Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) at the opening bell in New York on April 2, 2026.
Charly Triballeau | Afp | Getty Images
The S&P 500 rose on Monday following a winning week as oil prices pulled back, with traders weighing the odds that the U.S.-Iran war could end soon.
The broad market index ticked up 0.4%. The Nasdaq Composite gained 0.5%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 115 points, or 0.3%.
Axios reported that the U.S., Iran, and a group of regional mediators were discussing terms for a potential 45-day ceasefire that could lead to a permanent end to the war, though the chances for reaching a partial deal before the Tuesday deadline were slim. To be sure, a 45-day ceasefire is just one of the many ideas being floated.
Reuters also reported that Iran and the U.S. have received a plan to end hostilities that, if agreed, would result in an immediate ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The framework, which could come into effect on Monday, was put together by Pakistan, an unnamed source told Reuters.
President Donald Trump is set to hold a news conference with the military at 1 p.m. ET.
“As the conflict with Iran enters its sixth week persistent concern about the time it will take to arrive at an effective resolution to the conflict will, however, likely remain for now as a negative overhang for market participants to navigate,” said John Stoltzfus, chief investment strategist at Oppenheimer Asset Management.
“We remain positive in our outlook for the markets and the U.S. economy this year with ‘resilience’ the operative word for providing the market with enough opportunities to climb the proverbial ‘wall of worry,'” he added.
Wall Street is coming off a strong performance last week, with the S&P 500 advancing 3.4%. That gain snapped a five-week losing streak and marked the benchmark’s best weekly performance since late November.
The Dow and Nasdaq also ended their respective five-week slides. The former advanced 3% for the week, while the latter popped 4.4%.
Those gains weren’t easy to come by, however. The major averages experienced wild swings during the week as traders assessed updates on the U.S.-Iran war and gauged when the conflict may end.
On Sunday, Trump warned the U.S. would strike Iran’s power plants and bridges if the Strait of Hormuz isn’t opened by Tuesday. “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!!” Trump said in a Truth Social post.
Oil prices whipsawed in volatile trading at the start of the week. The U.S. West Texas Intermediate for May was last 0.2% lower at above $111 per barrel. International benchmark Brent crude prices were also little changed at above $108 per barrel.
Monday will mark the first session during which investors will be able to react to the stronger-than-expected March jobs report, which came out on Friday. U.S. markets were closed due to Good Friday.
Correction: The S&P 500 rose 3.4% last week. A previous version misstated the gain.
