Following a US–Iran ceasefire agreement, stock markets rose sharply and crude oil prices fell significantly

There was a deep sigh of relief across European stock exchanges following the agreement reached last night between Iran and the United States. The two-week ceasefire triggered an immediate jump in continental indices and a simultaneous drop in oil prices, which fell by 15%.

Shortly after markets opened, the pan-European Stoxx 600 index was up 3.8%, with almost all sectors in positive territory, except for oil and gas, which was penalized by the new geopolitical scenario.

Investor confidence was clearly reflected in the main national markets. In Germany, the DAX led the gains with an increase of 4.8%, followed by France’s CAC 40, up 4.1%.

Piazza Affari also showed a solid performance, with the FTSE MIB gaining 3.6%, while in the United Kingdom the FTSE 100 rose by 2.4%. These figures point to an extremely positive opening and broad-based growth—clear signs of renewed optimism across nearly all industrial and service sectors.

On the energy front, the agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz had a significant impact, causing a sharp price correction. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) U.S. oil futures for May delivery fell by nearly 15% to $96.32 per barrel in early trading on the U.S. East Coast. At the same time, Brent crude, the international benchmark for June delivery, dropped by more than 13% to $94.88 per barrel.

If this decline were to exceed the 14.52% threshold by the close of trading, WTI would record its worst daily loss since April 27, 2020.