The Zacks Analyst Blog Chevron, Lockheed, Northrop, CrowdStrike and Palo Alto

For Immediate ReleasesChicago, IL – January 6, 2026 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include Chevron CVX, Lockheed Martin LMT, Northrop Grumman NOC, CrowdStrike Holdings CRWD and Palo Alto Networks PANW.Here are highlights from Tuesday’s Analyst Blog:Venezuela Shock 2026: Defense, Tech, Healthcare Stocks to BenefitThe year 2026 has started in an unusually volatile way. The United States’ recent military action to capture Venezuela, home to the world’s largest proven oil reserves, has come as a major geopolitical shock with meaningful implications for global equity markets.As an investor, it is currently the most essential task to assess whether such an intervention leads to prolonged instability or a reset of power in global energy and geopolitical corridors. Equally important is identifying the sectors most likely to benefit structurally rather than react tactically to this evolving landscape. Let’s delve deeper.Venezuela's Near-Term Strategic Impact on Energy EquitiesVenezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves at approximately 303 billion barrels, accounting for roughly 17-18% of global oil reserves, according to energy statistics and OPEC data. Despite this vast resource base, current crude production has collapsed to below 2 million barrels per day (bpd), down from about 3.5 million bpd decades ago, due to several infrastructural fiascos as well as unfavorable international sanctions (Reuters).Recent U.S. military action that resulted in the capture of Venezuela’s leadership has renewed focus on the potential to redirect Venezuelan crude flows and lift long-dormant production. Many analysts note that any meaningful increase in output would take years of capital expenditure, significant repair of aging facilities and political stabilization, rather than yielding near-term supply windfalls.While political narratives have highlighted the possibility of increasing Venezuelan crude exports to U.S. refineries, oil markets have largely factored in the country’s structural supply constraints. Venezuela currently accounts for only about 1% of global oil production and we believe that any meaningful recovery in output would be slow rather than immediate.In line with this, the immediate impact on large U.S. energy stocks such as Chevron has been limited. Chevron is currently the only major U.S. oil company allowed to operate in Venezuela under a special U.S. government license. However, its Venezuelan operations account for only a small share of the company’s overall revenues and cash flow. As a result, these assets are viewed more as a long-term strategic optionality rather than a meaningful driver of near-term earnings or stock performance.3 Sectors with Direct Market ImpactWhile oil markets would be the first transmission channel, the second-order effects on equities, particularly defense, technology and healthcare, are more structurally important.Defense stocks are typically the most direct beneficiaries during periods of heightened geopolitical tension. Historically, episodes such as the post-9/11 security buildup, the 2014 Crimea annexation and the ongoing and long-standing Russia-Ukraine war have coincided with sustained outperformance among major U.S. defense contractors as governments expanded military budgets and replenished inventories.The latest U.S. intervention in Latin America would likely reinforce a higher baseline for defense spending, particularly around aerospace, surveillance, missile systems and logistics. Large defense primes such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and General Dynamicstend to benefit from long-duration contracts, rising order backlogs and strong cash-flow visibility in such environments. LMT and NOC both carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here.Technology stocks, by contrast, generally react through the risk-sentiment channel rather than direct revenue exposure. In the early stages of geopolitical shocks, high-value stocks often face pressure as investors rotate toward cash-generative and defensive sectors. However, over the medium term, select segments of the tech ecosystem have historically benefited from increased security-driven spending. Companies such as CrowdStrike Holdings and Palo Alto Networks are key beneficiaries of these trends, as demand for comprehensive cybersecurity solutions continues to grow in both public and private sectors. Both CrowdStrikeand PANW carry aZacks Rank #3.Healthcare equities usually display relative resilience during geopolitical uncertainty due to the inelastic nature of demand. Pharmaceutical, medical device and healthcare services companies are largely insulated from conflict-driven disruptions. Historically, healthcare indices have outperformed cyclicals during risk-off periods, acting as portfolio stabilizers. Large diversified healthcare names such as Johnson & Johnsonand Abbott, along with defense-adjacent healthcare and life sciences suppliers involved in diagnostics and medical readiness, tend to benefit indirectly as governments increase focus on medical preparedness, biosecurity and supply-chain resilience during periods of global instability.ConclusionOverall, the shifting geopolitical landscape reinforces a familiar market pattern. Defense stocks benefit most directly, select technology names gain over time through security-linked demand and healthcare continues to serve as a defensive anchor, absorbing volatility while maintaining earnings stability.Importantly, these dynamics are unfolding against the backdrop of a broader global transition from a U.S.-led unipolar system to a more multipolar power structure, where influence is increasingly shared among multiple economic and strategic centers. This shift is likely to embed persistent geopolitical risk premiums into global equity markets, making sector selection and exposure to policy-aligned industries more critical for investors than pure macro growth assumptions.Free: Instant Access to Zacks' Market-Crushing StrategiesSince 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year.Today you can tap into those powerful strategies – and the high-potential stocks they uncover – free. No strings attached.Get all the details here >>Note: Sheraz Mian heads the Zacks Equity Research department and is a well-regarded expert of aggregate earnings. He is frequently quoted in the print and electronic media and publishes the weekly Earnings Trends and Earnings Previewreports. If you want an email notification each time Sheraz publishes a new article, please click here>>>Media ContactZacks Investment Research800-767-3771 ext. 9339support@zacks.com                                     https://www.zacks.com                                                 Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. 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Click to get this free report Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT): Free Stock Analysis Report Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC): Free Stock Analysis Report Chevron Corporation (CVX): Free Stock Analysis Report Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW): Free Stock Analysis Report CrowdStrike (CRWD): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks