Daily Stock Market Report (Wed 22nd April 2026) - CER, LIO, RKT

Good morning!
The FTSE is set to open lower this morning, below 10,500, after weakness yesterday afternoon..
The US-Iran ceasefire has been extended, but not in a very meaningful way:
The two sides never met for face-to-face talks in Islamabad, with Iran stating that US demands were unreasonable.The Strait of Hormuz remains closed.The US blockade remains in force.
So why is the ceasefire still in place? Apparently because the government of Pakistan, which is mediating, asked Trump to hold off on fresh strikes. Brent crude is now at $98.
Live webinar on Thursday at 5pm: with results season over, Ed and I will be taking a fresh look at our favourite investment ideas tomorrow evening. Here's the registration link.

Today's summaries are complete.
Spreadsheet accompanying this report: link.

Companies Reporting
Name (Mkt Cap)RNSSummaryOur view (Author)BHP (LON:BHP) (£151bn | SR83)Quarterly Activities ReportCopper production is expected to be towards the top end of FY26 guidance. Iron ore production on track.Reckitt Benckiser (LON:RKT) (£32bn | SR74)Q1 Results 2026Revenue down 11.8% due to weakness in N. America amp; Mead Nutrition. LFL revenue +0.6%. FY revenue guidance unchanged for Core LFL revenue to be +4% to +5%.AMBER/GREEN = (Roland)This trading update flags...