US Markets
Equities Mostly Rise Intraday; Oil Prices Advance Amid Hormuz Blockade
US benchmark equity indexes were mostly higher intraday, while oil prices rose as traders kept an eye on developments in the Middle East amid a Washington blockade of maritime traffic around Iran's ports.The Nasdaq Composite was up 0.6% at 23,049.5 after midday Monday, while the S&P 500 rose 0.4% to 6,844.8. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was little changed at 47,933.5. Among sectors, technology and financials paced the gainers, while utilities saw the biggest drop.West Texas Intermediate crude oil was up 2.5% at $99.06 a barrel, while Brent jumped 4.2% to $99.22.The blockade of maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports was set to start at 10 am ET Monday, according to a statement issued by the US Central Command Sunday. The development came after the US and Iran failed to reach a deal during negotiations in Pakistan over the weekend, fueling concerns over an already fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.US President Donald Trump said in a social media post Monday that 34 ships went through the Strait of Hormuz Sunday.Trump's remarks comes Iran has reportedly vowed to retaliate. The Iran-controlled strait has been effectively shut since the war began at the end of February."The fact the talks happened at all matters," Saxo Bank said in a report Monday. "There is still a chance negotiations restart, especially with some reports suggesting the two sides were not far apart on at least some points."Despite the failed peace talks, a two-week ceasefire announced last week still holds.Trump is mulling over limited strikes against Iran following the failed negotiations, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the situation."While the diplomatic setback is negative, it does not yet signal an automatic return to the worst-case scenario," Saxo said.The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries lowered its second-quarter oil demand forecast due to the Middle East conflict, but maintained its full-year estimates amid expectations for a rebound in the second half.US Treasury yields were lower intraday, with the 10-year rate down 1.6 basis points at 4.30% and the two-year rate dropping two basis points to 3.78%.In company news, Goldman Sachs (GS) posted first-quarter results above market estimates, while Chief Executive David Solomon said a protracted Middle East conflict could pose upside risks to inflation. The lender's shares were down 2.3% intraday, the worst performer on the Dow.Oracle (ORCL) shares surged nearly 12%, the top gainer on the S&P 500. The company said it introduced artificial intelligence-focused updates to its utilities software suite at its customer edge summit, targeting improvements in billing, grid operations, and asset management.In economic news, US existing home sales decreased in March as softening job growth and weaker consumer confidence continued to deter potential buyers, data from the National Association of Realtors showed."We don't see much upside for sales over the next several months," Oxford Economics said in a note. "Given the backup in mortgage rates since the start of the war with Iran, we expect home sales to move sideways before starting to gradually rise at the end of the year."Gold was down 0.7% at $4,755.90 per troy ounce, while silver dropped 1.4% to $75.43 per ounce.
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