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The 8 April ceasefire announcement and parallel discussions around a 45-day truce have not resolved the Strait of Hormuz disruption. They have, for now, capped the worst-case scenario, but tanker traffic remains at a fraction of normal levels and Iran's demand for transit fees signals a structural shift, not a temporary one.
What began as a regional conflict has become a global energy shock, and the question for markets is no longer whether Hormuz was disrupted, but how permanently the disruption changes the pricing floor for oil.
Key takeaways
- Around 20 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil and petroleum products normally pass through the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman, equal to about one-fifth of global oil consumption and roughly 30% of global seaborne oil trade.
- This is a flow shock, not an inventory problem. Oil markets depend on continuous throughput, not static storage.
- If the disruption persists beyond a few weeks, Brent could shift from a short-term spike to a broader price shock, with stagflation risk.
- Tanker traffic through the strait fell from around 135 ships per day to fewer than 15 at the peak of disruption, a reduction of approximately 85%, with more than 150 vessels anchored, diverted, or delayed.
- A two-week ceasefire was announced on 8 April, with 45-day truce negotiations under way. Iran has separately signalled a demand for transit fees on vessels using the strait, which, if formalised, would represent a permanent geopolitical floor on energy costs.
- Markets have begun rotating away from growth and technology exposure toward energy and defence names, reflecting a view that elevated oil is becoming a structural cost rather than a temporary risk premium.
The world’s most critical oil chokepoint
The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly 20 million barrels per day of oil and petroleum products, equal to about 20% of global oil consumption and around 30% of global seaborne oil trade. With global oil demand near 104 million bpd and spare capacity limited, the market was already tightly balanced before the latest escalation.
The strait is also a critical corridor for liquefied natural gas. Around 290 million cubic metres of LNG transited the route each day on average in 2024, representing roughly 20% of global LNG trade, with Asian markets the main destination.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has described Hormuz as the world’s most important oil transit chokepoint, noting that even partial interruptions may trigger outsized price moves. Brent crude has moved above US$100 a barrel, reflecting both physical tightness and a rising geopolitical risk premium.
Tankers idle as flows slow
Shipping and insurance data now point to strain in real time. More than 85 large crude carriers are reported to be stranded in the Persian Gulf, while more than 150 vessels have been anchored, diverted or delayed as operators reassess safety and insurance cover. That would leave an estimated 120 million to 150 million barrels of crude sitting idle at sea.
Those volumes represent only six to seven days of normal Hormuz throughput, or a little more than one day of global oil consumption.
Updated shipping and insurance data now confirm more than 150 vessels have been anchored, diverted, or delayed, up from the 85 initially reported. The 1.3 days of global consumption coverage from idle crude remains the binding constraint: this is a flow shock, not a storage problem, and the ceasefire has not yet translated into meaningfully restored throughput.
A market built on flow, not storage
Oil markets function on continuous movement. Refineries, petrochemical plants and global supply chains are calibrated to steady deliveries along predictable sea lanes. When flows through a chokepoint that carries roughly one-fifth of global oil consumption and around 30% of global seaborne oil trade are interrupted, the system can move from equilibrium to deficit within days.
Spare production capacity, largely concentrated within OPEC, is estimated at only 3 million to 5 million bpd. That falls well short of the volumes at risk if Hormuz flows are severely disrupted.
Oil market analysis
How long do idle tankers last?
135M idle barrels — days of cover against each demand benchmark
vs. Strait of Hormuz daily flow (20M bbl/day)
vs. Global oil consumption (104M bbl/day)
vs. US Strategic Petroleum Reserve release (1M bbl/day)
135M
idle barrels on tankers (midpoint of 120–150M range)
~33%
of daily Hormuz flow that is idle storage, not transit
<31 hrs
is all idle storage against global daily consumption
Inflation risks and macro spillovers
The inflationary impact of an oil shock typically arrives in waves. Higher fuel and energy prices may lift headline inflation quickly as petrol, diesel and power costs move higher.
Over time, higher energy costs may pass through freight, food, manufacturing and services. If the disruption persists, the combination of elevated inflation and slower growth could raise the risk of a stagflationary environment and leave central banks facing a difficult trade-off.
No easy offset, a system with little slack
What makes the current episode particularly acute is the lack of slack in the global system.
