US equities rallied sharply on Monday after Washington and Tehran said they had reached an agreement to end their conflict and restore energy exports from the Middle East. The S&P 500 rose 1.5%, the Nasdaq climbed more than 2%, and the Dow advanced over 1%.
The deal is expected to be signed on Friday. According to reports, it includes Iran clearing mines from the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of naval blockades on all exports from the Persian Gulf. The prospect of smoother energy flows pushed energy prices and bond yields lower, improving the macroeconomic backdrop and boosting risk appetite, particularly in heavyweight technology stocks.
Nvidia, Amazon, Meta, and Oracle each gained around 3%. SpaceX closed 6% higher, extending its prior session’s 20% surge on its IPO debut, after CEO Elon Musk suggested the company could generate $1 trillion in revenue by 2031.
Semiconductor producers continued their rally, supported by increased fundraising by AI developers and the resulting influx of orders for AI infrastructure companies. By contrast, defensive sectors underperformed, with Johnson & Johnson falling 2.5%.
