Today is Thursday, April 9, 2026.

The Early Bird Index today is 76.97.

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The price of Bitcoin $BTC ( ▼ 0.82% ) rose about 2% on Wednesday due to easing geopolitical risk in the Middle East. It is now up about 5% in the past week.

Details: Reports of a U.S.-Iran ceasefire triggered a broad risk-on move across crypto and other assets. Bitcoin finally surpassed $70,000 for the first time this month.

Powering the Story: The recent rally also appears to be related to the reported interest from Iran in using digital currency such as Bitcoin for toll payments for oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

Early Bird’s Nest Egg Gains: Iran accepting Bitcoin as a toll payment signals that a major real-world actor may be willing to use Bitcoin as a settlement rail, not just a speculative asset. 

Final Thoughts: Bitcoin is still far from recovering its early 2026 losses. It is down nearly 18% this year.

Notable Earnings Today: WD-40 (Nasdaq: WDFC), Neogen (Nasdaq: NEOG), Simply Good Foods (Nasdaq: SMPL), BlackBerry (NYSE: BB), Byrna (Nasdaq: BYRN), Simulations Plus (Nasdaq: SLP).

Notable IPOs Today: QuasarEdge Acquisition Corporation (NYSE: QRED), Suncrete, Inc. Class A Common Stock (Nasdaq: RMIX).

Notable Equity Crowdfunding Campaigns Ending Today: WeatherFlow-Tempest (Wefunder), Predictiva (Crowdcube), MPower Ventures (Crowdcube).

Notable Economic Events Today: Jobless Claims (8:30 a.m. ET), GDP (8:30 a.m. ET), Core PCE Price Index / PCE Price Index (8:30 a.m. ET), Personal Spending (8:30 a.m. ET), WASDE Report (12:00 p.m. ET), Fed's Balance Sheet (4:30 p.m. ET).

Despite posting good financial earnings results on Wednesday, the beer and wine company Constellation Brands $STZ ( ▼ 2.32% ) declined 0.91% in after-hours trading.

Financials: Constellation Brands reported earnings of $1.90 per share in the past quarter and revenue of $1.92 billion. Both were better than expected.

Outlook: The company updated its financial outlook on Wednesday. For the fiscal year, Constellation Brands expects virtually no sales growth and earnings per share between $11.10 and $11.80.

Powering the Story: On top of that, Constellation Brands withdrew its previously issued financial outlook for the following year.

Final Thoughts: The stock - much like the sales growth projections from Constellation Brands - has been flat in the past month.

Applied Digital $APLD ( ▲ 10.37% ), which builds data centers, fell 5.08% in after-hours trading on Wednesday, even though it posted good financial earnings results.

Financials: Applied Digital reported earnings of 9 cents per share in the past quarter and revenue of $126.6 million. Both were better than expected.

Powering the Story: The problem with Applied Digital was its balance sheet. The company’s debt still outweighs the cash on hand.

Final Thoughts: The stock is up over 400% (wow!) in the past 12 months.

Cheap Dreams: Oil is plunging, but don’t expect $3 gas anytime soon. Here’s why (CNN)

AI Wars: Meta’s New AI Model Gives Mark Zuckerberg a Seat at the Big Kid’s Table (WIRED)

Not Me: Adam Back Denies He Is Satoshi Nakamoto in Response to Times Investigation (New York Times)

Not Ready Yet: Microsoft says AI voice command needs more work (Semafor)

The TACO Trade: Many on Wall Street saw this ‘TACO’ coming as Trump’s brinkmanship starts to lose grip on market (CNBC)

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_{The contents of Early Bird are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. They do not constitute trade or investment recommendations, and they are not financial or legal advice. Readers are encouraged to consult licensed professionals for personalized guidance regarding their financial or legal situations.}