The three major U.S. stock indexes in New York opened broadly higher.
On the 18th (local time) at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the Dow Jones Industrial Average started at 49,481.04 and was at 49,658.98 as of 10 a.m., up 132.81 points (0.27%) from the previous session.
At the same time, the Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 rose 14.02 points (0.19%) to 7,422.52, and the Nasdaq composite gained 42.17 points (0.16%) to 26,267.31.
Hopes for lower oil prices lifted investor sentiment around the stock market. Reports said the United States proposed a temporary waiver of sanctions on Iranian oil.
In fact, the chief portfolio manager at Dakota Wealth said, "Part of the market's rebound is due to unconfirmed reports that the United States will allow some sales of Iranian oil."
Earlier, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported, "Unlike the previous drafts, the new draft accepts lifting oil sanctions on Iran during the negotiation period."
International oil prices indeed fell. At the same time, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for June 2026 delivery was down 1.94% from the previous session at $103.48 per barrel.
As concerns about inflation and rate hikes eased, shares of retailers such as Walmart and Costco Wholesale were broadly higher. Tech stocks including Nvidia and Tesla were weaker.
European stocks also rose across the board. The Euro Stoxx 50 index was up 0.72% at 5,869.95. The United Kingdom's FTSE 100 and Germany's DAX were up 1.32% and 1.97%, respectively.