{"id":413467,"date":"2026-04-27T16:28:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T16:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/413467\/"},"modified":"2026-04-27T16:28:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T16:28:13","slug":"dow-sp-500-nasdaq-slip-to-start-pivotal-week-as-markets-weigh-iran-peace-odds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/413467\/","title":{"rendered":"Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq slip to start pivotal week as markets weigh Iran peace odds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

US stocks edged lower on Monday as investors assessed a reported Iran proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and Microsoft said its exclusive partnership with OpenAI was ending<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI<\/a>) slipped roughly 0.2%. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 (^GSPC<\/a>) hovered below the flat line, and the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC<\/a>) dropped 0.2% after both indexes closed out last week at record highs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Iran has put forward a new proposal to lift its blockade of the key Hormuz<\/a> waterway and end the war, but would push nuclear negotiations to a later date, Axios reported<\/a> \u2014 even as Tehran\u2019s nuclear program remains a red line for the White House.<\/p>\n

Fears of inflationary pressures have buffeted markets, as restrictions on\u00a0global oil and other supply flows<\/a>\u00a0threaten to\u00a0push up prices<\/a>\u00a0across a wide range of industries. Traffic through the critical Strait of Hormuz remained near zero<\/a> Monday morning, according to Bloomberg oil strategists.<\/p>\n

Oil prices leaned higher, with Brent crude futures (BZ=F<\/a>) holding above $100 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate (CL=F<\/a>) crossing $96.<\/p>\n

This week is pivotal for markets, with quarterly results from most of the \u201cMagnificent Seven\u201d megacaps due<\/a>. Microsoft (MSFT<\/a>) shares fell Monday after the software giant said it would no longer have exclusive access<\/a> to OpenAI\u2019s lineup. A revenue-sharing agreement between the two companies is also set to end.<\/p>\n

Another key event is the Federal Reserve policy decision at its two-day meeting starting Tuesday. The central bank is widely expected to hold rates steady amid the Iran conflict, which clouds the inflationary outlook.<\/p>\n

The meeting is expected to be the penultimate one chaired by Jerome Powell<\/a> before leadership transitions to Kevin Warsh<\/a>, who now faces a crucial confirmation vote soon.<\/p>\n

LIVE 10 updates<\/p>\n

\"Jared Alphabet signals ‘Magnificent 7’ record highs are starting to spread again <\/p>\n

Alphabet (GOOGL<\/a>, GOOG<\/a>) just hit its first intraday record since February and is on pace for its second straight record closing high \u2014 making it the second \u201cMagnificent Seven\u201d stock to return to record territory this month.<\/p>\n

Amazon (AMZN<\/a>) got there first, notching its first record close since November last Wednesday, before pushing to an intraday all-time high the next day.<\/p>\n

Nvidia (NVDA<\/a>) is right on the doorstep too. The AI chip leader came within pennies of an intraday record this morning and is on track for its second straight record close. Both its prior intraday and closing highs were set in late October.<\/p>\n

The timing is interesting because the Magnificent Seven earnings calendar is crowded this week. On Wednesday, Microsoft (MSFT<\/a>), Meta (META<\/a>), Alphabet, and Amazon report, followed by Apple (AAPL<\/a>) on Thursday.<\/p>\n

Now comes the real test: whether those old highs become support, or whether the latest breakouts turn into bull traps<\/a> \u2014 failed moves that punish buyers who chased the record.<\/p>\n

\"Jake Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square IPO expected to raise $5 billion, per Bloomberg <\/p>\n

Bill Ackman\u2019s investment fund and asset management firm, Pershing Square, is expected to\u00a0raise roughly $5 billion<\/a>\u00a0in an upcoming initial public offering, Bloomberg reported on Monday.<\/p>\n

Roughly $2.8 billion of the raise target will be covered by a private placement disclosed in a securities filing. The investment banks running the IPO are expected to set a final listing price on Tuesday, Bloomberg reported.<\/p>\n

Under the terms of the dual IPO for the asset management company and fund, investors in the soon-to-be-public company Pershing Square USA will also be given complementary shares of to-be-public Pershing Square Inc, the holding company for Ackman\u2019s investment firm Pershing Square Capital Management.<\/p>\n

The $5 billion target for the Pershing Square IPO is roughly half the $10 billion raise Ackman had initially targeted, according to Bloomberg.<\/p>\n

It also comes in roughly a fifth of the $25 billion ambition Ackman had for the 2024 launch of a publicly listed closed-end fund that fell apart before listing.<\/p>\n

Micron stock climbs on $700 price target as April’s hot chip rally comes under pressure <\/p>\n

Micron (MU<\/a>) was an island of green among chip stocks on Monday, rising as much as 6% in early trading. At last check, the stock was trading at $517 per share, an intraday record high.<\/p>\n

