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The U.S.-Iran war has entered its seventh week, with no clear signs of peace on the horizon in spite of a fragile two-week ceasefire. The uncertainty of the war, paired with oil turmoil, has left many investors feeling frustrated and concerned about their money.
The U.S. stock market has been very volatile, moving up and down as news about the war changes. After posting five straight weeks of losses, the S&P 500 went on a two-week streak of gains in April, with both the Dow and Nasdaq following suit (1).
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Crude oil prices have been on a similar rollercoaster ride, plunging last week — thanks to peace talks between the U.S. and Iran — before surging back above $100 per barrel on April 13, 2026, following a breakdown in communication between the two nations (2).
All of this market volatility and its impact on oil will likely continue for the near term, if not longer.
In response to the volatile markets, Suze Orman recently sat down with markets expert Keith Fitz-Gerald to discuss the chaos. “Everything now is simply dependent on one thing and one thing only,” she told Fitz-Gerald (3). “And that is oil, in my opinion.”
Orman also reminded listeners that the fundamentals of stocks, including earnings and profitability, had been solid and strong until the war began. “Now we’re watching oil go up and up and up, and sometimes it comes back down, and when it comes back down, that’s when we see the markets go up.”
Orman and Fitz-Gerald then shared their perspective on how everyday investors can navigate the uncertainty.
Here’s what investors can do right now.
If you’re investing in stocks, watching them daily and then panicking in the chaos by selling or pulling out, you won’t see the long-term benefits.
Both Orman and Fitz-Gerald agree that when there is more certainty back in the market, we will see markets skyrocket again. Fitz-Gerald warns that “everybody who thinks they’re being smart by stepping out right now is going to get left behind.”
With oil prices driving market swings and geopolitical tensions escalating, staying the course is easier said than done. Especially when headlines and market swings make every decision feel urgent.
