The Strait of Hormuz reopens, New York stock market rises, airline and travel stocks strengthen

The New York stock market opened higher across the board on April 17, 2026, local time, boosted by the easing of tensions in the Middle East and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transportation route, alleviated concerns over energy supply disruptions, and investor risk aversion also eased as a result.

By 10:27 a.m. Eastern Time, the Dow Jones Industrial Average on the New York Stock Exchange rose 949.73 points (1.96%) from the previous trading day, closing at 49,528.45 points. The S&P 500 index increased by 74.59 points (1.06%) to 7,115.87 points; the Nasdaq Composite rose 276.60 points (1.15%) to 24,379.31 points. The market responded positively to Lebanon and Israel entering a ceasefire, and Iran announcing the opening of the Strait of Hormuz to commercial ships during the ceasefire. The ceasefire began at 5 p.m. Eastern Time the previous day and will last for ten days.

However, the stock market is not solely driven by optimism. U.S. President Donald Trump expressed gratitude via social media platform Truth Social for the measures related to the Strait of Hormuz, but also stated that the maritime blockade involving Iran would remain in place until the complete end of the two countries’ negotiations. According to Axios, a U.S. media outlet, the U.S. and Iran are discussing a three-page long peace agreement plan, which also includes Iran relinquishing enriched uranium in exchange for the U.S. unfreezing its $20 billion in funds. The second round of negotiations is reportedly scheduled to take place in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Sunday. While the market believes the worst of the conflict is over, uncertainty remains until a formal peace agreement is actually reached.

Industry trends show clear divergence due to falling oil prices. Aside from energy and utilities, most sectors rose, with airline and travel stocks performing particularly strongly. The decline in oil prices reduces fuel costs for airlines and cruise companies, improving their profitability. Delta Air Lines rose 6.85%, and Carnival Corporation increased by 9.26%. Meanwhile, weaker international oil prices put pressure on refining and oil companies, with ExxonMobil down 5.50% and Chevron down 4.65%. During the same period, the May 2026 West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures price fell 11.463% from the previous trading day, closing at $83.68 per barrel.

Among individual stocks, Netflix experienced a notable decline. Although Netflix’s first-quarter earnings exceeded market expectations, its guidance for future performance fell short, leading to a 9.94% drop in stock price. The company provided a second-quarter earnings per share forecast of 78 cents, below the market expectation of 84 cents. Additionally, co-founder and Chairman Reed Hastings announced he would step down from the board after his term ends in June, which also put pressure on investor sentiment. European stock markets also moved higher in tandem. The Euro Stoxx 50 index rose 2.20%, closing at 6,063.71 points; the UK FTSE 100 increased by 0.51%; France’s CAC 40 gained 1.99%; and Germany’s DAX rose 2.18%. Future trends in this round may strengthen or fluctuate again depending on the progress of U.S.-Iran negotiations and whether the ceasefire in the Middle East can be maintained in practice.