Squawk on the Street Oil Stocks' Venezuela Rally, Maduro Heads to Court, Versant Media's Debut 1/5/26
Jan 5, 2026
The hosts kick things off with U.S. strikes in Venezuela, leading to Maduro's capture and his looming court appearance. They discuss Chevron's stock surge as investors eye potential access to Venezuela's oil reserves, despite infrastructure challenges. There's a pivot to the AI trade, with excitement building ahead of Nvidia's CEO announcement at CES. The debut of Versant Media as an independent company on the Nasdaq also makes headlines, raising questions about future growth while the bank sector sees strong momentum due to deregulation benefits.
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Venezuela’s Oil Is Rich But Hard To Redeem
- Venezuela's oil reserves are massive geologically but extracting them requires rebuilding decades of neglected infrastructure.
- Jim Cramer warns knee-jerk buying of oil stocks is risky because recovery will be slow and costly.
Don’t Buy Oil Stocks On Headlines
- Avoid impulsive oil-stock purchases based solely on Maduro's capture; question the timeline and costs to restore production.
- Focus on service providers like Halliburton and Schlumberger who must modernize infrastructure first.
Services Lead The Venezuela Rebuild
- Early investment needs will favor oil-service companies that repair wells and pipelines before majors return.
- Brian Sullivan emphasizes Schlumberger, Halliburton and Baker Hughes as initial beneficiaries.