Benzinga examined the prospects for many investors' favorite stocks over the last week — here's a look at some of our top stories.

U.S. markets faced a turbulent week as escalating conflict in the Middle East sent oil prices surging and rattled investor confidence. Crude prices jumped toward $90 per barrel, marking one of the sharpest weekly gains in years as disruptions near the Strait of Hormuz threatened global energy supply. The surge came alongside a surprise deterioration in the U.S. labor market, with nonfarm payrolls unexpectedly falling by 92,000 jobs in February, reinforcing concerns that economic momentum may be weakening.

Higher energy costs quickly rippled across equity markets, lifting energy stocks while hammering fuel-sensitive sectors such as airlines and cruise operators. Shares of travel companies fell sharply as investors worried that rising jet fuel prices could squeeze margins and dampen demand. The geopolitical shock added to already fragile sentiment as traders reassessed inflation risks tied to higher oil prices and supply disruptions.

Global markets also reacted to the widening Iran conflict, with emerging-market equities and Asian stocks under pressure due to their heavy dependence on Middle Eastern energy supplies. Countries such as South Korea — a major importer of Gulf crude — were particularly exposed. The conflict's impact on energy markets and inflation expectations has left investors bracing for continued volatility across equities, commodities and currencies in the weeks ahead.

Benzinga provides daily reports on the stocks most popular with investors. Here are a few of this past week's most bullish and bearish posts that are worth another look.

The Bulls

"Defense Stocks Hit Records As Trump Warns ‘Big Wave' In Iran: 10 Names In Focus," by Piero Cingari, reports that the SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF (NYSE:XAR) climbed to record highs as defense stocks rallied amid escalating U.S.-Iran tensions, after President Donald Trump warned that a larger military response — a "big wave" — could still be coming, prompting investors to pile into aerospace and defense contractors on expectations that a prolonged conflict could drive higher military spending and sustained demand for defense technologies.

"Costco Reports Q2 Double Beat, Comparable Sales Rise 7.4% On International Strength," by Adam Eckert, reports that Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ:COST) posted better-than-expected second-quarter results, delivering a double beat on earnings and revenue while comparable sales rose 7.4%, driven largely by strong international performance and continued momentum in membership growth, reinforcing investor confidence in the retailer's resilient demand and global expansion strategy.

"Plug Power Stock Climbs After Mixed Q4: Here's Why," by Erica Kollmann, reports that Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ:PLUG) shares moved higher after the hydrogen fuel-cell company posted mixed fourth-quarter results, with revenue of about $225.2 million beating expectations even as the company reported a larger-than-expected loss, while management highlighted improving margins, stronger liquidity and continued execution plans heading into 2026.

For additional bullish calls of the past week, check out the following:

Chevron Has The ‘Clearest Line Of Sight' In Venezuela Recovery

SoFi Stock Jumps After The Close: Here's Why

Why Veeva Systems Shares Are Rocketing After Q4 Results

The Bears

"Gold Miners Are The Biggest Losers Of The Iran War — Here's The Hidden Reason," by Piero Cingari, reports that gold mining stocks slid despite the Iran conflict lifting geopolitical tensions because surging crude prices compressed the gold-to-oil ratio — a key profitability gauge for miners — with the VanEck Gold Miners ETF (NYSE:GDX) dropping about 10% over two sessions as higher energy costs and profit-taking offset the supportive backdrop of gold prices hovering near $5,100 per ounce.

"Quantum Crash? IonQ, Rigetti, D-Wave Sink As Futures Flash Red," by Kaustubh Bagalkote, reports that shares of IonQ Inc. (NYSE:IONQ), Rigetti Computing Inc. (NASDAQ:RGTI) and D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE:QBTS) fell in premarket trading as S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures signaled a broader risk-off session, with elevated short interest amplifying the declines across the quantum-computing sector while investors also braced for Rigetti's upcoming earnings report and weighed mixed financial performance across the group.

"Berkshire Stock Sinks 5% After First Abel-Era Earnings, Breaks Key Support," by Surbhi Jain, reports that shares of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK) fell nearly 5% following the company's first earnings report under CEO Greg Abel, marking its largest post-earnings decline in more than a decade as the stock rejected resistance near $500 and broke below key technical levels, including short-term moving averages and the 200-day support zone, while weakening momentum indicators such as RSI and MACD signaled growing investor caution during the leadership transition from Warren Buffett.

For more bearish takes, be sure to see these posts:

MongoDB Stock Crashes After Q4 Earnings: Here's Why

SES AI Stock Crumbles After Q4 Report — Here's Why

Webull Stock Slips On Mixed Q4 Report: What To Know

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