Apps (FoA) and Reality Labs (RL). FoA segment includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Threads. RL segment includes its virtual, augmented, and mixed reality related consumer hardware, software and content. Its product offerings in VR include its Meta Quest devices, as well as software and content available through the Meta Horizon Store.
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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- Future Outlook: Should Meta's stock gain momentum and rise quickly in the coming year, it may contemplate executing a stock split, aligning itself with other tech giants to attract more investors.
See More
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- Tech Sector Retreat: U.S. stocks experienced a significant decline on Thursday, with the S&P 500 down 1.57%, the Dow Jones down 1.34%, and the Nasdaq 100 down 2.04%, primarily driven by a sell-off in the Magnificent Seven tech stocks, indicating concerns over the profitability outlook in the tech sector.
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- Weak Economic Data: Initial jobless claims in the U.S. fell by 5,000 to 227,000, below the expected 223,000, while January existing home sales dropped 8.4% month-over-month to 3.91 million, marking a 16-month low, which reflects signs of economic slowdown that could impact market sentiment.
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See More
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- Future Outlook: The company expects Q1 revenue to range between $2.59 billion and $2.63 billion, slightly above analysts' forecast of $2.53 billion, suggesting ongoing growth potential in the market.
- Booking Volume Increase: Airbnb reported 121.9 million nights booked in Q4, a 10% year-over-year increase that exceeded the expected 117.6 million, reflecting strong user demand and platform appeal.
- Management Change: The appointment of Ahmad Al-Dahle as the new CTO signifies a strategic shift in Airbnb's focus on technological innovation, aiming to leverage AI to enhance travel and e-commerce experiences.
See More
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- Tech Stocks Plummet: Fears of potential disruptions from artificial intelligence led to a significant decline in tech stocks, with the Nasdaq Composite dropping over 2% and Apple shares falling around 5%, indicating market anxiety about the future of the tech sector.
- Dow Jones Decline: The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell approximately 1.3%, or over 650 points, breaking a three-day winning streak, reflecting investor caution ahead of upcoming inflation data that could influence Federal Reserve rate decisions.
- Gold and Bitcoin Drop: Gold futures sank 3%, while Bitcoin prices also declined to around $65,000, as investors adopted a risk-off stance, highlighting concerns about the future economic outlook.
- Employment Data Impacting Policy Expectations: Despite January's job additions being double the expected amount, the strong labor market has dampened expectations for near-term interest rate cuts by the Fed, increasing uncertainty in the stock market.
See More
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- Disclosure Details: The trades were executed by McGuire's spouse through an IRA, with a maximum disclosed trade size of $15,000, suggesting he may not have been directly involved in the transactions, which raises questions about transparency.
- Market Reaction Analysis: Microsoft shares traded between $438.68 and $452.69 at purchase and fell to $426.45 to $439.60 at sale, indicating a potential loss of 5.8%, highlighting the risks associated with his investment decisions.
- Historical Trading Context: Since joining Congress in 2025, McGuire has had minimal trading activity, with previous trades also drawing scrutiny regarding potential conflicts of interest in the healthcare sector, intensifying public scrutiny of his trading behavior.
See More
