US equity indexes ground higher while crude oil futures jumped as media reports claiming that parts of Lebanon remain under Israeli attack added to confusion surrounding the status of peace talks between Washington and Tehran.
The Nasdaq Composite rose less than 0.1% to 27,093.90, giving up most of its intraday gains at the close on Tuesday. The S&P 500 edged up 0.1% to 7,609.78, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.5% to 51,307.79.
Utilities, materials, and industrials were among the top gainers, while communication services led the decliners.
The fourth round of talks between Israel and Lebanon is underway in Washington, DC, where Lebanese negotiators hope to secure a halt to attacks on and occupation of the south, Al Jazeera reported Tuesday. The Israeli army has carried out several attacks on the southern Lebanese Nabatieh governorate, the news report said.
Iran stopped communicating with mediators about extending a ceasefire in the war with the US and Israel, two semiofficial Iranian news agencies reported Tuesday, but President Donald Trump disputed the claim and said talks were continuing, according to Associated Press.
Iranian media outlets have signaled talks between Tehran and Washington are ongoing, a day after reports that Iran suspended them, CNN reported Tuesday. The country's top negotiator has, however, threatened escalation if Israel's attacks on Lebanon continue, the news report added.
Washington won't remove sanctions on Iran in exchange for a full reopening of Hormuz, adding that any sanctions relief is conditioned on Iran giving up enriched uranium, Al Jazeera cited US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as saying on Tuesday at a Senate hearing.
Brent crude futures climbed 0.9% to $95.87, and West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures jumped 1.4% to $93.48. Both crude types were lower by more than 1% each earlier in the session.
US Treasury yields fell, with the 10-year down 2.6 basis points to 4.45%. The two-year declined less than one basis point to 4.05%.
In precious metals, gold futures edged up 0.3% to $4,519.40, and silver futures climbed 0.3% to $75.49.
Shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) surged by more than 19%, the top gainer on the S&P 500, after the tech giant reported fiscal Q2 earnings ahead of analysts' forecasts.
Marvell Technology's (MRVL) shares soared over 32%, the biggest outperformer on the Nasdaq, after multiple news outlets reported that Nvidia (NVDA) chief executive officer Jensen Huang called the chipmaker the next "trillion-dollar company."
In economic news, US job openings rose to 7.618 million in April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, above the 6.866 million expected in a Bloomberg-compiled poll and up from the 6.887 million reported in March. The April print represents 4.6% of total employment, up from 4.2% in March and 4.3% a year earlier. It is also the highest since May 2024, Stifel said in a note.
The ratio of job openings to unemployed people -- a figure the Federal Reserve officials closely watch as a proxy for the balance between labor supply and demand -- rose to 1.03 in April from 0.95 in March, the highest since January 2025, suggesting that there are more jobs available for every person unemployed, per the Stifel note.
Redbook US same-store sales rose by 9% from a year earlier in the week ended May 30, the same pace as in the previous week. "Customers remain highly value-driven and price sensitive," Redbook said in a note.