Update: Equities Rise Intraday, Oil Drops as Trump Cancels Iran Strikes
(Updates with latest market prices and developments.)US benchmark equity indexes were higher intraday, while oil prices fell as President Donald Trump called off the latest round of strikes against Iran.The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1.5% at 50,687.4 after midday Thursday, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 1.6% to 25,563.4. The S&P 500 increased 1.2% to 7,352.8. Barring energy and communication services, all sectors were in the green, led by industrials.West Texas Intermediate crude oil was down 3.5% at $86.91 a barrel, while Brent fell 3.9% to $89.52.Trump said he has cancelled the strikes and bombings against Iran that were scheduled for later in the day."Discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved," Trump said in a social media post. "The naval blockade will remain in full force and effect until this transaction is finalized -- time and place of the signing to be announced shortly."US forces launched airstrikes against Iran Tuesday after Tehran shot down an American Apache helicopter. The US fired additional missiles Wednesday.Iran's strait authority said earlier in the day that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed "until further notice" following an exchange of fire with the US, CNN reported Thursday.The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries lowered its global oil demand growth forecast for this year, but raised its expectations for 2027.US Treasury yields were lower intraday, with the 10-year rate down 6.5 basis points at 4.48% and the two-year rate falling five basis points to 4.08%.In economic news, US producer prices rose more than projected in May, matching the previous month's pace, while the annual increase reached the highest since late 2022 amid surging energy costs, government data showed.On Wednesday, consumer price data showed inflation accelerating to the fastest pace in about three years last month, reinforcing expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates on hold."A fresh multiyear high in consumer and producer prices underscores the pain befallen on consumers resulting from disruptions in the global energy market," Stifel said in a note. "For the Fed, dangerously high levels of inflation suggest additional accommodation is off the table, at least for now."In company news, Eaton (ETN) will combine its mobility business with auto parts supplier Dana (DAN), creating a global powertrain entity valued at more than $10 billion. Eaton shares were up 4.6% intraday, while Dana slumped 15%.Oracle (ORCL) shares were down nearly 12%, the worst performer on the S&P 500. Late Wednesday, the cloud computing company's fiscal fourth-quarter results surpassed Wall Street's estimates, driven by rising demand for cloud infrastructure amid an artificial intelligence boom.UBS Securities said Thursday the sell-off in Oracle's shares could be due in part to its higher-than-expected capital expenditure outlook for the year.Adobe (ADBE), Lennar (LEN) and RH (RH) are expected to report results after the closing bell Thursday, along with others.Gold was up 0.9% at $4,169.10 per troy ounce, while silver rose 1.9% to $66 per ounce.
