Daily risk briefing ·
Market crash risk on 18 April 2026: 64.9% (Nearly Crash)
vs previous day change +0.5 pts vs previous day vs 1 week earlier change −5.3 pts vs 1 week earlier
This briefing was published under methodology v1 (fixed thresholds, trend penalty, regime multiplier). Its numbers are kept as published and are not comparable with v2 readings. See the current methodology.
Summary
Financial Composite Gauge is 66.2% (Nearly Crash), Overall Gauge 64.9% (Nearly Crash), Geopolitical Layer 61.0% (Severe).
Strait of Hormuz status and US bombing threats are top geopolitical drivers.
These factors suggest heightened market risk and potential instability.
Geopolitical drivers
- Strait of Hormuz Operational Status92Conflicting reports of the Strait being shut due to 'piracy' versus being 'open' create extreme volatility in global energy supply and shipping lanes.
- Crude Oil Price Instability85Rapid price plunges following ceasefire rumors demonstrate how sensitive global energy prices are to real-time military developments.
- US Threat of Renewed Bombing75Trump's ultimatum to 'start dropping bombs again' without a deal significantly raises the risk of great-power escalation and regional war.
Biggest 5-day market moves
- Bitcoin/USD +3680.34
- S&P 500 Index +309.17
- Gold Spot Price +95.70
Chart values use methodology v2 (point-in-time backfill), so they differ from the v1 numbers published above.
Show data table
| Date | Total | Financial | Geopolitical | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-01 | 34.0 | 28.1 | 67.7 | Safe |
| 2026-04-30 | 44.0 | 35.0 | 94.8 | Cautious |
| 2026-04-29 | 42.0 | 32.6 | 95.5 | Cautious |
| 2026-04-28 | 34.2 | 28.8 | 65.1 | Safe |
| 2026-04-27 | 35.9 | 30.3 | 67.5 | Cautious |
| 2026-04-24 | 40.4 | 35.8 | 66.7 | Cautious |
| 2026-04-23 | 37.5 | 31.9 | 69.8 | Cautious |
| 2026-04-22 | 43.9 | 39.0 | 71.7 | Cautious |
| 2026-04-21 | 41.4 | 35.5 | 74.7 | Cautious |
| 2026-04-20 | 38.5 | 31.9 | 75.9 | Cautious |
| 2026-04-17 | 36.5 | 30.7 | 69.6 | Cautious |
| 2026-04-16 | 39.5 | 33.9 | 71.4 | Cautious |
| 2026-04-15 | 43.0 | 37.8 | 72.0 | Cautious |
| 2026-04-14 | 49.1 | 44.7 | 74.4 | Cautious |
| 2026-04-13 | 52.6 | 48.9 | 73.6 | Risky |
| 2026-04-10 | 54.0 | 51.6 | 67.7 | Risky |
| 2026-04-09 | 55.9 | 54.0 | 66.7 | Risky |
| 2026-04-08 | 65.7 | 65.0 | 69.2 | Nearly Crash |
| 2026-04-07 | 64.0 | 62.6 | 72.2 | Risky |
| 2026-04-06 | 67.6 | 66.3 | 75.0 | Nearly Crash |
| 2026-04-03 | 68.2 | 67.3 | 72.8 | Nearly Crash |
Not financial advice. Use the gauge as a risk thermometer, not a timing oracle.