This is the open brief for Mon, Apr 13, 2026. View latest
Market context for passive investors.
Archive
$41.62Headline
The breakdown of U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks over the weekend and President Trump's announcement of a Strait of Hormuz blockade sent oil above $100 a barrel and weighed on equity markets at Monday's open. International developed markets are absorbing the most pressure, pulling XEQT modestly lower. U.S. equities are nearly flat early, limiting the overall damage to the portfolio.
25.95% of XEQT
XIC.TO is down 0.13% early in the session. Oil's sharp move above $100 a barrel adds cross-currents for energy-heavy Canadian equities, though no fresh TSX-specific source was identified in available results to attribute causation directly.
43.28% of XEQT
U.S. equities opened modestly lower, with the S&P 500 slipping 0.3% and the Nasdaq also down 0.3%, as the Hormuz blockade announcement and a Goldman Sachs earnings miss weighed on sentiment, though the U.S. sleeve of XEQT is nearly flat at 0.01%.
25.36% of XEQT
European shares fell at the open, with the pan-European index down 0.7%, as the collapse of U.S.-Iran negotiations and the planned Strait of Hormuz blockade dimmed hopes for a swift conflict resolution and pressured the region's equities.
5.26% of XEQT
Emerging market equities are under light pressure, with XEC.TO down 0.42% at the open. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.22% and mainland China's CSI 300 dipped 0.12%, with geopolitical risk around the Strait of Hormuz adding to the cautious tone in Asian markets.
XEQT is down 0.22% at the open, a modest move given the weight of the headlines. International developed markets are carrying most of that drag, with North America holding relatively steady. Days like this are exactly what a globally diversified portfolio is built for.
Benchmark U.S. crude jumped roughly 8% to above $104 a barrel after the Hormuz blockade announcement. Higher energy costs can weigh on corporate margins broadly, but XEQT's diversified global exposure means no single commodity shock rewrites the long-term case. No action warranted.
U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks ended without agreement over the weekend, and the U.S. announced a planned blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Geopolitical flare-ups typically introduce short-term market noise. XEQT is built to absorb exactly this kind of uncertainty. No action warranted.
Goldman Sachs shares fell roughly 3% at the open despite strong overall earnings, after a revenue miss in fixed income weighed on sentiment as the U.S. earnings season begins. Early earnings results can shift short-term tone, but a single bank's trading desk result is not a signal to reposition a passive global portfolio. No action warranted.
Email Briefs
Subscribe and get The XEQT Brief in your inbox after every market close, or once a week if you prefer. Always matter-of-fact. Never sensationalist.
Brief emails are free. Unsubscribe anytime.
We recommend either of the two major Canadian brokers below. Buying XEQT on either is free. Joining with the links below gives you (and us) a cash bonus.
Can't decide? Open and test both before you choose. You'll pocket $75 if you're eligible and have two great platforms ready for your first XEQT purchase.