Wall Street’s main indexes opened higher today with the Dow Jones hitting an intraday record high as investors watched for progress in talks to end the nearly three-month Middle East war.
The Dow Jones rose 149 points (0.3%) at the open to stand at 50,434, while the S&P 500 gained 23 points (0.3%) to trade at 7,469 and the Nasdaq Composite was up 88 points (0.3%) to reach 26,381.
European shares continue to advance this afternoon, lifted by technology stocks, with investors optimistic about signs of progress in US-Iran peace talks despite both sides remaining at odds over key issues.
London’s FTSE index had gained 0.3% to stand at 10,478 by 2.40pm, while the Paris CAC was up 0.7% to trade at 8,148 and the Frankfurt DAX jumped 1.2% to reach 24,919.
Dublin’s ISEQ index was also higher this afternoon, advancing 1.9% to hit 13,034. Shares in Ryanair rose 3.3% to trade at €24.24, while Irish Residential Properties REIT gained 2.4% to stand at €1.10. The banking shares were also stronger with Bank of Ireland up 2.4% to reach €17.50, while AIB added 1.8% to hit €10.17.
Earlier in Asian trade, Tokyo’s Nikkei index jumped 1,655 points (2.7%) to finish at 63,339 – a record-high close as AI shares rallied on the back of gains for US peers. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 219 points (0.8%) to close at 25,606 on the back of a 15% jump in the shares of PC maker Lenovo Group.