Markets Hold Steady as Iran Deal Hopes Lift Sentiment — April 14, 2026

MoneySavings.ca  ·  Daily Market Brief

Tuesday, April 14, 2026  ·  Morning Edition

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Markets hold steady as Iran deal hopes lift sentiment

S&P 500 Futures 6,936 ▲ +0.20%

Nasdaq Futures 25,647 ▲ +0.40%

Dow Futures 48,501 ▲ +0.16%

WTI Crude $96.31 ▼ −2.80% easing

North American markets are poised for a steady open on Tuesday as investors grow cautiously optimistic about a potential U.S.-Iran agreement. U.S. stock futures held firm after the major averages posted strong gains the previous session, with the S&P 500 fully erasing its war-driven losses.

Oil prices offered some relief for consumers, with WTI crude pulling back nearly 3% to around $96.31 per barrel — easing from Monday's spike above $104. Asian markets also opened higher overnight, with Japan's Nikkei 225 rising 2.43% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng gaining 1%, both tracking Wall Street's optimism over a potential diplomatic resolution.

Key watch: President Trump signalled openness to further talks with Iran, saying Tehran had reached out to Washington. VP Vance also noted "a lot of progress" from initial negotiations, with a follow-up meeting possibly days away.

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Q1 earnings: big banks in the spotlight

Earnings are the main focus today, with JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, and BlackRock all reporting before the market open. Results were mixed:

Company	Result	Move
JPMorgan Chase (JPM)	Beat Q1, but cut net interest income guidance	▼ −1% premarket
Wells Fargo (WFC)	Q1 results disappointed	▼ −2%+ premarket
BlackRock (BLK)	Strong results	▲ +2% premarket
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)	Beat estimates, raised full-year outlook	▼ −1% premarket

Johnson & Johnson reported earnings of $2.70 per share on revenue of $24.1 billion — up roughly 10% year over year — and raised its full-year revenue outlook to a midpoint of $100.8 billion. Despite the strong numbers, shares slipped slightly in premarket as investors digested broader market conditions.

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Canadian angle

For Canadian investors, the TSX opens with cautious momentum. The pullback in oil prices eases near-term inflation pressure — welcome news for the Bank of Canada, which has been holding rates at 2.25% partly due to energy-driven inflation concerns. All eyes remain on U.S. bank earnings and any fresh developments out of Iran talks for direction today.

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