Optimism

• The S&P 500 rose 0.8% to close above 7,000 points for the first time, while the Nasdaq Composite surged 1.6% to a record high, driven by gains in technology and software stocks and optimism over potential U.S.-Iran peace talks. • Bank of America posted a 17% rise in quarterly profit from strong trading and investment banking fee rebounds, while Morgan Stanley reported a near 30% profit jump supported by record equities trading revenue and improved dealmaking activity. • Stock index futures edged higher after-hours, with S&P 500 Futures up 0.2% to 7,070.75 points and Nasdaq 100 Futures rising 0.3% to 26,440.75 points, reflecting continued market momentum.

• US stocks recovered from early morning losses Thursday to finish higher, with the S&P 500 up 0.7%, Dow Jones up 0.8% (382 points), and Nasdaq composite up 0.8%, buoyed by optimism over a two-week ceasefire with Iran announced late Tuesday. • Israel's announcement of direct negotiations with Lebanon helped calm market concerns that the ceasefire could unravel due to Israeli bombardment of the country, reversing initial trading pessimism. • The S&P 500 remains just 2.1% below its all-time high set in January, indicating underlying market strength despite geopolitical volatility and oil price fluctuations.

Intel gained 1.7% on March 13, 2026, fueled by optimism over US semiconductor manufacturing investments and government domestic chip support. This bucked the broader market trend where S&P 500 and Nasdaq declined on geopolitical worries. The move signals continued sector strength, with high trading volume in semis despite VIX at 26.49. Future catalysts include policy updates on chip subsidies.