Oil Stocks Fall, Travel Shares Rise as Crude Futures Plunge

Shares of companies impacted by the price of oil were among the biggest movers in the S&P 500 Monday as crude futures sank after a weekend retaliatory strike against Iran by Israel didn’t hit Iran’s oil facilities.

The price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude plunged nearly 6% in late-morning trading as Iranian production wasn’t disrupted. Iran makes up about 4% of the global oil trade, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The targeted attack by Israel also eased concerns about a greater escalation of Middle East fighting that would further impact supply.

Drillers, Oilfield Services Stocks Decline

Shares of drillers such as APA (APA), Diamondback Energy (FANG), and Devon Energy (DVN) fell, along with oilfield services firms Halliburton (HAL) and SLB (SLB).

The SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Exploration and Production exchange-traded fund (ETF) fell to its lowest level this month.

On the flip side, shares took off for Carnival Corp. (CCL), Delta Air Lines (DAL), and other cruise lines and airlines, which stand to benefit from lower fuel costs.

Bank of America analysts on Monday raised their price targets on both Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL), noting that Carnival “was very constructive on booking trends when the company reported in September,” and that “we expect RCL and NCLH to echo this commentary into 2025.”