-- The Nasdaq Composite advanced for the ninth straight session on Monday as US equity markets benefited from a jump in technology stocks.
The Nasdaq climbed 1.2% to 23,183.7, while the S&P 500 added 1% to 6,886.2. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.6% to 48,218.3. Barring utilities and consumer staples, all sectors ended in the green, led by tech and financials.
Oracle (ORCL) shares surged nearly 13%, the top gainer on the S&P 500. The company said it introduced artificial intelligence-focused updates to its utilities software suite at its customer edge summit, targeting improvements in billing, grid operations, and asset management.
ServiceNow (NOW), Dell Technologies (DELL), Salesforce (CRM) and Microsoft (MSFT) were among tech stocks that registered gains.
US earnings growth expectations appear to have shrugged off uncertainty around the Iran war, with markets betting on stronger corporate results this year than those projected before the war began, BlackRock Investment Institute said in a note on Monday.
BlackRock upgraded its rating on US stocks to overweight from neutral, saying the Middle East conflict will likely drive limited economic damage.
Oil prices, which jumped above $100 per barrel earlier on Monday amid a US blockade of maritime traffic around Iran's ports, pared gains, with West Texas Intermediate crude oil last up 1.3% at $97.83. Brent advanced 3.1% to $98.18.
The blockade started at 10 am ET Monday. The development came after the US and Iran failed to reach a deal during negotiations in Pakistan over the weekend, fueling concerns over an already fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.
US President Donald Trump said Iran called this morning and that "they'd like to work a deal," according to a Reuters report. Despite the failed peace talks, a two-week ceasefire announced last week still holds.
Trump's remarks come as Iran has vowed to retaliate following the US blockade, CNN reported. The Iran-controlled strait has been effectively shut since the war began at the end of February.
Trump is mulling over limited strikes against Iran following the failed negotiations, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the situation.
"As the conflict with Iran enters its seventh week, persistent concern about the time it will take to arrive at an effective resolution to the conflict will, however, likely remain for now as a negative overhang for market participants to navigate," said John Stoltzfus, chief investment strategist at Oppenheimer Asset Management.
Meanwhile, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries lowered its second-quarter oil demand forecast due to the Middle East conflict, but maintained its full-year estimates amid expectations for a rebound in the second half.
US Treasury yields were lower, with the 10-year rate last down 4.7 basis points at 4.29% and the two-year rate dropping 2.7 basis points to 3.78%.
In company news, Goldman Sachs (GS) on Monday posted first-quarter results above market estimates, while Chief Executive David Solomon said a protracted Middle East conflict could pose upside risks to inflation. The lender's shares fell 1.9%, the worst performer on the Dow.
JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Wells Fargo (WFC), and Citigroup (C) are scheduled to release their quarterly results on Tuesday, while Bank of America (BAC) and Morgan Stanley (MS) will announce their results on Wednesday. Outside the banking sector, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Netflix (NFLX) and PepsiCo (PEP) are set to release their results this week.
In economic news, US existing home sales decreased in March as softening job growth and weaker consumer confidence continued to deter potential buyers, data from the National Association of Realtors showed.
Gold was last down 0.4% at $4,766.30 per troy ounce, while silver dropped 1.1% to $75.67 per ounce.