•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
U.S. stock markets fell on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, as investors weighed uncertainty around President Donald Trump’s decision to extend a ceasefire with Iran. Oil prices surged toward $100 a barrel for Brent before reversing after the announcement. At the close, the S&P 500 dropped 0.63% to 7,064.01, the Nasdaq fell 0.59% to 24,259.96, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 293.18 points, or 0.59%, to 49,149.38.
Shares were pressured earlier in the session after The Wall Street Journal reported that Vice President JD Vance’s planned trip to Pakistan for a second round of peace talks with Iranian officials had been postponed. According to the report, Tehran’s negotiators told their American counterparts via a mediator in Pakistan that they would not participate in further talks.
Minutes before the market closed, Trump unexpectedly announced an extension of the ceasefire until Iran makes a proposal to end the war. Earlier that day, Trump told CNBC he expected the U.S. and Iran to reach an “excellent deal,” and said the U.S. military was “ready” to strike Iran if no deal is reached before the ceasefire ends, adding that he did not want to extend it.
On X, Iranian Foreign Minister Zarghami (sic) Araghchi said the U.S. blocking Iranian ports is “an act of war,” which he said violates the ceasefire. He also said the seizure of an Iranian cargo ship last weekend was “an even bigger violation,” underscoring ongoing volatility in the U.S.-Iran standoff.
Following Trump’s extension announcement, U.S. stock-index futures broadly rose about 0.4% to 0.6%. In energy markets, Brent crude settled at $98.48 per barrel in London and WTI settled at $92.13 per barrel in New York. Prices eased slightly after the ceasefire extension, down about 0.3% to 0.4%.
Brian Mulberry, a strategist at Zacks Investment Management, said in a CNBC interview that “building confidence is very difficult in the current environment,” but he expects Hormuz Strait-related issues to be resolved this week.
Paola Rodriguez-Masiu of Rydstad Energy warned that supply disruptions through the Hormuz Strait would worsen in April, citing very low traffic through the corridor. Her report projected Gulf producers’ oil output to reach 14.3 million barrels per day in April—down 3 million bpd from March and roughly 13 million bpd below prewar levels.
Analysts on Wall Street, including Mulberry, remained optimistic about the market’s longer-term trajectory. Mulberry pointed to “very strong” corporate profits in Q1 and said he does not think the factor can be ignored, referencing double-digit earnings growth forecasts for listed firms in Q1.
Trump also addressed the oil-price move on CNBC, calling the increase a “small matter” and expressing surprise that prices had not risen more. He said, “If you had told me oil would be $90 per barrel instead of $200, I would be very surprised.”
Premium gym chains are entering a “golden era” that is ending or already in decline, as rising operating costs collide with shifting consumer preferences toward more flexible, community-based ways to exercise. Long-term memberships are shrinking, margins are pressured by higher rents and facility expenses, and competition from smaller, more personalized…
