Tesla Q1 Earnings Beat Nasdaq Hits Record High

Following news of Iran's indefinite ceasefire extension, Nasdaq surged 1.6% to an all-time high, while S&P 500 climbed approximately 1% and Dow rose 0.6%. Tesla's Q1 2026 earnings, announced after market close, reported revenue of $23.8 billion (up 16% year-over-year) and non-GAAP EPS of $0.41, surpassing consensus of $0.37, with automotive gross margin improving 478 basis points to 21.1%. However, deliveries of 358,023 units fell short of market expectations of 365,645 units, though after-hours trading showed a 3% stock price increase.

President Trump announced on April 22 that he would extend the ceasefire with Iran indefinitely until peace negotiations conclude. However, on the same day, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Navy seized two cargo vessels near the Strait of Hormuz and attacked the Greek-owned cargo ship Epameinondas with an RPG. U.S. authorities have issued a 3 to 5-day deadline for Iran's government to reach internal consensus on negotiations.

Google Cloud announced a comprehensive suite of AI agent tools at Cloud Next '26 in Las Vegas to compete with OpenAI and Anthropic, alongside a strategic partnership with Merck valued at up to $1 billion to deploy Gemini Enterprise-based agentic platforms across R&D, manufacturing, commercial, and enterprise functions. The conference, attended by over 32,000 participants, featured more than 260 announcements, including a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure contract for Mira Murati's Thinking Machines Lab based on GB300 technology.

According to NPR reporting on April 22, based on GoodRx analysis, between 2025 and 2026, Zepbound lost coverage for 12 million patients and Wegovy for 12 million. The remaining 88% covered face restrictions including prior authorization or BMI requirements of 40 or higher. CVS Caremark excluded Zepbound from its formulary starting in July. Patients are shifting to compounded medications with out-of-pocket costs reaching $300 per month.

The IMF's April World Economic Outlook, reflecting Middle East conflict impacts, downgraded global growth for 2026 to 3.1% and raised headline inflation to 4.4%. Under a Hormuz blockade scenario, growth falls to 2.0% and inflation exceeds 6%. Emerging market growth was revised down to 3.9% from 1% in January, with India at 6.4-6.7%, Sub-Saharan Africa at 3.7%, and Latin America at 2.3% (Brazil revised up to 1.9%, Argentina down to 3.5%).

Coinciding with Earth Day, the American Lung Association and partners announced that approximately half the U.S. population—152 million people—reside in counties with failing air quality grades. Though 130 countries submitted new Nationally Determined Contributions, assessments indicate they fall short of 2035 energy sector reduction targets. Simultaneous Wisconsin tornado outbreaks and Western snow deficit-driven wildfire alerts signal mixed policy momentum.

As of 9:15 a.m. ET on April 22, Bitcoin rose to $78,194 (opening at $76,341) and Ethereum rebounded to $2,393, marking the highest levels since February following Trump's ceasefire announcement. Both assets experienced synchronized upside with concurrent regulatory tailwinds: OCC approval of Coinbase's trust bank charter and progress on CLARITY Act stablecoin yield compromise negotiations.