{"id":60837,"date":"2026-04-13T07:38:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T11:38:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/geopolitical-tensions-surge-as-us-blockades-iran-intel-upgraded-while-nike-slump-deepens\/60837\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T07:38:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T11:38:27","slug":"geopolitical-tensions-surge-as-us-blockades-iran-intel-upgraded-while-nike-slump-deepens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/geopolitical-tensions-surge-as-us-blockades-iran-intel-upgraded-while-nike-slump-deepens\/60837\/","title":{"rendered":"Geopolitical Tensions Surge as US Blockades Iran; Intel Upgraded While Nike Slump Deepens"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>US Central Command (CENTCOM)<\/strong> is set to begin a naval blockade of all <strong>Iranian ports<\/strong> starting Monday at 10 a.m. EDT, following the collapse of high-stakes negotiations in <strong>Islamabad<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Eli Lilly (<a href=\"\/stock\/LLY\">LLY<\/a>)<\/strong> announced positive Phase 3 results for <strong>Jaypirca<\/strong>, demonstrating significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Intel (<a href=\"\/stock\/INTC\">INTC<\/a>)<\/strong> shares received a major boost as <strong>Benchmark<\/strong> raised its price target to <strong>$76<\/strong> from $57, citing the company&#39;s central role in AI infrastructure.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Nike (<a href=\"\/stock\/NKE\">NKE<\/a>)<\/strong> was downgraded to &quot;Hold&quot; by <strong>HSBC<\/strong>, which slashed its price target to <strong>$48<\/strong> from $90 due to persistent weakness in China and a lack of short-term catalysts.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Oil prices<\/strong> have surged above <strong>$100 per barrel<\/strong> as <strong>Iran<\/strong> threatens to attack all ports in the <strong>Persian Gulf<\/strong> if its shipping facilities are endangered.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Geopolitical Crisis Erupts in the Persian Gulf<\/h2>\n<p>Global markets are bracing for significant disruption as the <strong>United States<\/strong> prepares to enforce a naval blockade on <strong>Iran<\/strong>. The move, ordered by <strong>President <a href=\"https:\/\/thestockmarketwatch.com\/live\/trump-stock-market\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Trump\">Trump<\/a><\/strong>, follows the failure of 21 hours of face-to-face negotiations in <strong>Islamabad<\/strong> between <strong>Vice President J.D. Vance<\/strong> and Iranian officials. <strong>Vance<\/strong> confirmed that the talks stalled over Iran&#39;s refusal to abandon its uranium enrichment programs and nuclear ambitions.<\/p>\n<p>In response, <strong>Tehran<\/strong> has issued a stern warning, stating that &quot;no port in the <strong>Persian Gulf<\/strong> or the <strong>Gulf of Oman<\/strong> will be safe&quot; if Iranian shipping is impeded. <strong>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu<\/strong> voiced strong support for the blockade, emphasizing that the removal of enriched materials remains a fundamental security issue. <strong>Maersk (<a href=\"\/stock\/MAERSK-B\">MAERSK-B<\/a>)<\/strong> has already warned of extreme volatility in energy markets, noting that further adjustments to shipping routes are likely as the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong> faces a partial closure.<\/p>\n<h2>Eli Lilly Reports Breakthrough in Blood Cancer Treatment<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Eli Lilly (<a href=\"\/stock\/LLY\">LLY<\/a>)<\/strong> released topline results from its Phase 3 <strong>BRUIN CLL-322<\/strong> trial, showing that <strong>Jaypirca (pirtobrutinib)<\/strong> significantly extended progression-free survival. When combined with a time-limited <strong>venetoclax<\/strong> treatment, the drug outperformed standard therapies for patients with relapsed or refractory <strong>CLL\/SLL<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The company plans to file for a <strong>label expansion<\/strong> by the end of this year, building on the success of what is now the fourth positive Phase 3 study for the drug. <em>Analysts note that the trial&#39;s success in patients previously treated with covalent BTK inhibitors makes it highly relevant to current clinical practice.<\/em> The safety profile remained consistent with previous studies, showing similar rates of adverse events across all groups.<\/p>\n<h2>Mixed Fortunes for Tech and Retail Giants<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Intel (<a href=\"\/stock\/INTC\">INTC<\/a>)<\/strong> emerged as a bright spot in the semiconductor sector after <strong>Benchmark<\/strong> raised its price target to <strong>$76<\/strong>. Analyst <strong>Cody Acree<\/strong> maintained a &quot;Buy&quot; rating, arguing that Intel&#39;s x86 architecture remains a cornerstone of <strong>AI infrastructure<\/strong> and hyperscale data centers. The upgrade also highlighted the &quot;symbolic validation&quot; of the <strong>Intel 18A<\/strong> process, which is nearing commercial credibility.<\/p>\n<p>Conversely, <strong>Nike (<a href=\"\/stock\/NKE\">NKE<\/a>)<\/strong> continues to struggle, with <strong>HSBC<\/strong> downgrading the stock to &quot;Hold&quot; and cutting its price target by nearly 50%. Analyst <strong>Erwan Rambourg<\/strong> described the company&#39;s turnaround as a &quot;show me story&quot; with limited visibility into a recovery. <strong>Nike<\/strong> has faced a &quot;spiral&quot; of declining market share in <strong>Greater China<\/strong> and sluggish demand for its <strong>Converse<\/strong> brand, leading to a 35% cut in EBIT estimates for fiscal years 2026\u20132028.<\/p>\n<h2>Regional Diplomacy and Energy Outlook<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>Saudi Foreign Ministry<\/strong> confirmed that it received a call from Iranian Foreign Minister <strong>Araghchi<\/strong> to discuss the fallout from the failed <strong>Pakistan<\/strong> negotiations. While regional players attempt to manage the escalation, <strong>European Union<\/strong> officials, including <strong>Ursula von der Leyen<\/strong>, expressed deep concern over the impact of the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong> closure on European energy security.<\/p>\n<p>In South America, Venezuelan opposition leader <strong>Maria Corina Machado<\/strong> is scheduled to meet with French President <strong>Emmanuel Macron<\/strong> later Monday. The meeting comes as international leaders seek to address multiple overlapping global crises, from the <strong>Middle East<\/strong> to the ongoing political instability in <strong>Caracas<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways US Central Command (CENTCOM) is set to begin a naval blockade of all Iranian ports starting Monday at [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":50383,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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