Global supply and demand near 103 million to 104 million bpd leave little spare cushion when a chokepoint handling nearly 20 million bpd, or about one-fifth of global oil consumption, is compromised. Estimated spare capacity of 3 million to 5 million bpd, mostly within OPEC, would cover only a fraction of the volumes at risk.
Alternative routes, including pipelines that bypass Hormuz and rerouted shipping, can only partly offset lost flows, and usually at higher cost and with longer lead times.
Bottom line
Until transit through the Strait of Hormuz is restored and seen as credibly secure, global oil flows are likely to remain impaired and risk premia elevated. For investors, policymakers and corporate decision-makers, the core question is whether oil can move where it needs to go, every day, without interruption.
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) reported Q4 2023 and full year financial results before the market open in the US on Tuesday to kick off another week of earnings. US pharmaceutical and consumer goods company reported revenue of $21.395 billion for the last quarter of 2023, beating analyst estimate of $21.022 billion. Revenue grew by 7.3% vs. the same quarter in 2022.
Earnings per share (EPS) was reported at $2.29 per share vs. $2.281 per share expected. EPS was up by 11.7% year-over-year. The company achieved revenue of $85.159 billion in 2023 – up 6.5% vs. 2022.
EPS reached $5.20 per share – down by 15.3% from 2022. Company overview Founded: 1886 Headquarters: Johnson and Johnson Plaza, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States Number of employees: 130,000 (2023) Industry: Pharmaceutical, Medical Technology Key people: Joaquin Duato (Chairman & CEO) CEO commentary "Johnson & Johnson’s full year 2023 results reflect the breadth and competitiveness of our business and our relentless focus on delivering for patients. We have entered 2024 from a position of strength, and I am confident in our ability to lead the next wave of health innovation," Joaquin Duato, CEO of Johnson & Johnson said in a statement.
Stock reaction Shares of Johnson & Johnson were down by around 1% during Tuesday’s session after the latest results were announced, trading at $160.02 a share. Stock performance 5 day: -0.38% 1 month: +2.41% 3 months: +5.74% Year-to-date: +2.02% 1 year: -4.99% Johnson & Johnson stock price targets Cantor Fitzgerald: $215 Raymond James: $175 Wells Fargo & Company: $163 UBS Group: $180 Royal Bank of Canada: $178 Morgan Stanley: $171 Barclays: $162 HSBC: $175 Atlantic Securities: $170 Credit Suisse Group: $175 Stifel Nicolaus: $175 JP Morgan Chase & Co.: $180 Citigroup: $185 Guggenheim: $161 Johnson & Johnson is the 20th largest company in the world with a market cap of $384.14 billion. You can trade Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) and many other stocks from the NYSE, NASDAQ, HKEX and ASX with GO Markets as a Share CFD on the MetaTrader 5 platform.
To find out more, go to "Trading" then select "Share CFDs". GO Markets offers pre-market and after-market trading on popular US Share CFDs. Why trade during extended hours?
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The Goldmans Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) released the latest financial results for the last quarter of 2023 and the full year on Tuesday. The New York based financial firm reported revenue of $11.318 billion for the quarter vs. $10.797 billion estimate. Earnings per share (EPS) reported at $5.48 per share vs. $3.617 per share expected.
Total revenue reached $46.25 billion in 2023. Full-year EPS reported at $22.87 per share. Company overview Founded: 1869 Headquarters: New York, United States Number of employees: 48,500 (2022) Industry: Financial services Key people: Lloyd Blankfein (Senior Chairman), David M.
Solomon (Chairman and CEO) CEO commentary David Solomon, CEO of Goldman Sachs, commented on the latest results: "This was a year of execution for Goldman Sachs. With everything we achieved in 2023 coupled with our clear and simplified strategy, we have a much stronger platform for 2024. Our strategic objectives underscore our relentless commitment to serve our clients with excellence, further strengthen our leading client franchise and continue to deliver for shareholders." Stock reaction Shares of Goldman Sachs were up by 0.71% at the end of trading day on Tuesday, trading at $380.45 a share.
Stock performance 5 day: -2.77% 1 month: +0.45% 3 months: +20.26% Year-to-date: -1.99% 1 year: +1.10% Goldmans Sachs stock price targets BMO Capital Markets: $357 JP Morgan: $421 UBS Group: $440 Barclays: $493 Morgan Stanley: $333 Oppenheimer: $468 JPM Securities: $440 Citigroup: $380 HSBC: $403 Credit Suisse: $410 Wells Fargo: $390 Bank of America: $425 Goldmans Sachs Group Inc. is the 109th largest company in the world with a market cap of $123.38 billion. You can trade Goldmans Sachs Group Inc. and many other stocks from the NYSE, NASDAQ, HKEX and ASX with GO Markets as a Share CFD on the MetaTrader 5 platform. To find out more, go to "Trading" then select "Share CFDs".
