Iran is said to be evaluating a US proposal to end the near-10-week war, and it is expected to give its response as soon as Thursday, CNN reported. The signs of progress toward relieving the blocked Strait of Hormuz pushed Brent (BZ=F<\/a>) oil futures below $100 a barrel<\/a>, helping spur a rally in gold<\/a> (GC=F<\/a>) as inflation worries eased.<\/p>\n Market sentiment also got a lift from this week\u2019s steady march of tech earnings<\/a> indicating strength in the AI trade. But shares in Arm (ARM<\/a>) fell in premarket trade on concerns about chip supplies, after initially rising after it posted an upbeat revenue forecast<\/a>.<\/p>\n Thursday\u2019s earnings docket brings reports from McDonald\u2019s (MCD<\/a>), Shake Shack (SHAK<\/a>), and Papa John\u2019s (PZZA<\/a>) before the market open, leading out another packed day of results.<\/p>\n In a busy week for labor data<\/a>, Thursday brings a Challenger update on layoffs in April<\/a>, watched for signals on the emerging impact of AI. A weekly reading on jobless claims is also due, setting the stage for the all-important monthly jobs report on Friday.<\/p>\n LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER 2 updates<\/p>\n Space data firm HawkEye360 raises $416M in IPO <\/p>\n Reuters reports:<\/p>\n Space analytics firm HawkEye 360 has raised $416 million in its U.S. initial public offering, \u200cthe company said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n The Herndon, Virginia-based firm \u200csold 16 million shares priced at $26 apiece in the IPO, giving it \u200ba valuation of roughly $2.42 billion. It had targeted a price range of $24 to $26 per share.<\/p>\n After a strong April, IPO activity is expected to pick up in the coming months, \u200cwith HawkEye 360 \u2060and Suja Life set to test investor demand for defense technology and consumer brands, respectively.<\/p>\n HawkEye \u2060will also gauge appetite for space-technology offerings, as investors await a public filing from SpaceX that could bolster confidence among \u200bpeers to \u200bpursue listings and tap \u200bequity markets.<\/p>\n Read more here.<\/a><\/p>\n Gold maintains after US-Iran peace push drives precious metal in positive direction <\/p>\n Bloomberg reports:<\/p>\n Traders work on the floor of the NYSE in New York <\/p>\n