Analysts informed CNBC on Saturday that the removal of President Donald Trump from office in oil-abundant Venezuela is not expected to surprise energy markets in the immediate future.

Though the magnitude of the American strike was unforeseen, markets had already factored in a dispute with Venezuela that would affect oil exports, noted Arne Lohmann Rasmussen, chief analyst and research leader at A/S Global Risk Management.

Venezuela, a founding member of OPEC, possesses the most substantial confirmed oil reserves globally. However, currently, the South American nation produces under one million barrels of oil per day, accounting for less than 1% of world oil output, according to Rasmussen.

Rasmussen stated that Venezuela exports only about half of its production, roughly 500,000 barrels. The tension also arises as the international oil market faces an oversupply and relatively weak demand, a trend typical in the initial quarter of the year, he added.

He estimated that Brent crude prices would likely increase by around $1 to $2, or potentially less, when futures trading resumes Sunday night. He anticipated that Brent would settle lower next week compared to its closing price on Friday, which was $60.75.

“Although this constitutes a significant geopolitical development that one would typically expect to elevate oil prices,” he stated, “ultimately, there remains an excess of oil in the market, which is why prices won’t surge.”

Analyst Bob McNally from Rapidan Energy mentioned that he had informed clients prior to the weekend that roughly a third of Venezuela’s oil output was jeopardized. While he does not foresee a total halt in Venezuela’s production, he conveyed to CNBC that it would not represent a considerable threat to oil markets in the near term.

The oil market in 2025 experienced its largest annual drop in five years. The global benchmark Brent decreased about 19% over the past year, whereas U.S. crude oil saw a nearly 20% decrease. The market has faced downward pressure as OPEC+ increased production following years of curtailments. The U.S. also reached a record high production of slightly over 13.8 million barrels daily.

Prices may continue to decline as the regime change enhances the potential to ultimately increase oil production in Venezuela, analysts indicated to CNBC.

Saul Kavonic, heading energy research at MST Financial, estimated that exports could rise to 3 million barrels in the medium term if a new Venezuelan administration led to the removal of sanctions and the reentry of foreign investors.

“If anything, the upcoming future of Venezuela could exert a bearish influence on the market, since the only way is up,” remarked energy consultant David Goldwyn, a former senior State Department energy official during the Obama administration.

Currently, the ban on Venezuelan oil remains in place, Trump stated at a press briefing on Saturday. He also noted that U.S. oil firms will invest billions in revitalizing Venezuela’s energy infrastructure. Trump did not specify which companies would invest or in what manner, nor did he clarify how the U.S. would temporarily manage Venezuela “with a group.”

Goldwyn expressed uncertainty over whether U.S. oil firms would commit to investment due to the unpredictability surrounding the interim and future governments in Venezuela.

“All insights gained from government transitions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other nations indicate that transitions pose challenges,” he remarked. “No corporation will be eager to pledge billions for a long-term venture until they ascertain the terms. And those terms remain unknown until the governmental situation is evident.”

Goldwyn added that firms, including Exxon Mobil, are still awaiting the reimbursement from Venezuela’s national oil corporation, Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA).

According to McNally from Rapidan Energy, it’s a complex situation for U.S. oil enterprises. He noted that oil producers have not forgotten their expulsion from Venezuela in the early 2000s when the country seized the assets of international oil companies. Nonetheless, he added, if sanctions were lifted, accessing the globe’s largest oil reserves would be “tempting” for U.S. oil companies.

However, substantial investments and decades would be required, McNally stated. Whether the endeavor is worthwhile boils down to one crucial query: Does the world need that volume of oil?

“Until late last year, the prevailing market belief was that oil demand would cease growing within four years. This change is attributed to electric vehicles and fuel efficiency standards alongside climate change initiatives,” McNally explained.

Yet as the U.S. and other countries, such as China and Canada, relax their climate regulations and electric vehicle sales decline, the notion of investing in Venezuela appears significantly more appealing.

“Suddenly, there’s a realization: ‘Wow, we are going to require more oil,'” he remarked.

— Additional reporting contributed by CNBC’s Victor Loh

As reports circulated on Saturday regarding President Donald Trump‘s ousting of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, reactions in Congress showcased a divide: Republicans predominantly lauded the military operation, whereas Democrats criticized the president’s actions and questioned their legitimacy.

