US equity indexes rose, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average touching an all-time high intraday, as pressure from government bond yields eased and Washington acknowledged progress in Iran peace talks.
The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.6% to 26,460.1, with the S&P 500 up 0.6% to 7,486.5 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average higher by 0.6% to 50,589.3 in Friday's midday trading. The Dow hit an all-time high of 50,712.24.
A Qatari negotiating team arrived in Tehran on Friday in coordination with the US to help secure a deal to end the war, Reuters reported, citing a source with knowledge of the matter. Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir is headed to Tehran to help mediate a settlement, Al Jazeera reported Friday.
While there are "good signs" that an agreement to end the conflict is in sight, any deal would be "unfeasible" if Iran pursues measures to permanently control the Strait of Hormuz, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday, according to CNBC. The US plans to seize Tehran's stockpile of enriched uranium as part of peace negotiations, President Donald Trump reportedly said Thursday.
West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures rose 1.2% to $97.51, and Brent crude futures climbed 1.6% to $104.17, but were off session highs earlier in the day.
US Treasury yields were mixed, with the 10-year steady at 4.58% and the 30-year yield down 2.1 basis points to 5.09. The two-year yield rose 4.5 basis points to 4.13%.