The stock rose after Melius Research initiated coverage of Micron with a two-year price target of $700, which represents 35% upside from current levels.<\/p>\n

\"Micron Micron was a standout performer among chip stocks on Monday. <\/p>\n

Another standout among semiconductor stocks on Monday is Intel (INTC<\/a>), which finally cracked a 26-year-old record, as my colleague Jared Blikre points out in the blog below.<\/p>\n

Nvidia (NVDA<\/a>), which notched an all-time high on Friday, slipped from that level.<\/p>\n

The rest of the semiconductor complex looked poised to snap an 18-day win streak after a hot rally in April.<\/p>\n

\"Jared Intel\u2019s 26-year comeback is a warning for investors chasing today\u2019s AI winners <\/p>\n

Intel (INTC<\/a>) is partying like it\u2019s 2000.<\/p>\n

The storied US chipmaker is pushing to fresh highs one day after punching through its first record since August 2000 \u2014 a two-and-a-half-decade round trip that turns one of the AI market\u2019s hottest comeback stories look more complicated.<\/p>\n

The lesson is that even an iconic technology stock can spend a generation repairing the damage from one bad entry point.<\/p>\n

Yahoo Finance\u2019s Brian Sozzi posted a Deutsche Bank quote<\/a>, calling Intel\u2019s surge \u201ca potent lesson for investors,\u201d noting that the chipmaker was the second-largest stock by market value at its 2000 peak. The bank also pointed out the brutal opportunity cost: Over the same stretch, the S&P 500 (^GSPC<\/a>) climbed roughly 370%, or more than 650% including reinvested dividends.<\/p>\n

Intel is not alone.<\/p>\n

Cisco (CSCO<\/a>) only reclaimed its March 2000 peak this year and is up about 9% from that level. Semiconductor names Rambus (RMBS<\/a>), Amkor (AMKR<\/a>), Photronics (PLAB<\/a>), and AXT (AXTI<\/a>) also needed roughly a quarter-century to break free.<\/p>\n

Others still have not. Tower Semiconductor (TSEM<\/a>), Veeco (VECO<\/a>), Vishay (VSH<\/a>), STMicroelectronics (STM<\/a>), and Cohu (COHU<\/a>) remain below their dot-com highs.<\/p>\n

And that list has survivorship bias<\/a> baked in. It leaves out the many dot-com names that disappeared, merged away, or lost relevance so completely that investors no longer track the tickers.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the uncomfortable read-through for today\u2019s AI winners. The risk isn\u2019t the underlying technology. It\u2019s that a great story bought at the wrong price can still turn into dead money for longer than most investors can afford.<\/p>\n

\"Jake US stock market splits at the opening bell <\/p>\n

The US stock market began Monday\u2019s trading session on mixed footing as investors prepared for the busiest week of earnings for the quarter and digested a potential deal offer from Tehran to Washington.<\/p>\n

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI<\/a>) gained roughly 0.1%. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 (^GSPC<\/a>) traded 0.1% lower, and the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC<\/a>) dropped roughly 0.3%.<\/p>\n

Axios reported Monday morning that Iran has offered to open the Strait of Hormuz and end the Gulf conflict if the US agrees to push talks over Tehran\u2019s nuclear program down the road. Yet the nuclear program remains key to US ambitions for a new deal with Iran, and traffic through the critical waterway remains near zero.<\/p>\n

Dominating headlines this week will be earnings from five out of seven \u201cMagnificent Seven\u201d Big Tech leaders<\/a>, and a policy decision from the Federal Reserve in what is likely to be Jerome Powell\u2019s last meeting as chair.<\/p>\n

Microsoft shares dropped at the open after the company said it would no longer maintain exclusive access to OpenAI, also announcing an end to a revenue-sharing agreement between the two tech firms.<\/p>\n

\"Jake Oil prices rise as progress on US-Iran negotiations remains elusive <\/p>\n

Oil prices ticked up Monday morning as diplomatic progress between the US and Iran remained elusive and the two sides\u2019 dual blockade kept shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz near zero.<\/p>\n

Futures on Brent crude (BZ=F<\/a>), the international benchmark, gained 1.9% on the session to hold above the key $100 per barrel mark, while those on US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude (CL=F<\/a>) notched a similar jump to trade above $96 per barrel.<\/p>\n

Iran has reportedly offered Washington a new off-ramp to the conflict, Axios reported<\/a> Monday morning, with a proposal to extend the current ceasefire between the two sides and reopen the Strait of Hormuz while pushing negotiations over Iran\u2019s nuclear program to a later date.<\/p>\n

