S&P 500, Nasdaq close at records, boosted by Intel, as investors hope for a restart to U.S.-Iran talks

Traders work at the New York Stock Exchange on April 16, 2026. NYSE The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite closed at record levels on Friday after investors were given a hopeful sign that peace talks between the U.S. and Iran would soon take place in Pakistan. The broad market index finished up 0.8% at 7,165.08, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq added 1.63% to settle at 24,836.60. Both indexes also scored fresh all-time intraday highs. However, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 79.61 points, or 0.16%, to end the at 49,230.71. MS NOW reported, citing a Pakistani official, that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to arrive in Islamabad on Friday evening to have a discussion with Pakistani mediators about a possible second round of negotiations with the U.S. U.S. oil prices pulled back following the development. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures settled above $94 per barrel after falling 1.51%. Meanwhile, international benchmark Brent crude futures closed marginally higher at above $105 a barrel. This comes on the heels of President Donald Trump announcing Thursday that Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend their ceasefire by three weeks. The announcement followed a meeting at the White House with top U.S. officials, Trump said. "The Meeting went very well!" the president wrote in a Truth Social post . "The United States is going to work with Lebanon in order to help it protect itself from Hezbollah," he added, referencing the Iran-backed militia group. …