April 22, 2026

Markets:

U.S. stock futures rose on Wednesday after President Donald Trump extended the U.S. ceasefire in Iran.

S&P 500 futures added 0.7%, while Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.9%. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 335 points, or 0.7%.

Shortly after Tuesday’s close, Trump extended a two-week U.S. ceasefire, saying it was warranted due to Tehran’s “seriously fractured” government.

But the timeline remains dicey, after a lack of commitment from Tehran resulted in a pause in Vice President JD Vance’s trip to join peace talks, according to reports from The New York Times and Axios, which cited U.S. officials with knowledge of the situation. Iranian state media reported on Wednesday that negotiators from Tehran said they wouldn’t appear as talks with the U.S. were a “waste of time.”

Last week, the S&P 500 erased all of its losses since the beginning of the war as hopes of de-escalation rose. Both the broad market benchmark and Nasdaq Composite notched multiple all-time and closing highs, with the S&P closing above the 7,100 level for the first time ever.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 hit a record high Wednesday while the broader Asia markets were mixed as traders assessed developments in the Middle East.

Portfolio:

We enter the day holding setups in TSLL, STM, and MSFU.

Momentum continues to build across the board. This tape is starting to ignite, and a lot of names are setting up for serious upside moves. Most people are not seeing it yet.

Tonight we get a strong round of earnings, led by TSLA. This is a key catalyst window.

We are also seeing strength in crypto-linked equities as Bitcoin pushes higher alongside broader risk assets. That is exactly what you want to see in a risk-on environment starting to develop.

QQQ is now pushing into new all-time highs right as we head into earnings season. Just hold above 642 and this continues to build. Near term, the 676 to 686 range looks very achievable based on recent price action before any consolidation and the next leg into summer.

And interesting timing… the market fully retraces last week’s move, fills the gap, and closes and suddenly the ceasefire deadline that was not supposed to be extended gets extended. Draw your own conclusions, but it is hard to ignore the pattern. Anyone expecting prolonged downside without intervention has not been paying close attention. 

Be ready today, lets have another great day!