US Stocks Rise on Middle East Optimism

2026-05-22 20:09 By Joana Ferreira 1 min. read

US stocks advanced on Friday, buoyed by signs of progress in Middle East peace talks and a strong corporate earnings season.

The S&P 500 gained 0.4%, extending its winning streak to eight consecutive weeks, the longest since December 2023, while the Dow Jones added 294 points to reach an intraday record high, marking its third positive week in four.

The Nasdaq rose 0.2%, securing its seventh weekly advance in eight weeks.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that the US had made some progress toward a deal with Iran, though more work remains, while Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman stated that differences between the two sides remained deep.

Meanwhile, US computer makers surged after strong results from China’s Lenovo Group.

Dell Technologies hit a record high and HP Inc. climbed over 15%.

Estée Lauder rose 11.9% after the cosmetic maker and Spanish perfumery Puig ended merger talks, while Workday advanced 5.2% after beating first-quarter earnings estimates.



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US Stocks Rise on Middle East Optimism
US stocks advanced on Friday, buoyed by signs of progress in Middle East peace talks and a strong corporate earnings season. The S&P 500 gained 0.4%, extending its winning streak to eight consecutive weeks, the longest since December 2023, while the Dow Jones added 294 points to reach an intraday record high, marking its third positive week in four. The Nasdaq rose 0.2%, securing its seventh weekly advance in eight weeks. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that the US had made some progress toward a deal with Iran, though more work remains, while Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman stated that differences between the two sides remained deep. Meanwhile, US computer makers surged after strong results from China’s Lenovo Group. Dell Technologies hit a record high and HP Inc. climbed over 15%. Estée Lauder rose 11.9% after the cosmetic maker and Spanish perfumery Puig ended merger talks, while Workday advanced 5.2% after beating first-quarter earnings estimates.
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