Stocks Decline Sharply on Oil Price Surge and Weak U.S. Jobs Report

The School of Hard Stocks cover page featuring GWW (W.W. Grainger, Inc.) on schoolofhardstocks.com.The stock market declined on Friday as rising oil prices and a weaker-than-expected U.S. jobs report weighed on investor sentiment.

Oil surged above $90 per barrel amid escalating tensions involving Iran and concerns over potential supply disruptions in the Middle East. Meanwhile, the February jobs report showed roughly 92,000 job losses, sharply missing expectations for about 55,000 job gains.

Overall, S&P 500 fell 1.3% to 6,740, while NASDAQ dropped 1.6% to 22,388.

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Here is the one-year chart of Grainger (GWW) as of February 10, 2026, when the stock was at $1188.

Grainger continues to face pressure from a soft macroeconomic backdrop, including government shutdown, tariffs and weak maintenance, repair, and operating (MRO) demand.

Despite these headwinds, the company’s revenue grew 5% last quarter. Growth was primarily driven by the Endless Assortment segment, led by both Zoro and MonotaRo.

Meanwhile, High-Touch Solutions posted modest growth, supported by the continued growth in the U.S. and Canada, partially offset by the effects of the government shutdown. However, Grainger’s profits declined 3% last quarter, as tariff-related inflation created last-in, first-out (LIFO) inventory valuation headwinds that pressured margins.

GWW is on the radar of our Conservative Growth Portfolio.

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