-- US benchmark equity indexes were mostly higher intraday amid Intel's (INTC) post-earnings rally, while oil prices moved lower on renewed hopes for a fresh round of peace talks between Washington and Iran.
The Nasdaq Composite was up 1.4% at 24,785.3 after midday Friday, while the S&P 500 rose 0.7% to 7,154.6. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3% to 49,157.6. Among sectors, technology paced the gainers with a 2.1% jump, while health care saw the biggest drop.
Intel shares soared 21% intraday, the best performer on the S&P 500. Late Thursday, the chipmaker delivered a first-quarter beat amid artificial intelligence-driven demand for its products. The company issued an upbeat outlook for the ongoing quarter.
Intel's post-earnings commentary suggests revenue upside potential for 2026 despite a likely conservative outlook for the second half of the year, UBS Securities said in a note.
Several other major tech stocks were also advancing intraday Friday. Nvidia (NVDA) shares jumped 4.9%, the top gainer on the Dow, followed by Amazon.com's (AMZN) 3.1% increase. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Qualcomm (QCOM) were up by double-digit percentage each, both among the best S&P 500 performers.
Charter Communications (CHTR) reported first-quarter earnings below Wall Street's estimates as revenue declined annually, driven by weakness in the residential video and Internet segments. The company's shares plunged 22%, the steepest decline on the S&P 500.
West Texas Intermediate crude was down 2.1% at $93.82 per barrel, while Brent lost 0.4% to $104.67.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will leave for Pakistan Saturday for a fresh round of talks with Iran, CNN reported Friday, citing White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
The Iranians reached out to the US, "as the president called on them to do," and requested the in-person conversation, Leavitt reportedly said.
US Treasury yields were lower intraday, with the 10-year rate down 1.6 basis points at 4.31% and the two-year rate falling 5.7 basis points to 3.79%
In economic news, US consumer sentiment improved from an initial April estimate, but remained at a record low as near-term inflation expectations logged the biggest monthly increase in a year, final University of Michigan survey results showed.
"The Iran conflict appears to influence consumer views primarily through shocks to gasoline and potentially other prices," Surveys of Consumers Director Joanne Hsu said. "In contrast, military and diplomatic developments that do not lift supply constraints or lower energy prices are unlikely to buoy consumers."
Gold was up 0.4% at $4,743.50 per troy ounce, while silver gained 1.2% to $76.44 per ounce.