Equities
S&P 500 Posts Weekly Gain, Closes at Record High, as Iran Reopens Strait of Hormuz
The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 4.5% this week to a record close as investors grew more optimistic about the situation in the Middle East after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz was open.The S&P 500 ended the week at 7,126.06, its highest closing level ever. The market benchmark also reached a fresh intraday high on Friday of 7,147.52.The weekly climb -- its third in a row -- moved the S&P 500 back into positive territory for the year to date. It is now up 4.1% for 2026 and 9.2% for April.President Donald Trump said Iran agreed to suspend its nuclear program indefinitely and won't receive any frozen funds from the US, Bloomberg reported. Trump said in a phone interview on Friday that a deal to end the war is mostly complete and talks over a lasting agreement will "probably" be held this weekend, according to the Bloomberg news report.Earlier Friday, Iran announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz for the remainder of the US-Iran ceasefire period.The technology sector had the largest percentage gain this week across the S&P 500's 11 sectors, jumping 8.1%, followed by a 6.6% climb in consumer discretionary and a 6.3% advance in communication services. Real estate and financials were also strong, rising more than 3% each, while industrials and health care also edged higher.Oracle (ORCL) shares led the technology sector's advance, soaring 27%. The company said it plans to expand its multi-cloud networking capabilities to provide connectivity between Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and Amazon's (AMZN) Amazon Web Services.The consumer discretionary sector was boosted by a 15% jump in Tesla (TSLA) shares. The electric vehicle maker is developing a new compact, lower-cost electric SUV as it looks to expand its lineup beyond the Tesla Model Y and Tesla Model 3, according to a Reuters report citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. Also, Tesla is planning to launch a six-seat, long-wheelbase version of the Model Y in India as early as next week, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources.Four sectors declined this week, led by a 3.5% drop in energy and a 1.7% slip in utilities. Materials and consumer staples also edged lower.The energy sector's drop came as crude oil futures fell amid Iran's announcement reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The hardest-hit stocks included shares of Coterra Energy (CTRA), Devon Energy (DVN) and APA Corp. (APA), which shed 7.5% each.Quarterly earnings are expected next week from companies including Tesla, GE Aerospace (GE), GE Vernova (GEV), UnitedHealth Group (UNH), Philip Morris International (PM), International Business Machines (IBM), AT&T (T), Boeing (BA), Intel (INTC), American Express (AXP), Union Pacific (UNP), and Procter & Gamble (PG).Economic data will include March retail sales and pending home sales as well as a final reading on April consumer sentiment.
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