Following months of pressure on Maduro, Trump declared on Truth Social that the U.S. had aided in a “large-scale strike” against the country and its leader, who was apprehended alongside his spouse, Cilia Flores, and is being transferred to the U.S.

“Trump bypassed our required constitutional approval process for military action because the administration understands that the American populace largely opposes the risks of dragging our nation into another war,” Senator Andy Kim, D-N.J., stated in a post to X on Saturday.

The Constitution stipulates that Congress holds the primary power to declare war. The War Powers Resolution, enacted in 1973 following the Vietnam War, restricts the president’s ability to initiate military action unilaterally and mandates that the president consult Congress when deploying troops.

Nevertheless, lawmakers indicated that the president did not seek approval and failed to inform Congress of his intentions.

Trump is anticipated to convene with House Republicans on Tuesday at the Kennedy Center, as reported by MS NOW, citing two sources. Trump is expected to make an appearance at the event, though the duration of his stay remains uncertain, according to MS NOW.

The lawmakers had initially been scheduled to gather at the center for a policy discussion regarding the agenda for the latter half of the 119th Congress, based on an invitation received by MS NOW.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., described the military action in Venezuela without congressional approval as “reckless” in a statement.

“The administration has assured me on three separate occasions that it was not pursuing regime change or military intervention in Venezuela. Clearly, they are not being truthful with the American public,” Schumer commented.

Representative Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., who ranks on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, informed MS NOW that he had received “no briefing or prior notice. All information has come to me via the media at this stage.”

Additionally, Senator Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, was among those who welcomed Maduro’s apprehension, but noted that Congress had not received any prior warning.

“And that could be one reason it did not leak over these four days,” Cotton remarked in an interview on “Fox & Friends” on Saturday. “Congress isn’t notified when the FBI makes an arrest of a drug trafficker or cyber criminal here in the United States. Nor should Congress be informed when the executive branch conducts arrests of indicted individuals.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi stated on Saturday in a post on X that Maduro and his wife have been indicted in the Southern District of New York.

They face charges of conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, cocaine trafficking conspiracy, possession of weapons and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the U.S., as detailed in Bondi’s post.

Trump appeared to dismiss concerns regarding the constitutionality of the strike during a call-in to “Fox & Friends.”

“The Democrats might take a shot… all they do is complain,” Trump remarked. “They ought to say, ‘great job.’ They shouldn’t be saying, ‘Oh dear, perhaps it isn’t constitutional.’ You know, the routine complaints we’ve heard for years.”

The president further stated that the operation was originally set for earlier in the week but was postponed due to weather conditions. He noted that no U.S. military personnel were killed during the operation.

During a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reported that Congress members were notified immediately post-mission, which he characterized as “primarily a law enforcement action.” Alerting Congress in advance could have endangered the mission, he commented.

“This mission isn’t the type that allows for congressional notification. It was a trigger-based operation… it’s simply not something you can alert people to and say, ‘Hey, we may carry this out in the next 15 days,” Rubio stated.

“Congress often leaks information. This isn’t advisable. If they leaked… the outcome could have been very different,” Trump said during the press conference.

“Congress will leak, and we need to avoid leakers,” he added.

The Trump administration has increased pressure on the Venezuelan government in recent months, accusing Maduro of leading a narco-terror organization. He recently enforced a total blockade on sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving the country and has targeted alleged Venezuelan drug vessels.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., stated in a release that he had conversed “within the last few hours” with Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and mentioned that the White House was coordinating to schedule briefings with members of Congress when they reconvene next week.

“President Trump is prioritizing American lives, succeeding where others have faltered, and under his guidance the United States will no longer allow criminal regimes to profit from creating chaos and devastation in our nation,” Johnson noted.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., referred to the operation as an “important initial step to bring [Maduro] to justice for the drug-related offenses for which he has been indicted in the United States.” Neither Thune nor Johnson, through their representatives, responded to inquiries regarding whether Republican leaders were briefed prior to the strike.

“I spoke to Secretary Rubio early this morning, and I anticipate receiving further briefings from the administration on this operation as part of its comprehensive counternarcotics strategy when the Senate reconvenes next week,” Thune remarked.

As news of the Venezuelan operation emerged early Saturday, some Republican skepticism was evident.

“I look forward to understanding what, if anything, could constitutionally authorize this act in the absence of a declaration of war or permission for military force,” Senator Mike Lee, R-Utah, posted to X.

