US equities finished higher on Monday, supported by a modest pullback in benchmark oil prices and a decline in bond yields, as investors grew more optimistic that the US and Iran would eventually reach a deal. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 each rose more than 1%, driven by gains in software and application stocks, while the Dow advanced over 300 points.
Although talks between Washington and Tehran failed to produce an agreement over the weekend—prompting President Trump to announce a blockade on Iranian oil shipments—Trump later said that Iran had made contact and was looking to resume negotiations.
In corporate moves, Oracle jumped more than 12%, while Palantir, CrowdStrike, and ServiceNow each gained over 5%. Banks and asset managers traded mixed ahead of this week’s earnings releases, which are expected to shed light on their exposure to higher yields and potential vulnerabilities to private credit stress. Goldman Sachs was first out of the gate, falling as much as 4% after missing revenue estimates in its fixed-income, currencies, and commodities trading division.
