Quick overview

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Israel has opened talks with Lebanon after Iran urged a halt to Israeli attacks on the country as a condition to continue negotiations with the United States.

Major Wall Street indexes rose on Thursday following fresh progress toward a more durable ceasefire in the Middle East conflict. The developments pushed oil prices further below $100 per barrel and supported the two-week truce promoted by Washington.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at midday that he had instructed Israeli officials to begin peace talks with Lebanon, which would also include the disarmament of Hezbollah.

The statement came after Iran warned that no peace agreement would be possible unless Israel halted its bombing campaign in Lebanon, putting at risk the fragile two-week ceasefire agreed between U.S. President Donald Trump and Iran.

As a result, futures for Brent crude were little changed, rising 0.15% to $94.80 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained 2.14% to $96.45.

Key moves on Wall Street

In this context, the S&P 500 rose 0.63%, while the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.72%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also moved higher, gaining 0.74%.

Among individual stocks, the biggest gainers included Brown‑Forman (+14%), Constellation Brands (+7.5%), and Carrier Global (+5.8%). On the downside, the largest declines were seen in Autodesk (−9.6%), Axon Enterprise (−7.8%), and ServiceNow (−7.5%).

Beyond geopolitics, data released Thursday showed that PCE Inflation in the United States rose 2.8% year-over-year in February, in line with expectations, while economic growth slowed more than previously estimated in the fourth quarter.

Global markets

In Europe, the Euro Stoxx 50 slipped 0.34%. National indexes were mixed, with Germany’s DAX down 1.35% and France’s CAC 40 losing 0.22%. Outside the eurozone, the U.K.’s FTSE 100 edged down 0.05%.

In Asia, Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong fell 0.54%, while the Shanghai Composite dropped 0.72%. South Korea’s KOSPI declined 1.6%, and Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.53%.