Wall Street: US-Börsen öffnen im Plus – Anleiherenditen weiter auf hohem Niveau

On the final trading day of the week, Wall Street opened with slight gains on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, composed of standard stocks, rose 0.3% to 51,501 points. The broad S&P 500 index gained 0.2% and closed at 7,723 counts. The technology-heavy Nasdaq also climbed 0.3%, with a value of 27,009 points. The Nasdaq 100, a representation of the 100 non-financial companies with the highest market capitalization, also increased by 0.3% and stood at 30,568 counts.

This positive start on Wall Street came in response to reports of ongoing negotiations regarding the Iran conflict, as American and Iranian negotiators in New York were reportedly seeking a gradual withdrawal from the dispute. According to media reports on Thursday, an agreement could provide for Iran to reopen the Hormuz Strait, crucial for oil transport, and for Washington to lift the economic sanctions against Iran in return.

Diplomatic signals in the Iran conflict provided some relief, said Andreas Lipkow, Chief Market Analyst at CMC Markets. "Any easing on the oil market immediately reduces inflation concerns, and therefore decreases pressure on bond yields." The anticipation of further interest rate hikes had significantly boosted bond market returns and also put pressure on many company stocks.

Oil prices fell on the weekend after two consecutive days of significant increases. Brent crude, Europe's main crude oil type, rose to $106 per barrel (159 liters) on Friday, which is 0.3% cheaper than the previous day. Also, US Light Oil (WTI) dropped by 0.8%.