Hours later, and after a conversation with Rubio, Lee adjusted his stance.

“This action likely falls under the president’s inherent authority provided by Article II of the Constitution to safeguard U.S. personnel from an actual or imminent threat,” Lee stated in a follow-up post.

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a past Trump supporter who has since distanced herself from him and plans to resign from Congress on January 5, was part of a small faction within the GOP that doubted the strike.

“(W)hy is it permissible for America to militarily invade, bomb, and apprehend a foreign leader while labeling Russia as evil for invading Ukraine and condemning China for its aggression against Taiwan? Is it only acceptable when we do it? (I’m not advocating for Russia or China),” Greene posted to X on Saturday.

Additionally, Representative Thomas Massie, R-Ky., a regular critic of Trump, raised concerns about the legality of Trump’s ousting of Maduro.

“If this operation were constitutionally valid, the Attorney General wouldn’t be tweeting about the arrest of the leader of a sovereign nation and his wife for firearm violations under a 1934 U.S. law,” Massie posted to X.

Democrats, for their part, demanded further clarification and articulated concerns over the future of Venezuela, where Maduro has held power for over ten years.

“Maduro is an illegitimate ruler, but I have yet to see convincing evidence that his presidency poses a threat warranting military action absent Congressional authorization, nor have I encountered a strategy for the aftermath to prevent Venezuela from descending into chaos,” Representative Jim Himes, D-Conn., the ranking member on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, commented in a statement.

“Secretary Rubio repeatedly assured Congress that the administration did not intend to force regime change in Venezuela. The administration must provide Congress with an immediate briefing on its strategy to ensure regional stability,” Himes asserted.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., stated on Saturday that Trump failed to adequately inform Congress regarding the military operation. He questioned how many U.S. troops would remain deployed and who would govern Venezuela following Maduro’s ousting.

“According to the Constitution, the framers granted Congress the exclusive power to declare war as the governmental body closest to the American public,” Jeffries remarked. “Both the House and Senate must receive immediate briefings, and compelling evidence should be promptly presented to clarify and justify this unauthorized military action.”

Tesla released its fourth-quarter 2025 vehicle production and delivery report on Friday, indicating a second consecutive annual drop for Elon Musk’s automaker. Shares ended the day down 2.59%.

Here are the significant figures:

• Total Q4 deliveries: 418,227
• Total Q4 production: 434,358
• Total 2025 deliveries: 1.64 million
• Total 2025 production: 1.65 million

Wall Street anticipated 426,000 deliveries for the quarter, based on estimates gathered by StreetAccount.

In a consensus by the company posted on December 29, Tesla stated that the analysts surveyed expected a 15% decrease from the previous year to 422,850 vehicles.

Q4 2025 deliveries were approximately 16% lower than the fourth quarter of 2024, when Musk’s EV firm reported 495,570. Production numbers for Q4 2025 decreased 5.5% from a year ago, when Tesla manufactured 459,445 vehicles.

Throughout the entire year, Tesla’s deliveries declined by 8.6%, dropping from 1.79 million in 2024 to 1.64 million.

Tesla noted that deliveries of its entry-level Model 3 sedan and Model Y SUV accounted for 406,585 in the fourth quarter, totaling about 97% of all deliveries. Deliveries for its Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck were recorded at 11,642 during the quarter.

After unveiling its design, Tesla shared that it received more than 1 million reservations for the Cybertruck. However, the angular, steel pickup has yet to become a bestseller for the company.

Musk’s aerospace and defense venture, SpaceX, allegedly purchased tens of millions of dollars worth of Cybertrucks in 2025.

Tesla is encountering intensified competition in the electric vehicle sector from China’s BYD, South Korea’s Kia and Hyundai, and Volkswagen in Europe, among others.

BYD surpassed Tesla as the overall leading seller of EVs for the calendar year, announcing Thursday that its sales surged 28% to 2.26 million units.

Deliveries are the nearest estimate of sales reported by Tesla, although they are not strictly defined in the company’s communications with shareholders.

Within its energy division, Tesla reported that it deployed 14.2 gigawatt hours of battery energy storage products in the fourth quarter, following a record in the previous period, where it deployed 12.5 GWh.

Tesla’s battery energy storage solutions consist of backup batteries for residences and larger systems used in conjunction with data centers and utilities.

Tesla is set to announce its financial results for the fourth quarter on January 28.

