Will Oil Stocks Experience a Decline? Insights from the Charts.
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 06 2026
0mins
Source: Barron's
Crude Oil Price Surge: Crude oil prices have increased significantly, with the United States Brent Oil Fund rising nearly 25% in a week due to heightened tensions in the Middle East.
Investor Sentiment: Investors are preparing for potential supply disruptions, leading to increased activity in the oil market.
Technical Analysis: From a technical standpoint, stocks in the oil sector may be due for a pause or a tactical pullback.
Market Outlook: The current market conditions suggest a cautious approach as volatility in the oil sector continues.
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Analyst Views on MPC
Wall Street analysts forecast MPC stock price to fall
14 Analyst Rating
9 Buy
5 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 232.530
Low
184.00
Averages
201.50
High
213.00
Current: 232.530
Low
184.00
Averages
201.50
High
213.00
About MPC
Marathon Petroleum Corporation is an integrated, downstream energy company. The Company’s segments include Refining & Marketing, Midstream and Renewable Diesel. The Refining & Marketing segment refines crude oil and other feedstocks at its refineries in the Gulf Coast, Mid-Continent and West Coast regions of the United States. It sells refined products to wholesale marketing customers domestically and internationally, to buyers on the spot market, and to independent entrepreneurs who operate primarily Marathon branded outlets. The Midstream segment gathers, transports, stores and distributes crude oil, refined products, including renewable diesel, and other hydrocarbon-based products, principally for the Refining & Marketing segment via refining logistics assets, pipelines, terminals, and others. The Renewable Diesel segment processes renewable feedstocks into renewable diesel, markets renewable diesel and distributes renewable products through its Midstream segment and third parties.
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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- Webcast Availability: Interested parties can listen to the conference call by visiting Marathon Petroleum's website, and a replay of the webcast will be available for two weeks post-event, allowing investors who cannot attend live to catch up.
- Financial Information Release: Prior to the call and webcast, Marathon Petroleum will provide financial information online, including the earnings release and other investor-related materials, ensuring that investors have timely access to the latest financial data.
- Company Background: Marathon Petroleum is a leading integrated energy company headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, operating the largest refining system in the U.S. and maintaining a network of branded retail outlets nationwide, highlighting its strong market position in the energy sector.
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- Rising Energy Prices: WTI crude oil prices have surged over 4% due to Iran's missile strikes on Israel and US bases, which not only limits stock market declines but also raises inflation expectations, potentially influencing future monetary policy decisions.
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- Webcast Availability: Interested parties can listen to the conference call by visiting Marathon Petroleum's website, and a replay of the webcast will be available for two weeks post-event, allowing investors who cannot attend live to catch up.
- Financial Information Release: Prior to the call and webcast, Marathon Petroleum will provide financial information online, including the earnings release and other investor-related materials, ensuring that investors have timely access to the latest financial data.
- Company Background: Marathon Petroleum is a leading integrated energy company headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, operating the largest refining system in the U.S. and maintaining a network of branded retail outlets nationwide, highlighting its strong market position in the energy sector.
See More
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- Legal Judgment Impact: A New Mexico jury ruled that Meta violated child protection laws, ordering the company to pay $375 million, which represents approximately 0.625% of its nearly $60 billion revenue in Q4, potentially negatively impacting its financials.
- Appeal Plans: A Meta spokesperson stated that the company intends to appeal the verdict, indicating dissatisfaction with the legal outcome, which may lead to increased future legal costs and affect the company's reputation.
- Market Reaction Muted: Despite facing significant legal challenges, Meta's stock price showed little movement in after-hours trading, reflecting a relatively subdued market reaction that may indicate investor confidence in the company's long-term profitability.
- Additional Legal Suits: Meta is also facing another lawsuit in Los Angeles, accusing it and YouTube of misleading users about app safety, which could further increase the company's legal and compliance pressures.
See More
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- Significant Oil Price Drop: Oil prices fell over 5% after President Trump announced ongoing negotiations with Iran, with Brent crude futures declining nearly 6% to $98.31 per barrel and WTI down 5% to $87.65, reflecting market sensitivity to geopolitical risks.
- Negotiation Dynamics Shift: Trump indicated he had retracted threats to strike Iranian energy infrastructure based on negotiation progress, which could alter market expectations for future oil prices, despite Iran denying direct talks with the U.S.
- Supply Disruption Impact: Goldman Sachs highlighted that the current disruption in oil supplies represents the largest shock in decades, significantly affecting global supply shares and increasing market uncertainty, prompting investors to hedge against potential worst-case scenarios.
- Geopolitical Risk Premium: According to Goldman, short-term crude price movements are driven more by shifts in perceived worst-case probabilities rather than changes in the fundamental outlook, with expectations that flows through the Strait of Hormuz will normalize over a four-week period, further influencing oil price trends.
See More
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- Market Performance: On Tuesday, the S&P 500 Index fell by 0.37%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average decreased by 0.18%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index dropped by 0.77%, reflecting investor concerns over the ongoing conflict in Iran and a general decline in market sentiment.
- Oil Price Fluctuations: WTI crude oil prices surged over 4%, reaching elevated levels due to Iran's missile and drone strikes on Israel and US bases, raising fears about energy supply disruptions that could impact global economic recovery.
- Economic Data: Despite market pressures, Q4 nonfarm productivity remained at 1.8%, while unit labor costs were revised up to 4.4%, exceeding expectations, indicating resilience in the economic fundamentals that may provide some support to the stock market.
- International Tensions: Reports of Saudi Arabia and the UAE aligning with the Iran conflict have heightened market anxiety, as investors are closely monitoring the potential for increased US military deployment, which could escalate tensions and affect global market stability.
See More
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- Incident Overview: Valero Energy shut down a major oil refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, following a fire at a critical diesel-processing unit.
- Injury Report: Fortunately, no major injuries were reported as a result of the incident.
See More
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- Market Movement: The S&P 500 Index is down 0.16%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 0.13%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index has decreased by 0.50%, reflecting investor concerns over the ongoing Iran conflict, which is dampening market sentiment.
- Rising Energy Prices: WTI crude oil prices have surged over 4% due to Iran's missile strikes on Israel and US bases, which not only limits stock market declines but also raises inflation expectations, potentially influencing future monetary policy decisions.
- Economic Data Performance: The US Q4 nonfarm productivity remained unchanged at 1.8%, while unit labor costs were revised up to 4.4% from 2.8%, exceeding market expectations, indicating economic resilience that may support the stock market.
- International Tensions Impact: Saudi Arabia and the UAE have taken steps toward joining the Iran war, potentially escalating the conflict, which increases market concerns about future geopolitical risks and drives investors towards safer assets.
See More
