Nasdaq sets record as Iran truce extended

U.S. stocks advanced on April 22, 2026, with the Nasdaq Composite touching a new all-time intraday high as investors weighed geopolitical developments and corporate earnings. The S&P 500 (SPX) rose around 0.7% to 0.9%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) added roughly 0.5% to 1%. The Nasdaq-100 (NDX) led with gains of about 1.3% as technology shares outperformed.

Market commentary from midday trading described the session as broadly positive but relatively quiet. Trading volume in major exchange-traded funds tracking the Dow, S&P 500 (SPX) and Nasdaq-100 (NDX) was running at less than half of typical levels, indicating that the gains were occurring on thin participation.

President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire tied to the conflict with Iran, with one account describing the pause as being extended "indefinitely" and another noting that it would remain in place while leaders in Tehran worked on a broader plan. Trump said he had directed the U.S. military to maintain a blockade of Iranian ports while awaiting a unified proposal from Tehran.

Iranian actions underscored ongoing tensions despite the ceasefire extension. Iranian forces seized two cargo or container ships in the Strait of Hormuz, and Iranian state media reported that negotiators in Tehran had called talks with the U.S. a "waste of time." Traffic through the strait, which previously handled more than 100 vessel crossings daily before the war, has fallen to a fraction of that volume.

The U.S. blockade of Iranian ports has prevented Iran from selling its own crude, while Iran’s restrictions on commercial shipping have kept oil prices elevated. Brent crude (UKOIL) traded near or above $101 a barrel, with recent gains of about 3.4%, and U.S. crude futures climbed above $90 a barrel, around $92 in some reports.

Oil’s advance was accompanied by strength in other asset classes. Gold, broad equity indexes and Bitcoin (BTCUSD) all rose together, an unusual pattern given gold’s typical role as a safe haven. Bitcoin gained more than 5% and reached a 10-week high in one account, as risk appetite improved and crypto traders extended a bullish stretch that had lasted nearly three weeks.

Treasury yields showed a mixed picture, with the 10-year note edging lower while the 2-year yield moved higher. Analysts linked elevated oil prices and stronger gold to the unresolved security situation in the Strait of Hormuz, even as equity markets pushed higher on corporate news.

A strong start to the first-quarter earnings season added to the positive tone in stocks. Roughly 80% to 85% of S&P 500 (SPX) companies that had reported so far were exceeding analyst expectations, according to data cited from The Wall Street Journal and FactSet.

Boeing (BA) shares rose about 5% after the company reported a smaller-than-expected loss and higher deliveries, with its chief executive highlighting a growing, record-breaking backlog across its business. The move provided a modest lift to the Dow, where Boeing (BA) accounts for less than 3% of the index by weight.

In the technology sector, Broadcom (AVGO) gained approximately 4%, supported by its $1.9 trillion market capitalization. The company recently secured an AI-computing chip partnership with Alphabet (GOOGL) through 2031 and signed a deal to supply computing capacity to Anthropic, the maker of Claude.

Other individual names also advanced on earnings. GE Vernova (GEV) jumped about 12% after reporting first-quarter earnings and revenue that exceeded Wall Street expectations and raising its full-year outlook. Boston Scientific climbed 8.6% and Philip Morris International (PM) added 6.9% following quarterly results that topped analyst estimates.

Palantir shares moved higher after the AI software firm announced a $300 million agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The deal added to investor interest in AI-related names during a session already led by gains in major technology stocks.

Market participants were also watching for additional tech-sector catalysts, with Tesla (TSLA) and IBM (IBM) scheduled to report earnings after the closing bell. With equities, safe havens and speculative assets all gaining on low volumes, observers described the market as advancing cautiously amid mixed signals from geopolitics and earnings.