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US Equity Markets Higher After Iran Officially Confirms Strait of Hormuz is 'Completely Open'

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US equity indexes closed higher on Friday, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite breaking records, after Iran declared that the Strait of Hormuz is completely open following the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, resulting in a sharp decline in crude oil prices.

* "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," Iran's foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, said in a post on X.

* 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 US officials and additional sources.

* May West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell $10.37 to settle at $84.32 per barrel, while June Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen down $8.95 at $90.44.

* Monolithic Power Systems (MPWR) shares were up about 4.7% after Oppenheimer raised its price target for the stock to $1,500 from $1,300 and kept its outperform rating.

* Netflix (NFLX) shares were down roughly 10%, the worst performer on 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.

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