Chevron’s stock declined sharply this week before paring back losses, as mounting concerns about volatility in the global oil markets spooked traders.
Another group of worried market watchers? Tech companies, big and small.
Casual observers sometimes wonder why technology stocks—often seen as disconnected from the oil industry—sometimes react sharply to oil price movements and related news.
But the two sectors are much more connected than you might realize. That link largely stems from the broader economic signals these markets send and the intertwined nature of global supply chains.
When oil prices rise, fears of inflation and slower economic growth often intensify, leading investors to reassess their positions across sectors.
Tech stocks, which are sensitive to macroeconomic trends and interest rates, can react as part of a risk-off adjustment. Conversely, falling oil prices may signal a more supportive environment for growth, prompting gains in technology shares.
Additionally, some technology firms are directly affected by energy prices through their supply chains: manufacturers rely on transportation and electricity, like companies making data centers or rockets. That makes their costs responsive to oil fluctuations.
Investor sentiment also plays a role, because a sharp move in oil markets can serve as a proxy for economic stability, influencing valuations across all sectors, including high-growth tech companies.
This interconnectedness underscores how macroeconomic developments ripple across the markets, blurring traditional sector boundaries and emphasizing the importance of a holistic view when analyzing stock movements.
Why did Chevron wobble and will that shakiness spread?
Chevron’s drop mirrored other fluctuations in the market.
The energy giant’s shares dropped due to a combination of geopolitical tensions, varying supply levels, and uncertain demand forecasts that have left investors cautious about near-term earnings prospects.
Analysts cite ongoing geopolitical tensions in key oil-producing regions, along with an uncertain outlook for global economic growth, as contributing factors to the market turbulence. Investors worry that these factors could pressure crude prices, which would in turn impact Chevron’s revenue and dividend stability.
Or to put it in Wall Street bro speak:
“Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) stock came under pressure from a combination of uncertainty in oil markets; an announcement of higher than expected supply growth from OPEC+ (the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, plus 10 other oil-producing countries),” Carillon Eagle Growth & Income Fund wrote to investors in its second quarter 2025 investor letter.
“And investor positioning around Chevron’s pending acquisition of a global independent energy company. The OPEC+ announcement weighed on all energy stocks,” it said.
Translation: Traders are worried about a new deal they made, a spike in supply from OPEC, and a general uneasiness about the energy sector in general.
Speaking of the energy sector …
Despite Chevron’s strong earnings earlier this year, the energy sector’s overall uncertainty continues to weigh on stock performance, with some analysts warning that volatility could persist until the geopolitical and economic landscape stabilizes.
But trading in the energy markets remains robust. In the trading week that ended August 29, 2025, the energy sector was the best-performing sector in the U.S. market, with the Morningstar US Energy Index rising 2.41%. The sector’s strong performance contrasted with a small decline in the broader market.
That bullish performance also made Chevron’s weak performance a standout. And a standout is not what you want to be for several reasons, including the risk of short selling, dragging down your trading partners, and a broader selloff from investors.
Last week it was Chevron that was a bellwether. Let’s see this week which sector receives tech’s scrutiny.