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Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire, S&P 500's Record Close Drive US Equity Futures Higher Pre-Bell

-- US equity futures were higher pre-bell Friday as a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon went into effect while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite posted new all-time highs on Thursday.

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were 0.6% higher, S&P 500 futures were up 0.4%, and Nasdaq futures were 0.3% higher.

The halt of Israel's attacks on Lebanon has been an important condition for the resumption of US-Iran talks, which President Donald Trump said could occur "probably, maybe, next weekend" in remarks made outside the White House on Thursday. Trump also said that a deal with Iran could be finalized ideally before the US-Iran ceasefire ends on Tuesday, but he was willing to extend if necessary.

The S&P 500 gained 0.3% to close at 7,041.28, while the Nasdaq advanced 0.4% to end at 24,102.70.

Traders took note of results from two major banks, with Truist Financial (TFC) reporting higher Q1 earnings and revenue and Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) posting lower Q1 earnings amid higher revenue.

Oil prices were lower, with front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent crude down 4.2% at $95.17 per barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude 4.9% lower at $90.08 per barrel.

Federal Reserve San Francisco President Mary Daly, Richmond President Thomas Barkin, and Governor Christopher Waller are scheduled to speak on Friday.

In other world markets, Japan's Nikkei closed 1.8% lower, Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended 0.9% lower, and China's Shanghai Composite finished 0.1% lower. Meanwhile, the UK's FTSE 100 was down 0.1%, and Germany's DAX index was 0.5% higher in Europe's early afternoon session.

In equities, Netflix (NFLX) stock was down 9.5% after the company issued Q2 guidance late Thursday that fell short of analysts' consensus. The streaming company also said that its chairman and co-founder, Reed Hastings, plans to step down when his term ends in June. Exelon (EXC) shares were 1.6% lower after the company's stock rating was downgraded by Mizuho, Barclays and BMO Capital.

On the winning side, Eli Lilly (LLY) stock was up 1.9% after the company said its experimental drug Foundayo met its primary endpoint of a phase 3 clinical trial by showing a lower risk of severe cardiovascular incidents compared with insulin glargine in adults with type 2 diabetes. Oracle (ORCL) shares were up 2.6% after the company said it plans to expand its multi-cloud networking capabilities to provide connectivity between Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and Amazon (AMZN) Web Services.

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Research Alert: Ewbc: Q1 Earnings Beat As Revenue Growth Outperforms

CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:EWBC posted strong Q1 2026 results with operating EPS of $2.57 vs. $2.08 a year ago, $0.10 above consensus. Q1 revenue of $774M beat consensus by 3% and rose 12% Y/Y and 2% Q/Q. It was another record quarter as the bank reported record levels of loans, deposits, and fee income, while maintaining healthy credit quality. Net interest income outperformed with 2% Q/Q growth while the net interest margin improved 8 bps to 3.49%, driven by a 21-bp decline in deposit costs to 2.84% that more than offset a 9-bp decrease in loan yields. Balance sheet growth remained robust with total loans reaching a record $58B (+2% Q/Q, +7% Y/Y) and deposits hitting $69B (+3% Q/Q, +9% Y/Y). Loan growth was well diversified across commercial and industrial, commercial real estate, and residential mortgage portfolios. Fee income surged 13% Q/Q to record levels, with wealth management fees more than doubling. The bank's funding optimization efforts continued to bear fruit in the competitive environment.

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Oil & Energy

Hormuz Disruptions Deepen as Oil Prices Rebound and Recovery Timelines Slip, Wood Mackenzie Says

Strait of Hormuz flows remain sharply constrained, with vessel traffic far below normal 170 daily levels and energy markets reacting to ongoing disruption, Wood Mackenzie said Tuesday.Wood Mackenzie said the waterway remains effectively restricted despite ceasefire signals, with uncertainty over safe passage continuing to deter shipping activity.Although the US and Iran are moving toward renewed talks, both sides remain far apart on terms, raising the risk of prolonged disruption to Gulf energy exports.A two-week ceasefire announced on April 7 and a subsequent 10-day pause in Lebanon had briefly lifted optimism around easing tensions, Wood Mackenzie added.However, two Indian vessels were forced to turn back over the weekend after coming under fire while attempting to transit the strait, underscoring ongoing risks.Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned ships against moving in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, saying, "approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be considered co-operation with the enemy."Traffic had risen modestly after the ceasefire, with about 20 vessels transiting daily, but this remains far below the roughly 170 ships seen in February, according to Wood Mackenzie.That limited recovery has reversed, with minimal vessel movement recorded on Sunday, signaling continued disruption across oil, gas, and chemicals markets.Oil prices initially fell after the ceasefire, with Brent dropping about 14% from around $110 to below $95 per barrel, and later reaching just above $86, according to the report.Prices rebounded, with Brent June futures rising about 5% to around $95 per barrel, while European gas prices climbed to 61.5 euros ($72.21) per megawatt hour before easing to 40 euros.The United States has tightened its blockade, seizing a cargo vessel and increasing pressure on Iran-linked shipping, while both sides exchanged sharper rhetoric over the weekend, Wood Mackenzie said.Tasnim, a media outlet affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, identified several locations that could "enter the conflict zone" if hostilities resume, including the Bab al Mandeb Strait.It also named Saudi Aramco assets and key oil terminals in Yanbu and Fujairah, which serve as alternative routes bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, Wood Mackenzie added.Wood Mackenzie said a peace deal could allow some tankers to resume movement quickly, but full restoration of normal traffic through the Strait of Hormuz may take until the end of June, citing Alan Gelder, senior vice president.Liquefied natural gas exports could see an initial surge after a peace deal, but a full return to normal operations would take longer, Wood Mackenzie said.Massimo Di Odoardo at Wood Mackenzie said restarting Qatar's LNG output could take three to four weeks for the South complex, while recovery of northern facilities would require a longer timeframe.Rising tensions between the United States and Iran have cast doubt on recovery timelines, with prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz threatening deeper imbalances in global energy markets, Wood Mackenzie said.Brent crude has averaged about $85 per barrel in 2026, warning that prices near $90 could push global growth below 2% and into recession territory, said Peter Martin at Wood Mackenzie.

Research

Research Alert: CFRA Maintains Buy Rating On Shares Of Quest Diagnostics

CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:We keep our 12-month price target at $235. This is based on a forward P/E of 21.9x our 2026 EPS estimate, a premium to DGX's three-year forward average of 16.8x due to our view of strengthening sales and earnings growth, backed by higher health care utilization trends and some regulatory relief due to postponement of lab reimbursement cuts until at least 2027. We think lab testing providers remain a relatively well-positioned area within health care given lower policy risks, supportive testing demand, and attractive earnings growth potential. On a compounded annual basis from 2025-2028, we expect near 8% EPS growth, raising our 2026 EPS to $10.73 from $10.60 and 2027 EPS to $11.50 from $11.42. We also anticipate additional smaller M&A opportunities, along with healthy dividend increases (recent 7.5% boost; shares yield 1.7%) as cash flow generation remains supportive over the near term.

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