THE NEW YORK TIMES: The S&P 500’s rise on Friday caps a striking three-week streak, powered by investors’ optimism about the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and strong corporate earnings.
The stock market continued its record-setting rally on Friday, after Iran announced that the Strait of Hormuz had reopened to commercial shipping, bolstering investors’ optimism that the conflict in the Middle East was nearing an end.
The S&P 500, which set a record high on Wednesday, rose an additional 1.2 percent on Friday, notching its best streak of daily gains so far this year.
Already this month, the S&P 500 has climbed almost 10 percent, which would be the best monthly gain since 2020 when markets were rebounding from the pandemic-induced sell-off. The index is nearly 4 percent higher than it was before the United States and Israel started attacking Iran on Feb. 28.
The Nasdaq Composite index, which is filled with technology stocks, has staged an even more ferocious rally. The index posted its 13th consecutive day of gains, its best run since 1992. » | Joe Rennison | Friday, April 17, 2026