Dow Extends Losses as Oil Prices Resume Climb

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) is 449 points lower at midday, as oil prices resume their rally, alongside other commodities including silver, platinum, and wheat. The S&P 500 Index (SPX) and the Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) are swimming in red ink as well, as investors digest news that cease-fire negotiations between Russia and Ukraine didn't make much progress.

Worse-than-expected jobs data isn't helping sentiment, and neither is the consumer price index (CPI) for February, which showed inflation at a 40-year high. Elsewhere, the European Central Bank (ECB) announced it expects to cut its bond-buying program in the third quarter, just a week ahead of the highly anticipated Federal Reserve's March meeting. 

CrowdStrike Holdings Inc (Nasdaq: CRWD) is seeing an unusual amount of options activity today. So far, 74,000 calls and 35,000 puts have already been exchanged, which is 10 times the intraday average. The 3/11 200-strike call is by far the most popular, with new positions being opened there. CRWD was last seen up 14.6% to trade at $194.51 after the company yesterday posted better-than-expected fourth-quarter profits and revenue, as well as an upbeat fiscal first-quarter forecast. The equity is drawing plenty of analyst notes, with an upgrade from BTIG to "buy" from "neutral," as well as four price-target hikes and three-price target cuts. On the charts, the security is eyeing its first close above the 80-day moving average since November.

One of the best performing stocks on the Nasdaq today is Ebix Inc (Nasdaq: EBIX). The equity was last seen up 33.1% to trade at $42.45, after the software name bested analysts' fourth-quarter earnings and revenue estimates. In turn, Craig-Hallum hiked its price objective to $100 from $75. Shares earlier surged to an annual high of $44.42, and are now eyeing their best single-day percentage gain since November 2020. Year-over-year, EBIX is up 43%.

At the bottom of the Nasdaq is Fossil Group Inc (Nasdaq: FOSL), last seen down 31.1% at $10.02. Today's drop came after the company yesterday posted a dismal 2022 forecast. Shares are now looking to close at their lowest level since January, after the equity yesterday ran into a familiar ceiling at the $14.50 level. Over the last 12 months, FOSL has shed 45.5%.