The three major U.S. stock indexes opened higher on the 26th (local time) as expectations grew for a cease-fire agreement between the United States and Iran.
As of 9:35 a.m., on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 53.23 points, or 0.11%, at 50,632.93. The Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 was up 35.99 points, or 0.48%, at 7,509.46, and the Nasdaq composite was up 207.25 points, or 0.79%, at 26,551.22.
With the United States and Iran engaged in cease-fire talks, investor sentiment appears to be flocking to the optimism.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the previous day that talks with Iran were progressing smoothly. The fact that President Trump showed flexibility on the handling of enriched uranium also boosted expectations for the negotiations.
On Truth Social that day, President Trump said, "Enriched uranium will be immediately transferred to the United States, brought into the country and disposed of, or disposed of locally or at another appropriate location in cooperation and coordination with Iran."
President Trump has long emphasized a plan to bring Iran's enriched uranium into the United States for disposal. He suggested he could also accept having it handled in Iran or a third country.
However, some armed clashes continue. U.S. Central Command said the previous day that it carried out airstrikes targeting an Iranian vessel attempting to lay mines and a missile launcher in southern Iran near the Strait of Hormuz. It added that the strikes were an exercise of the right to self-defense. Iran's Foreign Ministry countered that it was a clear violation of the truce.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that despite these armed clashes, the possibility of a nuclear deal with Iran still remains and that a cease-fire agreement with Iran "could take a few days."
By sector, technology and industrials were strong, while energy and health care were weak.
With the SpaceX initial public offering (IPO) expected to be the largest ever, space-related stocks were broadly stronger. Intuitive Machines and AST SpaceMobile rose 15.68% and 11.94%, respectively.
Drugmaker Eli Lilly said it would acquire three vaccine developers, sending its shares up 0.70%.
European stocks were mostly lower. The Euro Stoxx 50 was down 0.74% from the previous close at 6,091.24 in transaction. France's CAC 40 and Germany's DAX fell 0.66% and 0.44%, respectively. Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.72%.
Global oil prices also fell. At the same time, front-month West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for July 2026 delivery was down 3.86% from the previous close at $92.87 a barrel.