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US Equity Markets Rise Amid Expectations for US-Iran Peace Deal

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US equity indexes closed higher on Monday amid expectations that the US will manage to finalize a peace deal with Iran.

* President Trump signaled his administration was contacted by Iran "to work out a deal," though he also threatened to destroy ships impeding a US blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.

* The pace of US existing home sales fell 3.6% to a 3.98 million seasonally adjusted annual rate in March from 4.13 million in February, compared with a smaller decrease to a 4.05 million rate expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.

* May West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose $1.45 to settle at $98.02 per barrel, while June Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $3.23 at $98.43.

* Oracle (ORCL) shares rose 12%, the top gainer on the S&P 500, after the company introduced AI-focused updates to its utilities software suite, targeting improvements in billing, grid operations, and asset management.

* Conagra Brands (CAG) shares fell 4.4%, the second-biggest decline on the S&P. The company appointed John Brase as CEO to succeed Sean Connolly, effective June 1. Brase previously served as chief operating officer at J.M. Smucker (SJM).

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US Equity Indexes Mixed as Investors Await Iran Peace Talks, Red Hot Inflation Lifts Treasury Yields

US equity indexes were mixed in the final leg of trading on Friday, ahead of the high-stakes Iran peace talks in Pakistan and as a red-hot inflation report lifted government bond yields.The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.3% to 22,900.3, while the S&P 500 fell 0.1% to 6,816.7 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 0.5% to 47,931.5.If a peace deal is not reached this weekend at Pakistan-brokered negotiations in Islamabad, the US is prepared to renew and intensify strikes on Iran, US President Donald Trump said, according to a CNN news report. The war in the Middle East drove up the US inflation rate threefold in March amid soaring gasoline prices, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed.Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, reportedly said talks cannot start until the US meets two conditions: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of blocked Iranian assets. Ambassadors from Israel, Lebanon, and the US will hold talks in Washington, DC, on Friday to set the table for future negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, an Israeli official and a source familiar with the talks told CNN.US Vice President JD Vance, setting off for US-Iran talks, said Washington is "willing to extend the open hand" this weekend but warned Tehran not to "try to play us," The Wall Street Journal reported.West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures fell 1.6% to $96.27, and Brent crude futures slid 1.4% to $94.68, moving between gains and losses on Friday as Israel's continued attacks on Lebanon and a severely restricted Strait of Hormuz risked the Iran ceasefire deal ahead of the talks.In US economic news, the consumer price index accelerated to its highest monthly reading in nearly four years, rising 0.9% in March, in line with expectations. Energy prices jumped about 11% sequentially in March, led by a 21% surge in gasoline, accounting for almost three-quarters of the headline increase, the Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed.US Treasury yields rose, with the 10-year up 2.2 basis points to 4.32% and the two-year climbed 1.6 basis points to 3.80%.

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US Equity Indexes Mixed as Fragile Iran Truce Holds, Hot Inflation Print In Line With Outlook

US equity indexes were mixed in midday trading Friday as a fragile Iran ceasefire deal looked set to hold until peace talks kick off in Pakistan, while a red-hot inflation read was in line with market expectations.The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.4% to 22,913.3, while the S&P 500 was slightly down at 6,823.6 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.4% to 47,979.1.Vice President JD Vance, setting off for US-Iran talks in Pakistan's capital Islamabad, said Washington is "willing to extend the open hand" in this weekend's negotiations but warned Tehran not to "try to play us," The Wall Street Journal said.A key aim of the talks is to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, where President Donald Trump said Thursday that Iran is "doing a very poor job" of letting oil flow through and cautioned the country against collecting tolls from ships traveling through the strategic waterway, the report said.West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures advanced 0.9% to $98.82. Brent crude futures were little changed at $95.67.In economic news, the US consumer price index accelerated to its highest monthly reading in nearly four years, rising 0.9% in March but in line with expectations, as the Middle East conflict sent energy prices sharply higher. Energy prices jumped about 11% sequentially in March, led by a 21% surge in gasoline, accounting for nearly three-quarters of the headline increase, the Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed.

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US Equity Futures Flat Pre-Bell as Fragile US-Iran Ceasefire Causes Wariness Among Traders

US equity futures were flat pre-bell on Friday as traders were wary of the fragile two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran.Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were flat, S&P 500 futures were up 0.1%, while Nasdaq futures were 0.2% higher.The Strait of Hormuz remains shut, while Israel continues to exchange fire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, even with the US-Iran talks scheduled on Saturday morning in Islamabad. Israel has said it would start talks with the Lebanese government targeting to disarm Hezbollah and end attacks in the nation.Oil prices were higher, with front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent crude up 0.1% at $95.99 per barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude 0.2% higher at $98.06 per barrel.The March consumer price index, scheduled for release at 8:30 am ET, is seen coming in at 0.9% for February, compared with 0.3% reading in January, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Meanwhile, the University of Michigan consumer sentiment for April is expected at 51.5%, down from 53.3% previously, and the February factory orders release is seen coming at negative 0.2%, compared with 0.1% previously.The two reports are scheduled at 10 am ET.

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