Suze Orman says the stock market is ‘absolutely being destroyed’ by oil crisis — what investors can do right now
The U.S.-Iran war has entered its fifth week, with no clear signs of a ceasefire on the horizon. The uncertainty of the war paired with oil turmoil has left many investors feeling frustrated and concerned about their money.
The U.S. stock market has been hit heavily with the S&P 500 finishing last week at 8.7% below its all-time high, and both the Dow and Nasdaq were more than 10% below their records (1).
Trump told the Financial Times on Sunday that he wants to “take the oil” in Iran (2), and the U.S. sent thousands of troops to the Middle East last week. Crude oil prices have surged more than 50% since the war began on February 28 (3), hovering around $100 a barrel.
This market volatility and its impact on oil will likely continue for the near term, if not longer.
Suze Orman recently sat down with markets expert Keith Fitz-Gerald to discuss the chaos. “Everything now is simply dependent on one thing and one thing only,” she told Fitz-Gerald. “And that is oil, in my opinion” (4).
Orman reminded listeners that the fundamentals of the stocks on the stock exchange, including earnings and profitability, had been solid and strong until the war began. “Now we’re watching oil go up and up and up and sometimes it comes back down and when it comes back down, that’s when we see the markets go up.”
Orman and Fitz-Gerald shared their perspective on how everyday investors can navigate the uncertainty.
If you’re investing in stocks, and watching them daily and then reacting in panic to the chaos by selling or pulling out, then you won’t see the long-term benefits.
Both Orman and Fitz-Gerald agree that when there is more certainty back in the market, we will see markets skyrocket again. Fitz-Gerald warns that “everybody who thinks they’re being smart by stepping out right now is going to get left behind.”
Read More: 5 essential money moves to make once you’ve saved $50,000
Orman asks Fitz-Gerald for his advice on what to do if your tech stocks and others in the market are heading downward.
His advice? Continue to invest but get more critical of where you put your money.