GO Markets offers pre-market and after-market trading on popular US Share CFDs. Why trade during extended hours? Volatility never sleeps.
Trade over earnings releases as they happen outside of main trading hours Reduce your risk and hedge your existing positions ahead of a new trading day Extended trading hours on popular US stocks means extended opportunities Sources: Goldmans Sachs Group Inc., TradingView, MarketWatch, MarketBeat, CompaniesMarketCap
USD was flat in Monday’s session with DXY trading in a tight range from 103.110-103. 370 amid a light economic calendar ahead of the major risk events from Tuesday onwards. DXY still capped to the upside by the 50% Fib level resistance as traders look to be waiting for rate decisions from the BoJ, BoC and ECB before taking a USD view. AUD, and NZD were the G10 underperformers.
AUDUSD trading just above 0.6600 early in the APAC session before reversing course and retracing all of Friday’s gains. NZDUSD breaking support at 0.6084 to set new 2024 lows. AUD and NZD weighed on by a broad-based selling in the Chinese market.
JPY was flat against the USD ahead of today’s BoJ policy meeting. Comments from Japanese PM Kishida requesting firms provide larger pay rises this year supporting the Yen somewhat. The BoJ isn’t expected to make any changes to current easy money policy but any mention of a timeline for rate normalisation would be Yen positive.
USDJPY still trading in a tight range, just holding the key level of 148 coming into the BoJ announcement.
The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE: SCHW) released Q4 and 2023 full-year earnings results before the opening bell in Wall Street on Wednesday. The US financial services company reported revenue of $4.459 billion, falling slightly short of analyst estimate of $4.494 billion. Revenue was down by 19% vs.
Q4 of 2022. Earnings per share (EPS) reported at $0.68 per share (down by 36% year-over-year) vs. $0.638 per share expected. Full year revenue reached $18.837 billion, down by 9% vs. 2022.
Full year EPS reported at $3.13, down by 20% year-over-year. Company overview Founded: 1971 Headquarters: Westlake, Texas, United States Number of employees: 35,300 (2022) Industry: Financial services Key people: Charles R. Schwab (co-chairman), Walter W.
Bettinger (co-chairman & CEO) CEO commentary Walter W. Bettinger, CEO of Charles Schwab, commented on the latest results: "Over the course of 2023, our commitment to clients was unwavering. Through an uneven environment with shifting views on the trajectory of the U.S. economy, persistent geopolitical unrest, and a temporary disruption within the regional banking sector, our "no trade-offs" value proposition continued to resonate with investors.
Clients entrusted us with $306 billion in core net new assets during the year, including over $43 billion in December alone. This ongoing success with clients helped push total client assets to a record $8.52 trillion at year-end. Additionally, we welcomed 977 thousand new-to-firm retail households as well as 315 advisors-in-transition to Schwab.
In total, we added 3.8 million new brokerage accounts to increase our total client base to 34.8 million accounts." "As we move forward with our key initiatives, we remain as confident as ever in our "Through Clients’ Eyes" strategy. Our client focus has guided our culture and operating priorities for five decades and we believe it keeps us best positioned to sustain long-term profitable growth into the future," Betting added. Stock reaction Shares of Charles Schwab were down by 1.34% at the end of trading day on Wednesday at $63.45 a share – the lowest level since 7/12/2023.
Stock performance 5 day: -3.60% 1 month: -5.47% 3 months: +22.40% Year-to-date: -7.78% 1 year: -22.03% The Charles Schwab Corporation stock price targets Citigroup: $70 Raymond James: $78 TD Cowen: $77 Goldman Sachs: $71 UBS Group: $82 JP Morgan: $85 JMP Securities: $77 Barclays: $57 Morgan Stanley: $64 Deutsche Bank: $69 Jefferies Financial Group; $62 Piper Sandler: $75 Bank of America: $53 Credit Suisse: $67.50 The Charles Schwab Corporation is the 120th largest company in the world with a market cap of $115.64 billion. You can trade The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE: SCHW) and many other stocks from the NYSE, NASDAQ, HKEX and ASX with GO Markets as a Share CFD on the MetaTrader 5 platform. To find out more, go to "Trading" then select "Share CFDs".
