- Morning Watchlist
- Posts
- Energy Stocks Gain on Venezuelan Oil Prospects
Energy Stocks Gain on Venezuelan Oil Prospects
Rick Ducat, CMT
January 05, 2026
Stock futures are up to begin the first full trading week of 2026, with S&P 500 futures (/ES) up about +0.3% after the United States captured Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and President Trump stated that the U.S. would “run” the country.
Crude oil futures (/CL) are up about +0.6% and energy stocks like Chevron (CVX), SLB (SLB), and Valero (VLO) are up sharply as investors continue to weigh potential effects to energy markets after this regime change in the oil-rich South American nation.
Earnings are light, but today’s economic data includes the ISM Manufacturing Index and Total Vehicle Sales.
Morning Movers
Snapshot (as of 7 AM ET)
Oil (/CL) – Oil prices are up 0.8% to near 58 amid the fallout from Nicolás Maduro’s ouster from Venezuela.
Gold (/GC) – Gold futures are up sharply to start the week, with price near 4,428 for a +2.0% gain after Friday’s +0.2% increase.
Bitcoin (/BTC) – The cryptocurrency is up +3.5% near 93,350 on the back of a +2.7% rally last session.
VIX – The VIX closed at 14.51 on Friday, a modest decline from the previous close of 14.95 as volatility remains muted.
U.S. Dollar (/DX) – The dollar is up 0.3% to 98.4.
Biggest Premarket Movers (as of 7 AM ET)
Symbol | Product | Mark % Change (Winners) |
|---|---|---|
SLB | SLB | +7.86% |
HAL | Halliburton | +7.84% |
VLO | Valero Energy | +6.54% |
BKR | Baker Hughes | +6.43% |
CVX | Chevron | +6.00% |
Symbol | Product | Mark % Change (Losers) |
|---|---|---|
CMCSA | Comcast | -5.75% |
OMC | Omnicom | -1.87% |
FTV | Fortive | -1.61% |
PNR | Pentair | -1.24% |
SW | Smurfit Westrock | -1.16% |
Economic Data
Time | Event |
|---|---|
Dec. Total Vehicle Sales | |
10:00 AM ET | ISM Manufacturing |
11:30 AM ET | 3-Month Bill Auction 6-Month Bill Auction |
Notable Earnings
Premarket | Postmarket | Premarket Tomorrow | Postmarket Tomorrow |
|---|---|---|---|
None | None | None | None |
Upgrades/Downgrades
Mizuho upgrades Costco (COST) to Outperform from Neutral
Bernstein upgrades ASML (ASML) to Outperform from Market Perform
Jefferies upgrades IBM (IBM) to Buy from Hold
CFRA downgrades Netflix (NFLX) to Hold from Buy
Melius Research downgrades Uber (UBER) to Sell from Hold
UBS downgrades RTX (RTX) to Neutral from Buy
Tune in live from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, or anytime, anywhere, on‑demand.
Or stream it via thinkorswim® and thinkorswim Mobile, available through our broker-dealer affiliate, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc
Please do not reply to this email. Replies are not delivered to Schwab Network. For inquiries or comments, please email [email protected].
See how your information is protected with our privacy statement.
This material is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered a personalized recommendation or investment advice. Investors should review investment strategies for their own particular situations before making any decisions.
Schwab Network is brought to you by Charles Schwab Media Productions Company (“CSMPC”). CSMPC is a subsidiary of The Charles Schwab Corporation and is not a financial advisor, registered investment advisor, broker-dealer, or futures commission merchant.
Charles Schwab Media Productions Company and all third parties mentioned are separate and unaffiliated, and are not responsible for one another's policies, services or opinions.
Data contained herein is obtained from what are considered reliable sources. However, its accuracy, completeness, or reliability cannot be guaranteed. All events and times listed are subject to change without notice.