Oil prices plunge and stocks soar after U.S. and Iran agree on ceasefire

## Summary
Business Oil prices plunge and stocks soar after U.S. and Iran agree on ceasefire April 8, 2026 9:33 AM ET By Maria Aspan Trump and the war in Iran give investors whiplash Listen · 3:53 3:53 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5776818/nx-s1-9720963" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on April 2, 2026 in New York City. Santiago/Getty Images/Getty Images North America Oil prices plunged and stocks surged as global investors breathed a sigh of relief after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire and President Trump backed off his threat to wipe out Iran's "whole civilization." On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged more than 1,000 points in early morning trade, while the S&P and Nasdaq also rallied, following strong gains in Asian and European stocks overnight. Wild swings in markets Trump's threat — and its reversal — marked the latest rhetoric to roil Wall Street and global investors, since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran more than a month ago. Wall Street U.S. war in Iran Strait of Hormuz President Trump Facebook Flipboard Email

## Article Content
Business
Oil prices plunge and stocks soar after U.S. and Iran agree on ceasefire
April 8, 2026
9:33 AM ET
By
Maria Aspan
Trump and the war in Iran give investors whiplash
Listen
·
3:53
3:53
Toggle more options
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Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on April 2, 2026 in New York City.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images/Getty Images North America
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Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images/Getty Images North America
Oil prices plunged and stocks surged as global investors breathed a sigh of relief after the U.S. and Iran
agreed to a two-week ceasefire
and President Trump backed off his threat to wipe out Iran's "whole civilization."
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged more than 1,000 points in early morning trade, while the S&P and Nasdaq also rallied, following strong gains in Asian and European stocks overnight.
Meanwhile, both U.S. crude futures as well as Brent, the global benchmark, plunged amid hopes that ships could soon transit through
the Strait of Hormuz
, a crucial waterway through which about 20% of global oil flows. The strait had been virtually shut down by the war, sparking a global energy crisis.
The strong market reaction comes after Trump announced the ceasefire on social media Tuesday evening, less than two hours before a deadline he had imposed for Iran to meet his demands or face wide-scale destruction.
Wild swings in markets
Trump's threat — and its reversal — marked the latest rhetoric to roil Wall Street and global investors, since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran more than a month ago.
Investors
have swung
from hope that Trump and Iran will de-escalate the war, to panic when it appears that the conflict is heating up, and back again.
Trump said his agreement to a ceasefire is contingent on Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz immediately. It could take some time for global energy markets to recover since some damage has already been done to oil refineries and other infrastructure in the Middle East.
The energy crisis sparked by the war with Iran has hurt consumers all over the world, including in the U.S., where national gasoline prices have risen above $4 per gallon.
Wall Street
U.S. war in Iran
Strait of Hormuz
President Trump
Facebook
Flipboard
Email

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- Santiago/Getty Images/Getty Images North America Oil prices plunged and stocks surged as global investors breathed a sigh of relief after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire and President Trump backed off his threat to wipe out Iran's "whole civilization." On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged more than 1,000 points in early morning trade, while the S&P and Nasdaq also rallied, following strong gains in Asian and European stocks overnight.
- The strong market reaction comes after Trump announced the ceasefire on social media Tuesday evening, less than two hours before a deadline he had imposed for Iran to meet his demands or face wide-scale destruction.

### Areas for Consideration
- Santiago/Getty Images/Getty Images North America Oil prices plunged and stocks surged as global investors breathed a sigh of relief after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire and President Trump backed off his threat to wipe out Iran's "whole civilization." On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged more than 1,000 points in early morning trade, while the S&P and Nasdaq also rallied, following strong gains in Asian and European stocks overnight.
- Wild swings in markets Trump's threat — and its reversal — marked the latest rhetoric to roil Wall Street and global investors, since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran more than a month ago.

### Implications
- Meanwhile, both U.S. crude futures as well as Brent, the global benchmark, plunged amid hopes that ships could soon transit through the Strait of Hormuz , a crucial waterway through which about 20% of global oil flows.
- Investors have swung from hope that Trump and Iran will de-escalate the war, to panic when it appears that the conflict is heating up, and back again.
- It could take some time for global energy markets to recover since some damage has already been done to oil refineries and other infrastructure in the Middle East.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers iran, trump, global topics. Notable strengths include discussion of iran. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 400.