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Published : 18 Apr 2026, 10:20 AM
The benchmark S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq each rallied to their third record close in a row on Friday, while the blue-chip Dow marked its highest finish since late February, as investors cheered Iran's decision to open the Strait of Hormuz and were optimistic it could reach a deal with the United States to end their war.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X that passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz was "completely open" after a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon.
This followed US President Donald Trump's announcement that talks could take place this weekend between Tehran and Washington and that they could soon secure a peace agreement to end the Iran war, which has left thousands dead since the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on Feb 28.
While statements from both sides left uncertainty over how quickly shipping could resume, US crude oil prices tumbled more than 11 percent, alleviating inflation concerns.
The Strait of Hormuz is a vital waterway for global energy transportation.
"The concern about oil putting the world into a slowdown diminishes as it's onward and upward for a possible final deal," said Bob Doll, CEO of Crossmark, who noted that while there is still no signed US-Iran deal, "it looks like it's heading in a direction that's enough for the market to go up."
The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite .IXIC gained 365.78 points, or 1.52 percent, to 24,468.48, for its 13th consecutive advance, marking its longest winning streak since 1992.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 868.71 points, or 1.79 percent, to 49,447.43, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 84.78 points, or 1.20 percent, to 7,126.06.
Unofficially, for the week, the S&P 500 gained 4.53 percent, the Nasdaq rose 6.84 percent, and the Dow climbed 3.2 percent.
Energy Stocks Slide As Oil Tumbles
The small-cap Russell 2000 .RUT outperformed large-cap gains, closing up 2.1 percent, and also registered a record closing high after it earlier hit its first intraday record high since the war erupted.
"Energy prices coming down has a bigger impact on small caps because they have tighter margins," said Nick Johnson, CEO and CIO of Willis Johnson & Associates, adding, "it's starting to become clear that the US and Iran want to see this behind them."
Among the S&P 500's 11 major industry sectors, energy was the biggest loser, ending down 2.9 percent, with Exxon Mobil XOM.N, down 3.6 percent, and Chevron CVX.N, 2.2 percent, creating the benchmark's second and third biggest drags on the day.
The biggest gainer was consumer discretionary .SPLRCD, which finished up just under 2 percent, with cruise operators leading its advances. Royal Caribbean RCL.N jumped 7.3 percent while Carnival CCL.N rose 7 percent. Industrials .SPLRCI was the second strongest sector, finishing up 1.8 percent with airline United Airlines UAL.O up 7 percent, and leading its percentage gains.
Caution Persists On Strait Passage
Still, some analysts cautioned that logistical challenges remain for shippers.
"Ship operators still face astronomical war-risk insurance premiums, potential mine hazards, and uncertainty about enforcement," said Erik Bethel, general partner at maritime-focused investment firm Mare Liberum.
The S&P's biggest drag was from Netflix, which tumbled 9.7 percent after forecasting current-quarter earnings below expectations. The company also announced the exit of co-founder and longtime Chairman Reed Hastings, ending a 29-year tenure.
Alcoa shares ended down 6.8 percent after the aluminum producer reported first-quarter profit and revenue below analysts' estimates, citing elevated costs and softening demand.
Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 4.03-to-1 ratio on the New York Stock Exchange, where there were 623 new highs and 46 new lows. On the Nasdaq, 3,685 stocks rose and 1,183 fell as advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 3.11-to-1 ratio. The S&P 500 posted 49 new 52-week highs and no new lows.
Volume was relatively strong on US exchanges, where 20.29 billion shares changed hands, compared with the 19.12 billion moving average for the last 20 sessions.
