S&P 500, Nasdaq near record high on Israel-Iran ceasefire

Qatar Tribune

6 hours ago

Agencies
New York
Wall Street's S&P 500 neared a record high on Tuesday as President Donald Trump announced an Israel-Iran ceasefire and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reiterated interest-rate cuts can wait till the impact of tariffs becomes clearer.
The benchmark S&P 500 index and the Nasdaq were about 1.1 percent and 1.5 percent below their all-time highs, respectively.
At 12:50 p.m. ET, the Dow Jones rose 502.90 points or 1.18 percent to 43,084.68, the S&P 500 gained 66.67 points or 1.11 percent to 6,091.86, and the Nasdaq advanced 288.71 points or 1.47 percent to 19,919.68.
Financial and technology stocks led the rally among S&P 500 sub-sectors, while energy stocks declined the most, tracking an over 5 percent drop in crude prices after Trump's ceasefire announcement eased the threat of Gulf oil supply disruptions.
Airline stocks rose, with American Airlines up 4 percent and Alaska Air Group gaining 3.6 percent. Defense stocks Lockheed Martin and RTX Corp fell 2.6 percent and 3.2 percent.
Global markets also rallied after Trump called for a halt to hostilities in the Middle East, a sharp turnaround following the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend and Iran's retaliation by firing missiles at a US base in Qatar.
Hours after the ceasefire commenced, Israel acknowledged striking a radar installation near Tehran in retaliation for Iranian missile launches, but said it had refrained from further attacks beyond that after Trump spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
'I think that (ceasefire) gives the market relief, gives it some confidence, and hope that this conflict or this war is not going to be spreading,' said Robert Pavlik, senior portfolio manager at Dakota Wealth.
Investors also assessed Fed Chair Powell's comments on monetary policy during a congressional testimony, as he emphasized the central bank's wait-and-watch approach to interest rates as tariff-driven price pressures become evident.
Powell has been on the receiving end of Trump's criticisms for not cutting interest rates, with the President hinting at firing the top Fed policymaker or naming a successor soon.
Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic told Reuters the central bank doesn't need to cut interest rates soon, as companies plan to raise prices due to higher import taxes and the job market is still strong.
The remarks were mirrored by Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack, who dismissed the need for immediate rate cuts, citing uncertainty about the impact of trade tariffs on inflation, which remains above the central bank's target.
Market participants are pricing in at least two 25-basis-point rate reductions before year-end, with the first cut seen in September.
Several central bank officials, including Fed Board Governor Michael Barr and Fed Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari, are also scheduled to speak later in the day.
US consumer confidence unexpectedly deteriorated in June amid worries about business conditions and employment prospects over the next six months.
Among megacap stocks, Tesla shares lost 1.4 percent.
Package delivery firm FedEx edged up 1.1 percent ahead of its quarterly results due after the closing bell.
Broadcom hit a record high, up 3.8 percent, after HSBC raised the semiconductor manufacturer to 'buy' from 'hold'.
Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 2.86-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 2.9-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.
The S&P 500 posted 18 new 52-week highs and no new lows while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 95 new highs and 44 new lows.