However, Iran\u2019s nuclear program has remained a key red line for the Trump administration, which is looking for a near-complete dismantling of Tehran\u2019s uranium enrichment capabilities and a surrender of the country\u2019s current stores of nuclear material.<\/p>\n

Progress forward on potential second-round negotiations between Washington and Tehran fell apart over the weekend after the White House canceled a trip to Pakistan for Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and the president\u2019s son-in-law Jared Kushner, the trio that has been leading talks for the US.<\/p>\n

\"Jake United CEO says merger talks with American Airlines have ended <\/p>\n

United Airlines (UAL<\/a>) CEO Scott Kirby said Monday that talks about a potential merger with American Airlines (AAL<\/a>) had ended, writing in a public statement<\/a> that \u201cwithout a willing partner, something this big simply can’t get done.\u201d<\/p>\n

United fell by less than 1% in premarket trading, while American gained less than 1%.<\/p>\n

In a long statement shared by the airline early Monday morning, Kirby confirmed he had approached American Airlines in recent weeks about a potential merger that could create a \u201ctruly great airline that customers love.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet American, instead of talking with United, \u201cdeclined to engage and instead responded by publicly closing the door,\u201d Kirby wrote. Shortly after initial news reports that Kirby was pitching a merger, American Airlines said they were not interested in such a plan.<\/p>\n

In comments on American\u2019s first quarter earnings call, CEO Robert Isom said such a plan would be “bad for customers, bad for the industry and ultimately, that would be bad for American Airlines.”<\/p>\n

“The idea of the two largest airlines in the world getting together, that is something that we’ve viewed as being anti-competitive and obviously everybody that has weighed in suggests the same thing,” Isom said.<\/p>\n

Fed expected to stand pat this week amid ongoing uncertainty from Iran conflict <\/p>\n

Traders are all but unanimous in their bets that the Fed will keep any potential rate changes on hold at the April meeting this week \u2014 Jerome Powell’s second-to-last as chair.<\/p>\n

Yahoo Finance\u2019s Jennifer Schonberger<\/a> digs into what to expect:<\/p>\n

Federal Reserve officials meet this week as the war in the Middle East reaches the two-month mark, creating continued uncertainty about the impact on the economy. It\u2019s likely to keep the central bank holding interest rates where they are.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s still uncertainty about how this war is going to be resolved, and oil prices have been volatile. But they’re still well above where they were before the war started, and so that will eventually have an impact on the economy,\u201d former Cleveland Federal Reserve president Loretta Mester said.<\/p>\n

Policymakers are weighing the war\u2019s impact on inflation and growth, waiting to see how severe it will be, depending on how long the war lasts.<\/p>\n

Esther George, former president of the Kansas City Federal Reserve, said there\u2019s a sense that the ripple effects will be felt through the summer and into the fall, keeping oil prices higher and impacting supplies.<\/p>\n

Read more here.<\/a><\/p>\n

China blocks Meta\u2019s $2 billion acquisition of AI firm Manus <\/p>\n

Bloomberg reports:<\/p>\n

China has decided to block Meta Platforms Inc.\u2019s (META<\/a>) $2 billion acquisition of agentic AI startup Manus, a surprise move to unwind a controversial deal that\u2019s drawn fire for the leakage of technology to the US.<\/p>\n

The National Development and Reform Commission ordered the deal\u2019s cancellation in a brief statement Monday. The decision was made in accordance with laws and regulations, the powerful state planner said in a one-line notice, without elaborating.<\/p>\n

The ruling is likely to send a chill through China\u2019s burgeoning AI sector, and emerged weeks before a high-profile summit between US President Donald Trump and China\u2019s Xi Jinping. Beijing has tightened scrutiny of key industry firms in the wake of the deal, which has been largely completed. Initially hailed as a template for startups with global aspirations, critics have since lamented the loss of valuable technology to a geopolitical rival.<\/p>\n

Read more here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Goldman hikes oil forecasts again as \u2018Hormuz shock\u2019 builds <\/p>\n

Bloomberg reports:<\/p>\n

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted oil-price forecasts as the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz spurs \u201cextreme\u201d inventory draws.<\/p>\n

Brent is set to average $90 a barrel in the fourth quarter, up from a previous outlook for $80, analysts including Daan Struyven and Yulia Zhestkova Grigsby said in an April 27 note. The figure for that period is now \u201cnearly $30 higher than before the Hormuz shock,\u201d they said, adding to recent revisions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe estimate that 14.5 million barrels a day of Persian Gulf crude production losses are driving global oil inventories to draw at a record 11 to 12 million barrel-a-day pace in April,\u201d they said. Given that such \u201cextreme inventory draws are not sustainable, even sharper demand losses could be required if the supply shock persists longer,\u201d they added.<\/p>\n

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