-- US equity indexes closed higher on Monday amid expectations that the US will manage to finalize a peace deal with Iran.
* President Trump signaled his administration was contacted by Iran "to work out a deal," though he also threatened to destroy ships impeding a US blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
* The pace of US existing home sales fell 3.6% to a 3.98 million seasonally adjusted annual rate in March from 4.13 million in February, compared with a smaller decrease to a 4.05 million rate expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.
* May West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose $1.45 to settle at $98.02 per barrel, while June Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $3.23 at $98.43.
* Oracle (ORCL) shares rose 12%, the top gainer on the S&P 500, after the company introduced AI-focused updates to its utilities software suite, targeting improvements in billing, grid operations, and asset management.
* Conagra Brands (CAG) shares fell 4.4%, the second-biggest decline on the S&P. The company appointed John Brase as CEO to succeed Sean Connolly, effective June 1. Brase previously served as chief operating officer at J.M. Smucker (SJM).