U.S. stocks remain subdued by broader macroeconomic headwinds, though the energy sector has caught a renewed interest from investors and traders. Below the surface, however, there remains notable speculation occurring in some of the market’s most volatile businesses. 👀

Today's issue covers why all eyes are on oil, speculative names continuing to trend, and which stock got a major boost from the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE). 📰

Here’s the S&P 500 heatmap. 2 of 11 sectors closed green, with energy (+1.76%) leading and consumer discretionary (-1.16%) lagging.

And here are the closing prices: 

Most bullish/bearish symbols on Stocktwits at the close: 📈 $PW, $EVGO, $NRGV, $AMTD, $STEM 📉 $STZ, $BFLY, $PLBY, $BAC, $RKT*

*If you’re a business and want to access this data via our API, email us.

U.S. and global crude oil prices continued their gains today on speculation that Israel could strike Iranian oil facilities as retaliation for yesterday’s missile barrage.

When reporters asked whether the U.S. would support that, President Joe Biden said, “We’re discussing that. I think that would be a little - anyway… there’s nothing going to happen today.” 😬

Still, the market quickly worked to price in that potential risk, pushing U.S. crude oil prices back into positive territory on a YTD basis. As a result, bulls and bears are heavily debating whether this is a temporary pop in prices or the start of a rebound in the broader energy sector.

Stocktwits user @cfromhertz shared a balanced perspective on why the sector could be ready for a sustained rally. 🤔

Bears argue that spare OPEC+ capacity would sufficiently cover any disruption to Iran’s exports if they’re impacted. However, analysts are primarily worried about supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

One analyst noted this would add a significant risk premium to oil and could push oil prices back to $200 per barrel if Iran’s infrastructure is materially impacted. ⚠️

Most see that as a worst-case risk, but the consensus view right now is that oil prices will likely have an upward bias until there is more clarity about the Middle East conflict’s impact on the market.

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Phoenix Motors is the latest speculative name to experience a major surge. The nano-cap provider of light and medium electric vehicles surprised investors with a better-than-expected earnings result. 😮

Its first-quarter net revenues surged from $1.8 million last year to $9.4 million, with a net income of $14.8 million exceeding last year’s net loss.

During the quarter the company completed several major moves, including:

The better-than-expected results were enough to help the stock rebound from all-time lows, soaring 167% after the bell. Given that many are betting against the stock, some traders speculate that this could be the catalyst for prices to make a sustained move to the upside. 💸

Regardless of how you feel about Phoenix Motors, a notable amount of activity is occurring in many of these “speculative” market bets.

Chinese micro/small-caps like AMTD Digital Ltd. ($AMTD), Magic Empire Global Ltd. ($MEGL), and UP Fintech Holding Ltd. ($TIGR) are among some of the most active and newly watched names on Stocktwits this week. 🫨

It just goes to show that attention and money are always flowing somewhere on the long side, even when seemingly important global events impact the “macro” picture.

How long this burst in speculative behavior will remain in these stocks remains to be seen. But for now, traders are taking advantage of the volatility while it’s here. Speculate safely, y’all. 🤷

While we’re on the topic of speculation, let’s talk about a beaten-down name that investors believe may have turned a corner earlier this year…and is getting an additional boost from the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE).

The small-cap owner and operator of a U.S. fast-charging network for electric vehicles (EVs) received a conditional loan guarantee of up to $1.05 billion to expand its network. 💵

The funding will help it build 7,500 additional fast-charging stalls across several states, as the Biden administration aims to bolster the nation’s charging network to 500,000 by 2030. 🔋

$EVGO shares surged 61%, their largest jump since January 2021 on the back of this news and an upgrade from JPMorgan to overweight.

The analyst expects firms that own and operate their own charging infrastructure to outperform over the long-term. And the Stocktwits community seems to agree, with sentiment hitting its highest level in a year. 📈

Economic data: Nonfarm Payrolls/Average Hourly Earnings (8:30 am ET), Unemployment/Labor Force Participation Rate (8:30 am ET), and Fed Williams Speech (9:30 am ET). 📊

Pre-Market Earnings: Apogee Enterprises ($APOG). 🛏️

After-Hour Earnings: None — enjoy your weekend! 🎧

🚢 Port strike ends as workers agree to tentative deal on wages and contract extension

🍔 McDonald’s is finally selling the Chicken Big Mac in the US

📱 YouTube takes on TikTok with longer Shorts, templates, trends, and more

🫘 Starbucks invests in two innovation farms to help climate-proof its coffee

🚫 OpenAI asks investors to avoid five AI startups including Sutskever's SSI, sources say

❌ Trump Media COO quits; DJT turns over more shares to SPAC investor in court fight

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