Daily risk briefing ·
Market crash risk on 4 May 2026: 67.9% (Nearly Crash)
vs previous day change +1.0 pts vs previous day vs 1 week earlier change +3.0 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
The Financial Composite Gauge registered 68.1% (Nearly Crash), the Overall Gauge hit 67.9% (Nearly Crash), and the Geopolitical Layer is 67.2% (Severe).
Main drivers are US plans to guide ships through Hormuz and Iran’s warning to stay out.
Markets face severe geopolitical risk despite gauges not yet reaching full crash territory.
Geopolitical drivers
- US to guide ships through Strait of Hormuz95Direct US military intervention in Hormuz chokepoint threatens energy supply and shipping, spiking oil prices and tanker risk premiums.
- Iran war day 66: Trump announces Hormuz mission92Ongoing Iran war with new Hormuz mission escalates great-power conflict, directly impacting energy prices and regional stability.
- Iran warns US to stay out of Hormuz90Escalating Iran-US confrontation over Hormuz directly threatens energy supply and shipping lanes, raising war risk and oil volatility.
Biggest 5-day market moves
- Bitcoin/USD +282.92
- Gold Spot Price −102.50
- S&P 500 Index +65.04
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-19 | 46.8 | 42.8 | 69.0 | Cautious |
| 2026-05-18 | 47.1 | 42.8 | 71.9 | Cautious |
| 2026-05-15 | 37.3 | 32.0 | 67.2 | Cautious |
| 2026-05-14 | 40.6 | 35.7 | 68.5 | Cautious |
| 2026-05-13 | 41.0 | 35.9 | 70.3 | Cautious |
| 2026-05-12 | 37.2 | 31.8 | 67.5 | Cautious |
| 2026-05-11 | 35.2 | 29.0 | 70.1 | Cautious |
| 2026-05-08 | 38.9 | 33.1 | 71.8 | Cautious |
| 2026-05-07 | 35.6 | 28.9 | 73.7 | Cautious |
| 2026-05-06 | 35.5 | 29.2 | 71.5 | Cautious |
| 2026-05-05 | 39.9 | 33.9 | 74.0 | Cautious |
| 2026-05-04 | 34.3 | 27.1 | 75.5 | Safe |
| 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 |
Not financial advice. Use the gauge as a risk thermometer, not a timing oracle.