Wall Street Rises as Investors Shift to Technology Amid Hopes of US-Iran Peace

NEW YORK – The United States stock market strengthened during trading on Monday (13 April 2026), with investors shifting towards technology stocks amid optimism for a resolution to the conflict between the United States, Iran, and Israel. Citing Reuters on Tuesday (14 April 2026), the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 301.68 points or 0.63% to 48,218.25. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 strengthened by 69.35 points or 1.02% to 6,886.24, and the Nasdaq Composite surged 280.84 points or 1.23% to 23,183.74. Trading volume was recorded as relatively low, at 15.90 billion shares, compared to the 20-day average of 19.07 billion shares. In the early session, index movements were flat before strengthening towards the close. Positive sentiment emerged after US President Donald Trump stated that Iran had shown a desire to reach an agreement. However, he emphasised that he would not approve a deal allowing Iran to possess nuclear weapons. In this situation, investors were assessed as not wanting to miss momentum if an agreement were reached suddenly. Head of Investment Strategy at Janney Montgomery Scott, Mark Luschini, said the market had the potential to surge significantly if a conflict resolution were achieved quickly. Positive sentiment was also supported by global oil price movements that initially rose but ultimately fell and closed below $100 per barrel. This condition helped alleviate concerns about inflationary pressures. This Wall Street rise was led by the technology and financial sectors, each recording gains of more than 1.7%. Technology stocks were the main driver, with Microsoft up 3.6% and Oracle surging 12.7% as the largest gain in the S&P 500 index. In addition, the software sector ETF recorded a 5.4% jump, the largest daily gain since April last year. Conversely, defensive sectors such as utilities and consumer staples weakened by 1.2% and 1%, respectively. The S&P 500 also showed a recovery by successfully erasing all losses since the conflict heated up at the end of February. The index now closed 0.1% above its 27 February position, after previously correcting by up to 7.8%.