[New York Stock Exchange] Surges on Hopes for US-Iran Ceasefire

by Shim Seongah

Published 01 Apr.2026 07:56(KST)

The three major stock indices on the New York Stock Exchange closed sharply higher as expectations spread regarding the intentions of both the United States and Iran to end the war.

New York Stock Exchange, USA. The Asia Business Daily DB

On the 31st (local time) at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the Dow Jones Industrial Average soared by 1,125.37 points (2.49%) from the previous session to close at 46,341.51.

The Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index jumped by 184.80 points (2.91%) to 6,528.52, while the Nasdaq Composite Index surged by 795.99 points (3.83%) to close at 21,590.63.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that Iran is ready to end the war if the United States and Israel refrain from further attacks. According to Iran's state-run Press TV, President Pezeshkian emphasized during a phone call with European Council President Antonio Costa that "the solution is to stop the attacks" regarding the Iran war, adding, "If there is a guarantee that there will be no further attacks, we are ready to end the war."

Following these remarks, stock indices sharply widened their gains. The S&P 500 Index, for example, soared nearly 50 points within just five minutes.

Earlier, President Donald Trump also repeatedly stated in several media interviews that ceasefire negotiations were proceeding well and that peace was drawing closer. He also hinted that the United States might withdraw troops without resolving the situation, saying that countries in need should move to open the Strait of Hormuz. Nevertheless, President Trump primarily focused on raising expectations for an end to the war.

Eric Diet, President of Wells Alliance, commented, "Any action toward ending the war has a positive impact on the stock market, resulting in a relief rally," but cautioned, "However, the crisis is not completely over, and if the oil issue is not resolved, pressure will persist."

While the United States continues negotiations, it is also preparing for the possibility of an escalation. On this day, the U.S. military dispatched the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush and its escort fleet to the Middle East, marking the third aircraft carrier deployment in this conflict. Previously, the Abraham Lincoln, already stationed in the Middle East, has been operating in the Arabian Sea, while the Gerald R. Ford is docked at a Croatian port for repairs. The deployment of the Bush is understood as filling the vacancy left by the Ford, but it can also be viewed as a measure taken with a potential escalation in mind.

By sector, communication services and technology rose by 4%, while consumer discretionary and industrials jumped more than 3%. Energy fell by over 1%.

Bargain hunting was particularly strong in technology stocks. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index soared by 6.24%.

All 30 constituent stocks of the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index climbed, with Nvidia, TSMC, Broadcom, ASML, Lam Research, and KLA each rising by around 6%. Marvell Technology shot up by 12.80% on news that Nvidia had invested $2 billion.

Snap, a social networking service (SNS) platform, surged by over 14% after reports that an activist hedge fund had increased its stake in the company.

Last month, the number of job openings in the United States saw a slight decrease, displaying little significant change. According to the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) released by the U.S. Department of Labor for February, the seasonally adjusted number of job openings was tallied at 6,882,000. The market consensus had been 6,920,000.

According to the CME FedWatch Tool, the federal funds futures market is pricing in only a 1.8% chance that the benchmark interest rate will be raised by 25 basis points (1bp = 0.01 percentage point) by December, effectively ruling out the possibility of a rate hike.