Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on April 20, 2026 in New York City.
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Stocks rose on Wednesday after President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran, while a positive earnings report also boosted sentiment.
of Nasdaq Composite rose 1.4%, setting a new intraday high during trading. of S&P500 While it erased all losses from the Iran war last week, it increased by 0.9%. Dow Jones Industrial Average We advanced by 267 points (0.5%).
Immediately after the adjournment on Tuesday, President Trump extended the US ceasefire by two weeks, saying it was justified by the “deep divisions” in Tehran’s government.
“Not unexpectedly, given the fact that the Iranian government is deeply divided, and at the request of Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, we have been asked to halt attacks against Iran until our leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal,” the president said in a post on Truth Social.
“Therefore, I have directed the military to continue the blockade and maintain readiness and capability in all other respects. Therefore, we will extend the ceasefire until proposals are submitted and some form of consultation is completed,” he added.
However, the schedule remains uncertain, with Vice President J.D. Vance’s visit to participate in peace negotiations reportedly suspended due to the Iranian government’s lack of commitment. Iranian state media also reported that negotiators in Tehran said they would not attend talks with the US because they were a “waste of time.”
Iran’s navy said Wednesday it had seized two container ships in the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions persist in the vital waterway, which remains effectively closed even after President Trump extended the ceasefire. Oil prices rose, with international standard Brent crude oil futures exceeding $100 per barrel.
But with the Nasdaq trading at all-time highs, Webs Investments’ Ben Fulton believes investors are officially starting to ignore developments in the Middle East. In fact, he said, U.S. stocks could easily outperform international markets going forward, especially given the tailwind from expected earnings.
“A week ago, I said, ‘The risks are to the upside.’ The market has moved so much that now I’m like, ‘No, the risks are to the downside,'” the company’s CEO said in an interview. “It’s time to put it in the rearview mirror. They have to stay the course.”
Earnings season is off to a strong start. boeing Shares rose 5% after the company reported a smaller-than-expected first-quarter loss. In addition, GE Vernova Shares rose 12% after the company reported better-than-expected first-quarter sales. The companies are among the companies in the S&P 500 that have exceeded expectations, with more than 80% of companies reporting earnings so far, according to FactSet data.
