Daily Stock Market Report (Wed 8th April 2026) - Agenda

Good morning!
And a truly good morning it is, with a US-Iran ceasefire having been agreed for the next two weeks.
The ceasefire is conditional on "the complete, immediate, and safe opening of the Strait of Hormuz".
The FTSE is currently set to open up 300 points at 10,660.The German DAX is up 5.4%The Samp;P 500 is up 2.7% in overnight trading.
In commodities, Brent crude has fallen $14 to $92. US Crude oil is down by a similar amount.
Some of the biggest moves are in London Gas Oil (Diesel) (down 20%), UK Natural Gas (down 17%) and Heating Oil (down 17.5%).
Iran will reportedly charge fees for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. It will be possible for vessels to travel through it "via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations".
It's excellent news, but markets are likely to remain on edge until we have confirmation that this two-week ceasefire is the start of a lasting peace.

Today's Agenda is complete. Spreadsheet accompanying this report: link.

Companies Reporting
Name (Mkt Cap)RNSSummaryOur view (Author)Shell (LON:SHEL) (£201bn | SR88)Shell first quarter 2026 update noteGas production is expected to be lower as events in the Middle East have affected Qatari production. Trading profits...