Apple, Tesla, and Alphabet All Sinking As Oil Prices Explode Higher

By Eric Bleeker Published Mar 8, 8:49PM EDT

Quick Read

Apple (AAPL) fell 2.0%, Tesla (TSLA) fell 2.4%, and Alphabet (GOOGL) fell 2.9% in after-hours as WTI crude surged past $100 per barrel, driving Nasdaq futures down 400+ points (1.7%).
Oil surging past $100 per barrel signals recession fears, pressuring Apple’s discretionary products, Tesla’s high valuation multiple, and Alphabet’s advertising revenue as CFOs cut budgets.

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Apple, Tesla, and Alphabet All Sinking As Oil Prices Explode Higher — © 24/7 Wall St.

Sunday nights are never happy. Most investors are preparing to head to work tomorrow, but tonight is especially tough.

Sunday evening just got uncomfortable for stock investors. WTI crude oil futures have exploded past $108 per barrel tonight, and the ripple effect is hitting three of the most widely held stocks in America. Nasdaq futures are already down more than 400 points, off 1.7%.

For more on the oil surge, see Eric Bleeker’s live coverage and my earlier piece on NVIDIA, Amazon, and Meta facing similar pressure.

In this peice, we’re looking at the impacts tonight on Apple, Tesla, and Alphabet.

Apple (AAPL): Down 2.0%

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL | AAPL Price Prediction) is down 2.0% in after-hours trading as of 8:30 PM ET. Apple is the king of discretionary spending – iPhones, iPads, Macs, wearables – that households postpone when energy costs squeeze budgets and cause hiccups in the global economy. Rising gas prices hit middle-income consumers hardest, precisely the demographic driving Apple’s volume. Tonight’s move is more concerning because Apple was already among last week’s bigger Magnificent 7 losers, with shares down 6.79% over the past month despite major product announcements.

Tesla (TSLA): Down 2.4%

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) is down 2.4% in after-hours trading, which looks paradoxical. $100-plud oil should make EVs more compelling, not less. But Tesla trades at a trailing P/E near 371x – a multiple that only survives in risk-on markets. When oil shocks stoke recession fears, investors rotate away from high-multiple names entirely, and Tesla has the furthest to fall.

Tesla isn’t alone tonight. Rivian shares are down 2.1% while Lucid shares have dropped an even steeper 2.9%.

Alphabet (GOOGL): Down 2.9% – Tonight’s Biggest Mag 7 Loser

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is down 2.9% in after-hours trading, the largest decline among Magnificent 7 stocks tonight. Advertising drives Alphabet’s business, and marketing budgets are among the first cut when CFOs smell a recession. Search advertising tracks economic activity with uncomfortable precision. Alphabet is already down 10.37% over the past month, and tonight’s drop suggests the market views its ad-dependent model as particularly exposed to an oil-driven slowdown.

Tonight’s selloff in Apple, Tesla, and Alphabet isn’t really about oil barrels — it’s about what $100 crude signals for the broader economy. With Nasdaq futures deep in the red and oil showing no signs of retreating, Monday’s open looks painful.

About the Author Eric Bleeker, CFA →

Eric Bleeker has been investing for more than 20 years. He began his career working at Microsoft before joining Motley Fool, one of the largest publishers of financial research. In his 15 years at Motley Fool Eric served as the General Manager for Fool.com and led coverage in the Technology & Telecom sector. In addition, he was a featured columnist and has hosted dozens of investing seminars attended by more than a million total investors. Eric has more than 1,000 financial bylines to his name and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Fox Business, and many other leading publications. He is currently focused on artificial intelligence investing and is a CFA Charterholoder.