Last week--Monday, April 20 to Friday, April 24, 2026--the stock market reached record highs, driven by a blockbuster earnings report from Intel and easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, despite a volatile start to the week. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq both secured their fourth consecutive week of gains, with the S&P 500 closing above 7,100 for the first time. The Nasdaq was the standout performer among the indexes due to it holding most tech stocks, which were strong this week, while the Dow (which is not so tech-heavy) was the underperformer among the indexes. This week's rally was driven by tech. Intel jumped up 23% on Friday after beating earnings estimates and raising guidance on strong AI-driven CPU demand. This was the best day Intel has had in 38 years (the dotcom boom) and Intel is now trading at its highest level since 2000. This boosted the entire tech sector, with companies like Nvidia and AMD also seeing significant gains. AMD shares surged 10% on Friday because--let's be real--anything Intel can do, AMD can probably do better.

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The stock market surged during the week of April 13–17 with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq hitting record highs. Markets rallied on hopes of a peace deal between the U.S. and Iran, which intensified after Iran indicated it would reopen the Strait of Hormuz following a ceasefire. This news reversed previous oil price surges, providing relief to global markets. Banks began reporting solid first-quarter results, indicating economic resilience despite geopolitical tensions. The tech sector was incredibly strong last week, with Tesla leading the way with a much needed 15% rally, while Microsoft hit its highest weekly increase since 2007. The tech-heavy Nasdaq experienced its longest winning streak since 1992, rising for thirteen consecutive days. The S&P 500 officially closed above 7,100. Already this month, the S&P 500 has climbed almost 10 percent, which would be the best monthly gain since 2020 when markets were rebounding from the pandemic-induced sell-off.

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The stock market experienced a strong, rally-driven week from April 6 through to April 10, 2026, driven by a potential U.S.-Iran ceasefire easing geopolitical tensions, which caused oil prices to plunge. A reported two-week pause in the Middle East conflict spurred a massive "risk-on" rally early in the week. On the news of the ceasefire, oil prices experienced their biggest one-day decline since April 2020, which took some pressure off inflationary concerns, though oil saw some volatility late in the week. Major indices saw significant gains for the second consecutive week, with the S&P 500 up about 3.6% and the Nasdaq leading with a 4.5% gain, despite a pullback on Friday due to hotter-than-expected inflation data.

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So this week was only a four-day trading, Monday March 30 to Thursday April 2, due to the Good Friday holiday. The stock market was heavily driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, with oil prices surging above $100 and driving volatility. We saw big gains early in the week followed by a tumultuous Wednesday night trading session due to the Trump's speech, where we saw those early week gains fade. But markets rebounded late Thursday on potential diplomatic resolutions regarding navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. With Thursday seeing a sharp decline followed by a rebound to positive territory, that may suggest a desire among traders to avoid weekend risk exposure amid the rising conflict. I know I tend to flatten out a bit when we have these three-day holidays. I don't like having a ton of risk over the long weekend, because a lot can happen. All it takes is one tweet!

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The stock market for the week of March 23–27, 2026, was characterized by extreme volatility, driven primarily by shifting headlines regarding the conflict in Iran, fluctuating oil prices, and fears of a long-term bear market. Stocks surged on Monday Mar 23, with the S&P 500 rising 1.1%, the Dow up 1.4%, and the Nasdaq up 1.4% after President Trump indicated possible, though unconfirmed, peace talks with Iran, easing fears of severe supply chain disruptions. But optimism quickly faded as Tehran denied negotiations, and reports emerged of continued attacks on energy sites, causing oil prices to rise again and stocks to fall on Thursday...

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For the week of Monday, March 16, to Friday, March 20, 2026, the stock market was heavily driven by the ongoing geopolitical conflict in the Middle East, fluctuating oil prices, and rising bond yields, which pushed major indices toward a fourth consecutive week of losses. Despite a brief rally on Monday, markets sank for the rest of the week, with the S&P 500 hitting its lowest close of 2026 on Friday. The Russell 2000 has not fallen into correction territory. Technology stocks fell as investors rotated away from growth and cyclical risks, leading to a down week for the Nasdaq. The market was dominated by fears that the conflict involving Iran would keep interest rates higher for longer and disrupt global energy supplies.

The stock market experienced a volatile week ending March 13, 2026, marked by a third consecutive weekly decline, driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, surging oil prices, and disappointing U.S. employment data. The major indexes, including the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq and the Russell, fell as investors feared rising inflation and slower economic growth. The S&P 500 broke below key technical support levels, closing below 6,700 on Thursday, and the Nasdaq dipped below its 200-day moving average. The VIX opened the week trading at 35--just a monster increase in volatility.

The stock market experienced a volatile week ending March 6, 2026, driven by a "perfect storm" of surging oil prices due to the escalating Iran conflict and a surprisingly weak February jobs report. The major market indices all posted significant weekly losses, with the Dow having its worst week since April 2025. Oil prices saw their biggest weekly gain since 1983, with WTI crude topping $90 per barrel amid concerns about supply disruptions and U.S./Israeli strikes on Iran. The February employment report showed a shocking loss of 92,000 nonfarm payrolls, far below expectations of a gain, with the unemployment rate ticking up to 4.4%.