US Stock Market Volatility Driven by Earnings Reports
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 29 2026
0mins
Source: NASDAQ.COM
- Tech Earnings Impact: The S&P 500 index fell 0.41% amid mixed earnings results from tech giants, with Microsoft sinking over 10% due to disappointing cloud growth, highlighting market sensitivity to tech performance.
- Oil Price Surge: WTI crude oil prices rose more than 4% to a 4.25-month high as President Trump called for negotiations with Iran on a nuclear deal, boosting energy producers' stock prices and reflecting geopolitical impacts on the energy market.
- Unemployment Claims Data: US weekly initial unemployment claims fell by 1,000 to 209,000, indicating a slightly weaker labor market, while continuing claims dropped to a six-month low of 1.827 million, suggesting relative strength in the labor market that may influence future economic policies.
- Widening Trade Deficit: The US trade deficit for November widened to $56.8 billion, exceeding expectations of $44 billion and marking the largest deficit in four months, potentially raising concerns about slowing economic growth.
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Analyst Views on MPC
Wall Street analysts forecast MPC stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for MPC is 201.50 USD with a low forecast of 184.00 USD and a high forecast of 213.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
14 Analyst Rating
9 Buy
5 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 195.830
Low
184.00
Averages
201.50
High
213.00
Current: 195.830
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.
United Steelworkers Union Secures New Labor Agreement, Averting Nationwide Strike
- Agreement Reached: The United Steelworkers Union (USW) negotiated a new labor agreement with Marathon Petroleum (MPC), averting a nationwide strike that could have impacted 30,000 workers across 26 refineries and petrochemical plants, ensuring operational continuity.
- Wage Increases: The four-year deal includes a 4% pay raise in the first and fourth years and a 3.5% increase in the second and third years, reflecting a compromise as union members initially sought a 25% increase, highlighting the challenges in wage negotiations.
- Contract Implementation: The new contract will gradually replace the current one at each plant, which was extended on a rolling 24-hour basis just hours before its expiration, indicating the urgency and complexity of the negotiations.
- Local Issues Risk: While a nationwide strike is averted, individual refineries and chemical plants may still face work stoppages due to local issues, particularly at BP's refinery in Whiting, Indiana, where the union is preparing for a potential strike or lockout.
See More
AI-Exposed Stocks Face Challenges Amid Market Shift
- Market Sentiment Shift: As fears grow that artificial intelligence could disrupt demand rather than enhance it, software and AI-exposed stocks have faced significant sell-offs at the start of 2023, particularly in February, leading investors to reassess their risk exposure.
- Capital Flow Changes: Goldman Sachs equity strategist Ben Snider indicates that capital is rotating towards sectors perceived as insulated from AI disruption, marking a clear departure from last year's market strategies and reflecting diminished investor confidence in AI themes.
- Cyclical Industry Rally: Despite software stocks experiencing one of their worst weeks since the 2022 rate-hike panic, cyclical and consumer-linked industries have continued their recent rallies, indicating a growing preference for traditional sectors among investors.
- Strong Dow Jones Performance: Amid the decline in software stocks, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has rallied towards all-time highs, suggesting increased investor confidence in industries tied to physical assets and cyclical activity, further emphasizing the market's demand for safety from AI-driven productivity risks.
See More
MarketBeat Weekly Recap – February 2 to February 6
Market Volatility: Stocks experienced volatility as investors reacted to concerns about AI spending and its impact on the tech sector, leading to a sell-off earlier in the week, but buyers began to find value in oversold stocks.
Earnings Reports: As of January 30, 33% of S&P 500 companies reported earnings, with 75% exceeding earnings per share estimates, indicating a positive trend despite being below the five-year average.
Stock Performance Examples: Companies like AMD and Tyson Foods saw varied stock reactions post-earnings, with AMD's stock dropping despite solid earnings, while Tyson's stock rose after better-than-expected results.
Investment Opportunities: Analysts highlighted several stocks with strong fundamentals that could help investors navigate the volatile market, emphasizing the importance of long-term growth potential amidst short-term fluctuations.
See More
Marathon Petroleum (MPC.US) Insider Plans to Sell $5.07 Million in Common Stock via Form 144
- Stock Sale Announcement: Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC) plans to sell 25,000 shares of its common stock on February 6.
- Market Value: The total market value of the shares being sold is approximately $5.07 million.
See More
Union Endorses National Agreement Reached with Marathon for 30,000 Oil Workers
- Union Approval: A union has approved a national agreement negotiated for 30,000 oil industry workers.
- Negotiation Details: The agreement was reached after discussions with Marathon, a key player in the oil industry.
See More
Amazon's Stock Drops Ahead of Earnings Report
- Amazon Earnings Preview: Amazon is set to release its earnings report on Thursday, with its stock dropping 2.4% ahead of the announcement, indicating cautious investor sentiment that may impact short-term market confidence.
- Alphabet's Strong Performance: Alphabet exceeded Wall Street expectations in its fourth-quarter earnings report released on Wednesday, although its stock fell about 1% in after-hours trading; the projected capital expenditures for 2026 are expected to reach between $175 billion and $185 billion, nearly double that of 2025, reflecting a strong commitment to future growth.