Sales of Tesla’s vehicles were influenced by President Donald Trump’s choice to terminate a federal EV incentive by September 30, sooner than planned. This prompt completion shifted some EV sales ahead to the third quarter for Tesla and other automakers.

Even prior to that, the start of 2025 presented challenges for Tesla.

After heavily investing to support Trump’s re-election, Musk dedicated the first quarter of the year to leading the president’s DOGE initiative aimed at reducing the federal workforce.

Musk also supported Germany’s far-right anti-immigrant party, AfD, and later endorsed British anti-Muslim activist Tommy Robinson. Recently, Musk called for the dissolution of the European Union.

In part due to Musk’s controversial statements, Tesla has been subject to a persistent consumer backlash in Europe and the U.S. The company has not fully regained its footing, despite launching a new, more budget-friendly version of its Model Y SUV in October.

Notwithstanding, Tesla’s shares experienced a resurgence in the year’s latter half, soaring 40% in the third quarter and reaching a new record in mid-December. Musk acquired $1 billion worth of shares in September.

Shareholders approved a new $1 trillion compensation plan for Musk in November, granting the CEO additional shares and heightened control over the company. The approval followed Musk’s threat to potentially exit Tesla if the plan was not accepted.

Critics have raised concerns that the plan lacks requirements for Musk to commit a minimum amount of time to his Tesla responsibilities and that there are no restrictions on his political activities.

Although Tesla doesn’t report deliveries by geographical location, data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) indicated that the company lost market presence in the region in 2025.

Tesla’s registrations in Europe dropped by 39% in the first 11 months of 2025, while its Chinese competitor BYD experienced a 240% increase in registrations within Europe. Overall, battery electric vehicles gained greater acceptance in Europe in 2025, comprising about 16% of all new vehicles sold.

Some analysts believe that sales of Tesla’s more affordable Model Y standard, which the company debuted in October, will assist the firm in regaining ground in forthcoming quarters.

In a recent note, analysts at Cannacord Genuity mentioned that EV adoption “is accelerating swiftly in emerging markets like Thailand, Vietnam, and Brazil, where strong consumer interest may provide significant long-term benefits for Tesla, even amid fierce competition from Chinese manufacturers.”

In addition to BYD, Tesla now contends with other Chinese EV manufacturers such as Xiaomi and Geely.

However, Tesla is convincing investors with Musk’s vision of the future, or what he refers to as “sustainable abundance,” rather than solely focusing on EV sales. This vision encompasses robotaxis, which Musk has long promised, and humanoid robots, which he claims will one day serve as factory workers, babysitters, crime stoppers, and surgeons.

WATCH: Tesla must make significant efforts to maintain its share price

Berkshire Hathaway shares dropped on Friday as investors processed the official conclusion of Warren Buffett’s 60-year leadership and the onset of a new chapter under successor Greg Abel.

Class A shares decreased by 1.4% on Abel’s inaugural day as CEO, following Buffett’s official transition of the position and the end of one of the most illustrious executive tenures in business history.

The Omaha-based conglomerate finished 2025 with a 10.9% increase, falling behind the S&P 500’s 16.4% rise but achieving its 10th straight year of positive returns. Buffett, now 95, continues as chairman and aims to assure shareholders that Berkshire’s future is secure well beyond his time in charge.

“It has a greater likelihood, I believe, of being around 100 years from now than any company I can think of,” Buffett stated in a special interview with CNBC.

Abel assumes control as Berkshire has a record $381.6 billion in cash as of the end of September, following a prolonged period of net equity divestments. Buffett mentioned that Abel will have ultimate authority over capital allocation choices.

“Greg will be the decision-maker,” Buffett stated. “I can’t envision how much more he can achieve in a week than I could in a month …. I’d prefer to have Greg managing my investments over any of the premier investment advisors or CEOs in the United States.”

Berkshire shares lagged behind the broader market following Buffett’s retirement announcement in May, as some investors considered whether Abel could effectively manage the conglomerate’s extensive operations and equity portfolio similarly while justifying a premium valuation.

Buffett exits with an unparalleled legacy. After gaining control of Berkshire in the mid-1960s, he transformed a struggling textile company into a compounding giant. From 1964 to 2024, Berkshire recorded a compounded annual growth of 19.9%, almost double the S&P 500’s 10.4%, resulting in an overall return exceeding 5.5 million percent.