The stock market is reacting positively to President Donald Trump’s claim that Iran wants a deal to end the war, which is now in its fourth week. Even crude oil futures are down, signaling optimism over the Trump administration’s eagerness to find an off-ramp from the conflict. But is there an end in sight?
Washington’s view: The U.S. reportedly sent Iran a 15-point plan to end the war, delivered through Pakistani intermediaries. The plan addresses Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs, as well as maritime routes through the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has effectively blocked. It remains unclear whether Israel, which has been bombing Iran alongside the U.S., is on board with the proposal. Trump also announced that Iran offered the U.S. a “present” that’s “worth a tremendous amount of money” as a show of good faith amid negotiations. He said the gift was related to energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
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Tehran’s response: But Iran has refuted Trump’s claims. “Has the level of your inner struggle reached the stage of you negotiating with yourself?” Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters (Iran’s main military command), asked. “You will see neither your investments in the region nor the former prices of energy and oil again, until you understand that stability in the region is guaranteed by the powerful hand of our armed forces.” Tehran has reportedly set a high bar for ceasefire negotiations, demanding that the U.S. shut down its Gulf bases and pay reparations for its attacks. It also wants to collect fees from ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz and keep its missile program with no negotiations to limit it, among other demands.
Bigger picture: “Markets desperately want to believe in the positive,” UBS’ Paul Donovan noted. “Focus on the apparent 15-point U.S. plan to end the war has received more attention than Iranian dismissals of this, or the fact that passage through the Strait of Hormuz is minimal.” SA analyst Eugenio Catone on Monday said he remained cautious despite Trump’s de-escalation claims. “At this point, I believe that both Iran and Israel are the main actors in this war, so they are the most reliable sources to understand where this conflict is really heading,” he said. “Right now, none of them is stepping back; therefore, I consider the recent stock market enthusiasm as a dead cat bounce.”
JPMorgan’s (JPM) Dimon: Government incentives could limit AI job losses.
Today’s Markets
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In Asia, Japan +2.9%. Hong Kong +1.1%. China +1.3%. India +1.6%. In Europe, at midday, London +1.2%. Paris +1.5%. Frankfurt +1.5%. Futures at 6:30, Dow +0.8%. S&P +0.8%. Nasdaq +1%. Crude -5.1% to $87.67. Gold +3.4% to $4,553.50. Bitcoin +0.3% to $71,352. Ten-year Treasury Yield -3 bps to 4.33%.
On The Calendar
Companies reporting today include Beyond Meat (BYND) and PDD (PDD).
Oil prices staged a sharp rebound on Monday, rising more than 6% after plunging over 9% in the previous session, as tensions flared again around the Strait of Hormuz. The latest spike followed fresh accusations from both the U.S. and Iran, each blaming the other for violating the ceasefire by targeting ships over the weekend.
On the geopolitical front, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that American forces had seized an Iranian cargo ship attempting to breach its blockade. Iran, in response, said it would not take part in a second round of peace talks, despite Trump’s warning of renewed airstrikes.
Crude oil price on April 20
Brent crude futures climbed $6.11, or 6.76%, to $96.49 a barrel by 2327 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate rose $6.53, or 7.79%, to $90.38 a barrel.Before the conflict, the strait accounted for roughly one-fifth of global oil supply. The war, now nearing two months, has severely disrupted these flows.
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Market movements remain highly reactive to developments, with oil prices swinging on shifting signals from both sides rather than any clear improvement in supply conditions. The intermittent movement of vessels through the strait highlights the deep uncertainty surrounding the world’s most critical energy chokepoint. Even if tensions ease, a full recovery in oil flows is expected to take several months, experts warn. On Saturday, Iran tightened its grip over the strait in response to the U.S. blockade, reportedly firing at several vessels and declaring the route closed. This came just hours after it had announced a temporary reopening during a 10-day ceasefire.
What are experts saying?
Brokerage firm Macquarie said that even if tensions cool, oil prices are likely to remain supported in the $85 to $90 range, with a gradual move towards $110 as supply through the Strait of Hormuz improves. It added that if disruptions persist through April, Brent crude could climb as high as $150 per barrel.
Analysts broadly believe crude may be entering a phase of structurally higher prices. With the ceasefire seen as temporary, a return to pre-war levels of $70 to $75 may take several months. In the near term, they expect prices to stay within a range of $80 to $85 on the downside and $95 to $100 on the upside.
Nuvama Institutional Equities cautioned that prolonged closure of the strait, which handles about 20 million barrels per day, could drive crude prices into the $110 to $150 range.
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
Concurrent Technologies Plc (COTGF) Discusses Full Year Results and Leadership Transition with Strategic Business Updates April 17, 2026 6:30 AM EDT
Company Participants
Miles Adcock – CEO & Executive Director Kim Maria Garrod – CFO & Executive Director
Presentation
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Operator
Good morning, and welcome to the Concurrent Technologies Plc Final Results Investor Presentation. [Operator Instructions]
Before we begin, I would like to submit the following poll. And I would now like to hand you over to CEO, Miles Adcock. Good morning to you.
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Miles Adcock CEO & Executive Director
Good morning, and welcome to our full year results for 2025.
Next slide, please. So my name is Miles. I’m the CEO. This is my fourth set of annual results, and I’m joined by Kim, our CFO. And I should note that at the same time as we issued our full year results, we also announced that Kim has decided to retire at the end of this year. My good friend and colleague, Kim, do you want to say a few words?
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Kim Maria Garrod CFO & Executive Director
Yes. So I achieved a milestone birthday this year, and that made me rethink what I was going to do. So I have decided to retire, but I’m in the business until the end of the year. I’m very excited about the business, and I will be watching it very closely after I’ve gone, and I’ll be regularly calling Miles for updates. But I’m fully committed to the business. And as I say, I’ll be taking out for most of this financial year.
Miles Adcock CEO & Executive Director
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Thank you, Kim. And just to note, Kim has generously given us until the end of the year to seek a replacement, and I’ve engaged Korn Ferry this week, and we’re working hard at finding a worthy successor.
Business groups have urged the government to cut a raft of regulations ahead of the federal budget, but the finance minister says changes have to make sense.
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