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US Equity Indexes Mixed, Crude Oil Surges Amid Reports Iran Halting Peace Process
US equity indexes traded mixed after Iran's reported threats to halt the indirect peace talks with Washington sent crude oil futures sharply higher, and as technology extended gains.The Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.2% to 27,019.1, with the S&P 500 up less than 0.1% to 7,581.9, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was lower by 0.3% to 50,858.1 after midday on Monday.Energy and technology, which jumped more than 5% last week, were the only sectors in positive territory. Utilities, consumer discretionary, and communication services led the decliners.Iranian negotiators will stop exchanging messages with the US through intermediaries, and Tehran will fully close the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation against ongoing ceasefire violations, CNBC reported, citing Iran's state-affiliated news outlet Tasnim on Monday. The report, in a translated post on the social media site Telegram, homed in on Israel's military operations in Lebanon against the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah, CNBC reported."No dialogue will take place" until Israel fully withdraws from occupied areas in Lebanon and stops all attacks in both Lebanon and Gaza, Tasnim was cited as saying.Meanwhile, President Donald Trump, who last week received a framework for a peace agreement with Iran, sent back changes to the proposed deal, officials said, insisting on tougher language about Tehran's nuclear commitments and its pledge to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, CNN reported.Brent crude futures soared 6.6% to $97.12, and West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures surged 7.7% to $94.07. The rise follows US attacks on Iranian military sites, Tehran targeting a US military base, and Israel's advances in Lebanon, according to media reports.US Treasury yields rose, with the 10-year up 5.3 basis points to 4.51%. The two-year jumped 6.8 basis points to 4.08%.In precious metals, gold futures slumped 2.1% to $4,496.5, while silver futures dropped 1.3% to $74.97.In company news, Nvidia (NVDA) has launched RTX Spark, a new AI chip that will be used in Microsoft (MSFT) Windows laptops and desktops. Nvidia's shares jumped 5.1%, and Microsoft rose 2.6%, among the top gainers on the Dow.Salesforce (CRM) surged 9.6%, among the Dow and S&P 500's biggest outperformers, after the company said it will invest $2 billion in France through 2030 to expand its artificial intelligence and cloud operations.In economic news, the Institute for Supply Management's US manufacturing index rose to 54.0 in May from 52.7 in April, compared with expectations for a smaller increase to a 53.0 reading in a survey compiled by Bloomberg. The index indicates faster expansion, and the print is the highest since May 2022.However, the S&P Global US manufacturing index for May was revised down to 55.1 from the flash 55.3, compared with expectations of no revision in a Bloomberg-compiled survey. The May index is above the 54.5 reading reported in April, indicating expansion.US construction spending rose by 0.4% in April, versus a 0.3% increase expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg and following a downwardly revised 0.2% increase in March.
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