Brent crude settled at $116.72 a barrel on Friday, its highest close since April 29.

That's up 6.2% in a single week.

The push came from the Middle East. Iran-backed Houthi rebels kept up attacks across Saudi Arabia, including on energy sites, Saudi Aramco ordered the evacuation of its Dhahran headquarters, and traders are bracing for possible renewed U.S. strikes on Iran. U.S. crude (WTI) rose 3.8% to $103.27.

Stocks felt it. The Dow fell 1.23% to 52,215.16, the S&P 500 lost 0.52% to 7,623.68 and the Nasdaq slipped 0.21% to 25,955.34. Nearly three out of four stocks in the S&P 500 fell, and the index posted its second straight weekly loss. Bitcoin spent the day stuck near $81,300.

Next week is a big one: about a third of S&P 500 companies report, including Alphabet, Microsoft and Amazon, and the Fed meets on interest rates.

With headlines moving this fast, here's a weekend gap check:

1. Stock markets are closed until Monday, but news isn't. Prices can open far from Friday's close, right past your stop.
2. A stop-loss is not a guaranteed price. In a gap, it fills at the next available price, which can be much worse.
3. Size positions you hold over the weekend for a bad open, not an average one.
4. Crypto trades 24/7, so weekend headlines hit it in real time. Know where your exits are before you log off.

That's why TradeShield is built around protecting your downside first, so the weekend news doesn't decide your risk for you.

Stay sharp out there.

— Spidah, Founder & CEO

Market awareness, not financial advice. Trading involves risk.