-- US equity indexes jumped, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite making all-time highs, and crude oil futures sank in midday trading on Friday after Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz for the remainder of the ceasefire period.
The Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.6% to 24,505.1, with the S&P 500 up 1.5% to 7,144.2, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average higher by 2.3% to 49,700.3.
West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures plunged 12% to $83.41, and Brent crude futures plummeted 10% to $89.06.
"In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire, on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organisation of the Islamic Rep. of Iran," Iran's foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. The 10-day truce between Israel and Lebanon came into force on Thursday.
US President Donald Trump said that the US naval blockade will continue until a deal with Iran is "100% complete," CNN reported. He expressed confidence that a deal will come soon, saying talks could happen this weekend. The US-Iran ceasefire ends next week.
Meanwhile, the US and Iran are discussing a plan as part of their peace talks that would see the US release $20 billion in frozen Iranian funds in exchange for Iran turning over its stockpile of enriched uranium, Axios reported Friday, citing two US officials and two additional sources briefed on the talks.
"The single war variable that has mattered for markets is whether oil continues to flow through the Strait of Hormuz," according to a Stifel Securities research note. "This is why today's announcement that the Strait of Hormuz is 'open to shipping' for the remainder of the ceasefire is significant."
US Treasury yields sank, with the 10-year down 7.5 basis points to 4.23% and the two-year dropped 8.4 basis points to 3.69% as falling crude oil prices damped inflation concerns. In precious metals, gold futures advanced 1.8% to $4,894.5 and silver futures jumped 4.8% to $82.51.
All sectors except energy and utilities soared intraday. Consumer discretionary, industrials, and technology led the gainers.
Airlines and cruise liners were the S&P 500's leaders. Royal Caribbean (RCL), United Airlines (UAL), and Carnival (CCL) led the outperformers, with gains of at least 8.6% each. Chevron (CVX), down 3.3%, was the Dow's worst performer.
In company news, shares of Netflix (NFLX) slid 9.6%, among the worst performers on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq, after the company released Q2 guidance late Thursday below market consensus. The streaming company also said that its chairman and co-founder, Reed Hastings, plans to step down when his term ends in June.