US stocks rebounded on Thursday, recovering much of the previous session’s losses as falling oil prices and easing Treasury yields lifted investor sentiment following the US-Iran agreement to end hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.The S&P 500 rose 1% in early trade, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 383 points. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.2%, supported by strength in technology stocks, AP reported.The recovery came a day after markets retreated on expectations that the US Federal Reserve could still raise interest rates later this year to tackle persistent inflation.Oil prices continued to decline after Washington and Tehran signed an initial agreement that starts a 60-day negotiating process aimed at reaching a final settlement over Iran’s nuclear programme.Brent crude fell $1.19 to $78.36 a barrel, while US benchmark crude dropped $1.56 to $74.45 a barrel. Although prices remain above pre-war levels of around $70 a barrel, they are well below the $100-plus levels seen a few weeks ago.According to details released by both countries, the agreement allows Iran to resume oil exports by waiving US-backed sanctions, while Tehran has agreed to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium during negotiations.Technology stocks led gains on Wall Street.Intel surged 8.7% after US President Donald Trump said the chipmaker had agreed to manufacture chips for Apple in the United States. The announcement followed reports that Apple was considering price increases amid memory chip shortages.SpaceX, however, extended its post-listing decline, falling 3.2% in premarket trading after losing 4.9% on Wednesday.Lower energy prices also boosted travel-related stocks. Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines rose between 1.5% and 2%, while cruise operators Royal Caribbean and Carnival gained more than 2%.Markets are also assessing signals from the Federal Reserve after its latest policy meeting. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh did not provide a specific forecast for interest rates in 2026 but indicated he is reviewing how the central bank communicates with markets and households.Nine of the 18 members of the Fed’s rate-setting committee signalled support for higher interest rates this year, including six who backed two or more quarter-point increases.Higher interest rates are generally used to contain inflation but can also slow economic activity and weigh on asset prices.European markets traded lower, with Germany’s DAX down 0.1%, France’s CAC 40 slipping 0.2% and Britain’s FTSE 100 losing 1%.In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.7% to a fresh record close of 71,053.49, supported by hopes of a durable end to the conflict and continued enthusiasm for AI-related stocks.“This is very broad-based rally, I believe it’s actually showing some confidence that the Japanese economy is going to recover further from the … the end of the war, and presumably the oil prices in the near future,” said Neil Newman, head of strategy at Astris Advisory Japan, AP quoted.South Korea’s Kospi climbed 2.3% to another record high, aided by gains in technology majors Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.
