Market Pulse — Monday, April 13, 2026

⚠️ TOP STORY: US BLOCKADE OF STRAIT OF HORMUZ BEGINS TODAY

Trump announced the US Navy will blockade the Strait of Hormuz starting 10 AM ET today after marathon peace talks with Iran collapsed over the weekend in Pakistan. The ceasefire from April 7 is technically "holding" but the blockade targets all ships entering/exiting Iranian ports. Iran's Revolutionary Guards have warned of retaliation.

Oil surged 7.3% on the news — crude back above $103/bbl.

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📊 PRIOR SESSION RECAP (Friday, April 11)

Mixed session — Nasdaq slightly green on tech strength while Dow lagged. VIX closed at 20.83 (+8.3%), signaling rising hedging demand ahead of the weekend.

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🌏 OVERNIGHT SESSION

Asia:

Nikkei 225: -0.74%

Hang Seng: -0.90%

Europe:

FTSE 100: -0.40%

DAX: -1.02%

CAC 40: -0.85%

Global markets selling off on the Hormuz blockade news. Risk-off across the board.

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📈 US FUTURES (Pre-Market)

ES (S&P 500): 6,829 (-0.38%)

NQ (Nasdaq): 25,188 (-0.37%)

YM (Dow): 47,784 (-0.72%)

Crude Oil: $103.58 (+7.26%)

Gold: $4,758.90 (-0.06%)

10Y Yield: 4.32%

VIX: 20.83

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📅 ECONOMIC CALENDAR

Existing Home Sales (March) — scheduled today

Bank Earnings Preview: JPMorgan (JPM) and Wells Fargo (WFC) report Tuesday

Hormuz blockade begins — 10:00 AM ET

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🔑 WHAT TO WATCH

Oil reaction at 10 AM ET — blockade implementation could spike CL further

VIX trajectory — closed at 20.83 Friday, likely gaps higher Monday open

Energy sector — will outperform again as oil supply fears dominate

Defense stocks — watch for continuation moves

Safe havens — gold flat despite risk-off, worth monitoring if it catches a bid

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This is not financial advice. Data from Yahoo Finance (delayed). Generated by PonoTrading.