By Caitlin McCabe
President Trump's cease-fire extension is helping U.S. stocks rebound after two straight days of declines.
Oil traders, however, aren't feeling so optimistic, with Brent crude rising to about $100 a barrel after three ships were targeted in the Strait of Hormuz.
The attacks underscore that while the aerial war between the U.S. and Iran is on pause, the fight for control of the crucial waterway continues, leaving traffic at a near-standstill. Energy-industry experts say oil prices, though high, don't fully reflect the severity of the situation.
Even so, investors are still running full-speed into stocks, seemingly more worried about missing out on a rally that has carried the S&P 500 up more than 11% from its March lows.
Traders' moods also have been buoyed by a strong earnings season, which continues Wednesday with reports from Boeing, Tesla, IBM and Southwest Airlines. Nearly one-sixth of S&P 500 companies has reported results so far, and roughly 85% of them beat expectations, according to FactSet.
Write to Caitlin McCabe at caitlin.mccabe@wsj.com
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 22, 2026 09:47 ET (13:47 GMT)
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