Monday, April 20, 2026…4:10 PM ET
[4:00 PM ET closing prices for stocks; 3:50ish for commodities and bonds.]
Tale of the Tape at the gas pump, nationwide averages, courtesy of AAA.
Fri., Feb. 27…regular gas $2.98…diesel $3.75
Mon., Apr. 20…reg. $4.04…diesel $5.53
Down from the recent peak of $4.16 – $5.68.
But gasoline futures rose 11 cents today to $3.11.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) jumped 5-6% Sunday evening and Monday after plunging 11.5% on Friday, as tensions between the U.S. and Iran escalated following attacks on commercial vessels over the weekend in the Strait of Hormuz.
The U.S. Navay seized an Iranian ship after Tehran fired on vessels and reinstated controls over the key waterway, closing it again after accusing Washington of violating a ceasefire set to expire on Wednesday.
The U.S. also fired on another Iranian linked vessel in the Gulf of Oman, while Iran targeted ships in the Strait, leaving traffic near a standstill.
President Trump warned of further escalation if no deal is reached, though talks remain uncertain as Iran has signaled it may not attend negotiations in Pakistan.
The standoff threatens to deepen the global energy crisis, with the vital route for oil and gas flows, as well as key items such as fertilizer, still blocked.
This afternoon, Vice President JD Vance is apparently heading to Pakistan with Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff for further talks, but it’s not known if Iran will show. Pakistani army chief Gen. Asim Munir, a key mediator in the talks, reportedly told Trump the U.S. blockade is a “hurdle” in the talks.
Trump then posted on Truth Social at 1:35 PM this afternoon:
“The DEAL that we are making with Iran will be FAR BETTER than the JCPOA, commonly referred to as ‘The Iran Nuclear Deal,’ penned by Barack Hussein Obama and Sleepy Joe Biden, one of the Worst Deals ever made having to do with the Security of our Country… If a Deal happens under ‘TRUMP,’ it will guarantee Peace, Security, and Safety, not only for Israel and the Middle East, but for Europe, America, and everywhere else. It will be something that the entire World will be proud of, instead of the years of Embarrassment and Humiliation that we have been forced to suffer due to incompetent and cowardly leadership!”
And at 1:40 PM…in part:
“I read the Fake News saying that I am under ‘pressure’ to make a Deal. THIS IS NOT TRUE! I am under no pressure whatsoever, although, it will all happen, relatively quickly! Time is not my adversary, the only thing that matters is that we finally, after 47 years, straighten out the MESS that other Presidents let happen… This is being perfectly executed, on the scale of Venezuela, just a bigger, more complex operation. The result will be the same. In my First Term, I built the Greatest Miliary our Country has ever seen, including adding Space Force. In my Second Term, I am properly and judiciously using our Military to solve problems left to us by others of far less understanding or competence….”
The next 24 hours will be interesting.
—
Knicks-Hawks, Game 2 at the Garden tonight.
Mets losing streak at 11.
Tomorrow, we have Kevin Warsh’s Senate confirmation hearing.
Otherwise, light week for economic data. On the earnings front we have Tesla on Wed.
Dull day on Wall Street today after the stupendous rally of the last three weeks.
—
Dow Jones -4…-0.01% [49442]
S&P 500 -16…-0.2% [7109]
Nasdaq -64…-0.3% [24404]
Oil (WTI) $88.60…Brent $95.05
Gold $4830
Silver $79.75
Bitcoin $76,304 [4:00 PM ET]
U.S. 2-yr. 3.72%
U.S. 10-yr. 4.25%
Japanese 10-yr. 2.38%
Back Tues.
Brian Trumbore
