Stocks power-marched through this week as geopolitical conditions appeared to improve significantly. Most major stock indices surged to fresh records. Although no formal talks have taken place, Iran has reopened the Strait of Hormuz. Further surprising the market, the U.S. president stated that Iran had agreed to indefinitely suspend its nuclear program and that a lasting agreement would probably be reached this weekend, a stark contrast to Iran’s longstanding insistence that it has the right to enrich uranium.
The Dow is one of the rare indices that did not set a new record, ending at 49,448, but it still rallied more than 3% this week. The NASDAQ went on a 13-day winning streak, the longest since 1992, and returned more than 6% this week to finish at 26,672. The S&P 500 rallied nearly 4.5% and hit a new all-time high of 7,126. Energy was the only major loser this week, losing more than 3% of its value. Utilities suffered moderate losses, while materials slid slightly. All other sectors ended the week higher, with technology leading the market with gains of more than 8%.
The bond market did not react as dramatically, though fixed-income instruments certainly rallied. The U.S. 5-year Treasury yield declined by 10 basis points to 3.84%, and the 10-year yield declined by 8 basis points to 4.24%. Gold is also making a gradual comeback and is approaching the 4,900 mark.
This week signals a potentially significant turning point, as optimistic outcomes surrounding the Middle East conflict could boost business sentiment. While the Fed’s Beige Book earlier in the week showed that American businesses hit the brakes on hiring and spending because the war had dimmed optimism over the economy, sentiment could turn around soon if lasting agreements are reached in the near future.
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