The stock market actually doesn’t care as much about oil prices as you think

Understand this faster with AI
Site SearchClearSEARCHAdvanced Search ➔Search ResultsSymbolsNo results foundAll NewsArticlesVideoPodcasts0 ResultsNo Results FoundAuthorsNo results foundSectionsNo results foundColumnsNo results found FA CenterThe stock market actually doesn’t care as much about oil prices as you thinkPredicting the S&P 500’s direction based on oil moves is an empty betLast Updated: March 21, 2026 at 2:48 p.m. ETFirst Published: March 16, 2026 at 3:57 p.m. ETShareResizeListen(3 min)Fundstrat’s Tom Lee even argues that higher oil prices might actually provide a boost to the U.S. economy. Photo: Getty Images/iStockphotoAre rising oil prices good or bad for the economy and stock market?Few are even asking this question, since it seems obvious that higher oil prices CL00 CL.1 are unequivocally bad for stocks. Ever since the Iran conflict began more than two weeks ago, the financial media have attributed market rallies to falling oil prices, and vice versa. About the Author Mark HulbertMark Hulbert is a columnist for MarketWatch.
His Hulbert Ratings service tracks investment newsletters that pay a flat fee to be audited.Show Conversation (0)Back To TopA Dow Jones CompanyCopyright © 2026 MarketWatch, Inc. All rights reserved.Terms of UsePrivacy NoticeCookie NoticeArchive MarketwatchCustomer CenterContact UsNewslettersNewsroom RosterVirtual Stock ExchangeMarketWatch GuidesCopyright PolicyManage NotificationsCancel My SubscriptionCompanyDow JonesCode of ConductCorrectionsReprints & LicensingDigital Self ServiceYour Ad ChoicesCorporate SubscriptionsAccessibilityDow Jones NetworkThe Wall Street JournalBarron'sInvestor's Business DailyFinancial News Londonrealtor.comMansion GlobalDow Jones Smart MoneyIntraday Data provided by FACTSET and subject to terms of use. Historical and current end-of-day data provided by FACTSET. All quotes are in local exchange time. Real-time last sale data for U.S. stock quotes reflect trades reported through Nasdaq only. Intraday data delayed at least 15 minutes or per exchange requirements.
Tags
Source Information
Discussion
0 professional contributions
Sign in to join this professional discussion.
Be the first to add a constructive contribution.
