Wall Street: US-Börsen schließen mit Zuwächsen

The final trading day of the week started on Wall Street with modest gains that initially continued to rise. The Dow Jones of blue-chip stocks gained 0.9 percent to 51,828 points. The broad S&P 500 index rose by half a percent to 7,743 points. The technology-heavy Nasdaq also saw a half percent increase to 27,068 points. The Nasdaq 100, a barometer of the 100 non-financial companies with the highest market capitalization, gained 0.4 percent to 30,608 points.

With this opening, the major U.S. indices reacted to reports of the Iran war, suggesting American and Iranian negotiators in New York are currently seeking a step-by-step withdrawal from the conflict. As several media reported on Thursday, a possible agreement could see Tehran reopen the Hormuz Strait, crucial for oil transport, and Washington in return lift the economic blockade against Iran.

Diplomatic signals in the Iran war provided a measure of relief, said Andreas Lipkow, chief market analyst at CMC Markets. "Any relaxation in the oil market immediately reduces inflation concerns and thus the pressure on bond yields." The anticipation of higher interest rates had previously driven yields on the bond market sharply higher and also strained the prices of many companies.

Oil prices dipped over the weekend after two consecutive days of a significant rise in the cost of Europe's key crude oil type, Brent. By Friday afternoon, a barrel (159 liters) was trading at $104, 2.4 percent cheaper than the previous day. WTI U.S. light oil also fell by 2.6 percent.