- Qualcomm's Disappointing Guidance: Qualcomm reported quarterly earnings that surpassed expectations, yet its stock fell 9% in after-hours trading due to disappointing forward guidance, highlighting investor concerns about future performance, with shares down nearly 13% year-to-date in 2026.
- Strong Consumer Staples Sector: The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) has risen for four consecutive days, gaining over 1% each day and hitting new highs in the past three sessions, indicating strong performance in 2026 with over 12% growth year-to-date, making it the third-best performing sector in the market.
See More
United Steelworkers Union Secures New Labor Agreement, Averting Nationwide Strike
- Agreement Reached: The United Steelworkers Union (USW) negotiated a new labor agreement with Marathon Petroleum (MPC), averting a nationwide strike that could have impacted 30,000 workers across 26 refineries and petrochemical plants, ensuring operational continuity.
- Wage Increases: The four-year deal includes a 4% pay raise in the first and fourth years and a 3.5% increase in the second and third years, reflecting a compromise as union members initially sought a 25% increase, highlighting the challenges in wage negotiations.
- Contract Implementation: The new contract will gradually replace the current one at each plant, which was extended on a rolling 24-hour basis just hours before its expiration, indicating the urgency and complexity of the negotiations.
- Local Issues Risk: While a nationwide strike is averted, individual refineries and chemical plants may still face work stoppages due to local issues, particularly at BP's refinery in Whiting, Indiana, where the union is preparing for a potential strike or lockout.
See More
AI-Exposed Stocks Face Challenges Amid Market Shift
- Market Sentiment Shift: As fears grow that artificial intelligence could disrupt demand rather than enhance it, software and AI-exposed stocks have faced significant sell-offs at the start of 2023, particularly in February, leading investors to reassess their risk exposure.
- Capital Flow Changes: Goldman Sachs equity strategist Ben Snider indicates that capital is rotating towards sectors perceived as insulated from AI disruption, marking a clear departure from last year's market strategies and reflecting diminished investor confidence in AI themes.
- Cyclical Industry Rally: Despite software stocks experiencing one of their worst weeks since the 2022 rate-hike panic, cyclical and consumer-linked industries have continued their recent rallies, indicating a growing preference for traditional sectors among investors.
- Strong Dow Jones Performance: Amid the decline in software stocks, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has rallied towards all-time highs, suggesting increased investor confidence in industries tied to physical assets and cyclical activity, further emphasizing the market's demand for safety from AI-driven productivity risks.
See More
MarketBeat Weekly Recap – February 2 to February 6
Market Volatility: Stocks experienced volatility as investors reacted to concerns about AI spending and its impact on the tech sector, leading to a sell-off earlier in the week, but buyers began to find value in oversold stocks.
Earnings Reports: As of January 30, 33% of S&P 500 companies reported earnings, with 75% exceeding earnings per share estimates, indicating a positive trend despite being below the five-year average.
Stock Performance Examples: Companies like AMD and Tyson Foods saw varied stock reactions post-earnings, with AMD's stock dropping despite solid earnings, while Tyson's stock rose after better-than-expected results.
Investment Opportunities: Analysts highlighted several stocks with strong fundamentals that could help investors navigate the volatile market, emphasizing the importance of long-term growth potential amidst short-term fluctuations.
See More
Marathon Petroleum (MPC.US) Insider Plans to Sell $5.07 Million in Common Stock via Form 144
- Stock Sale Announcement: Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC) plans to sell 25,000 shares of its common stock on February 6.
- Market Value: The total market value of the shares being sold is approximately $5.07 million.
See More
Union Endorses National Agreement Reached with Marathon for 30,000 Oil Workers
- Union Approval: A union has approved a national agreement negotiated for 30,000 oil industry workers.
- Negotiation Details: The agreement was reached after discussions with Marathon, a key player in the oil industry.
See More
Amazon's Stock Drops Ahead of Earnings Report
- Amazon Earnings Preview: Amazon is set to release its earnings report on Thursday, with its stock dropping 2.4% ahead of the announcement, indicating cautious investor sentiment that may impact short-term market confidence.
- Alphabet's Strong Performance: Alphabet exceeded Wall Street expectations in its fourth-quarter earnings report released on Wednesday, although its stock fell about 1% in after-hours trading; the projected capital expenditures for 2026 are expected to reach between $175 billion and $185 billion, nearly double that of 2025, reflecting a strong commitment to future growth.
- Qualcomm's Disappointing Guidance: Qualcomm reported quarterly earnings that surpassed expectations, yet its stock fell 9% in after-hours trading due to disappointing forward guidance, highlighting investor concerns about future performance, with shares down nearly 13% year-to-date in 2026.
- Strong Consumer Staples Sector: The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) has risen for four consecutive days, gaining over 1% each day and hitting new highs in the past three sessions, indicating strong performance in 2026 with over 12% growth year-to-date, making it the third-best performing sector in the market.
See More
