-- US equity indexes declined in Monday's midday trading as deadlocked negotiations to find a lasting solution for the Iran war pushed crude oil futures higher.
The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.2% to 24,785.2, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average lower by 0.1% to 49,172.3. The S&P 500 was little changed at 7,167.6. All sectors except communication services, financials, and utilities fell. Consumer staples and materials led the decliners.
In the absence of any face-to-face discussions in Pakistan this weekend, Iran offered a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, Axios cited a US official and two people with knowledge of the matter in a news report. That proposal, however, includes postponing nuclear negotiations between the two countries, according to the Axios report.
President Donald Trump plans to meet with top national security officials today, according to two sources, to discuss the new Iranian proposal that would reopen Hormuz, CNN reported.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is in Russia ahead of a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, following meetings in Pakistan and Oman. Araghchi gave Pakistani officials a list of "red lines" to be conveyed to the US, including "nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz," according to CNN.
West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures jumped 3.4% to $97.62, and Brent crude futures advanced 4.2% to $109.75.
"Oil continues to grind higher as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, extending disruptions across the Middle East that continue to tighten the availability of critical commodities - from crude, fuel and gas to metals, fertilizers and petrochemicals," Saxo Bank analysts said in a note.
"Brent crude trades at a three-week high as efforts to revive peace talks have stalled, with an Iranian proposal reportedly calling for nuclear negotiations to be postponed to a later stage," the analysts said.
In precious metals, gold futures dropped 1.2% to $4,683.80, and silver futures declined 1.9% to $75.49, as higher crude oil prices raise inflation concerns.
Most US Treasury yields rose, with the 10-year up three basis points to 4.34% and the two-year climbed 3.2 basis points to 3.81%.
In company news, Shell (SHEL) agreed to acquire Canadian energy company ARC Resources in a cash-and-stock deal with an enterprise value of $16.4 billion, as the oil and gas giant looks to increase its exposure to low-cost shale gas and liquids production in Canada's Montney basin.
Domino's Pizza (DPZ) reported weaker-than-expected Q1 results, with the company's chief executive officer saying consumer uncertainty and inflation weighed on demand late in the quarter. Shares slumped 10%, the worst performer on the S&P 500.
Sandisk (SNDK) is expected to post another "strong" quarter and full-year outlook, benefiting from pricing momentum for NAND memory systems, Morgan Stanley said in a note Monday. Shares of Sandisk were up 7.5%, the top gainer on the Nasdaq.
In economic news, the Dallas Fed's monthly manufacturing index fell to minus 2.3 in April from minus 0.2 in March, compared with expectations for a 0.8 print. The index indicates faster contraction, in contrast with other regional manufacturing readings already released.