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World’s largest healthcare company, UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH), reported fourth quarter and 2023 full-year financial results on Friday. The company achieved revenue of $94.427 billion for Q4 of 2023 (up by 14% vs. Q4 2022) vs. $92.126 billion expected.
Earnings per share (EPS) reported at $6.16 per share vs. estimate of $5.985 per share. Full-year revenue reached $371.6 billion, up by 15% vs. 2022. EPS reported at $25.12 per share, up by 13.2% year-over-year.
Company’s medical costs rose by 16.1% from $53.591 billion to $62.231 billion. Company overview Founded: 1977 Headquarters: Minnetonka, Minnesota, United States Number of employees: 440,000 (2023) Industry: Managed healthcare, insurance Key people: Stephen J. Hemsley (Chair), Andrew Witty (CEO), Dirk McMahon (President, COO), John Rex (CFO) CEO commentary "UnitedHealth Group enters 2024 well prepared to build on our efforts to improve patient care and consumer experiences broadly, and to continue delivering strong and balanced growth," Andrew Witty, CEO of the company highlighted on what the company is focusing on in the year ahead.
Stock reaction Shares of UnitedHealth were down by around 3% on Friday despite beating analyst estimates for the quarter due to rising operating costs. Stock performance 5 day: -3.16% 1 month: -2.02% 3 months: -3.52% Year-to-date: -1.15% 1 year: +6.30% UnitedHealth stock price targets HSBC: $480 Stephens: $585 Truist Financial: $610 Royal Bank of Canada: $596 Jefferies Financial Group: $503 Morgan Stanley: $579 Piper Sandler: $584 UBS Group: $640 Deutsche Bank: $555 TD Cowen: $555 JP Morgan: $532 Wells Fargo: $561 Mizuho: 549 UnitedHealth Group Inc. is the 15th largest company in the world with a market cap of $481.23 billion. You can trade UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH) and many other stocks from the NYSE, NASDAQ, HKEX and ASX with GO Markets as a Share CFD on the MetaTrader 5 platform.
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US financial services company, Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS), announced Q4 2023 and full year financial results before the US open on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley reported revenue of $12.896 billion for the previous quarter, narrowly beating analyst estimate of $12.773 billion. Earnings per share (EPS) fell well short of Wall Street expectations at $0.85 vs. $1.074 per share expected.
The company achieved revenue for $54.1 billion in 2023. EPS reached $5.18 per share. Company overview Founded: 1935 Headquarters: New York, United States Number of employees: 80,257 (2022) Industry: Financial services Key people: James P.
Gorman (Executive Chairman), Ted Pick (CEO), Andy Saperstein (Co-President), Dan Simkowitz (Co-President), Sharon Yeshaya (CFO) CEO commentary "In 2023, the Firm reported a solid ROTCE* against a mixed market backdrop and a number of headwinds. We begin 2024 with a clear and consistent business strategy and a unified leadership team. We are focused on achieving our long-term financial goals and continuing to deliver for shareholders," CEO of Morgan Stanley, Ted Pick, commented on the results in a statement to shareholders. *Return on tangible equity Stock reaction The stock was down by over 4% after the announcement of the latest results.
Shares were trading at $85.80 a share – the lowest level in over a month. Stock performance 5 day: -7.92% 1 month: -5.13% 3 months: +9.36% Year-to-date: -7.67% 1 year: -6.07% Morgan Stanley stock price targets HSBC: $96 JP Morgan: $94 UBS Group: $95 Bank of America: $100 Barclays: $116 Royal Bank of Canada: $85 Goldman Sachs: $100 Societe Generale: $80 BNP Paribas: $85 Oppenheimer: $103 Evercore: $97 Morgan Stanley is the 88th largest company in the world with a market cap of $141.14 billion. You can trade Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) and many other stocks from the NYSE, NASDAQ, HKEX and ASX with GO Markets as a Share CFD on the MetaTrader 5 platform.
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Volatility never sleeps. Trade over earnings releases as they happen outside of main trading hours Reduce your risk and hedge your existing positions ahead of a new trading day Extended trading hours on popular US stocks means extended opportunities Sources: Morgan Stanley, TradingView, MarketWatch, MarketBeat, CompaniesMarketCap