The Dow and S&P 500 indexes closed lower on Thursday, pausing after a strong start to the week, as investors digested the latest round of corporate earnings and looked for signs of progress toward a peace deal between the U.S. and Iran.
A robust earnings season, which has tempered some concerns about the massive spending by AI-related companies, and growing optimism over the potential end of hostilities in the Iran war helped propel both the Dow Industrials and S&P 500 to record highs earlier this week. Oil prices rose, with U.S. crude settling up 2.75% at $77.29 a barrel and Brent settling at $82.49 per barrel, up 3.83%. Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported that an Iranian parliamentary committee is reviewing a preliminary bill that would bar U.S., Israeli and other "hostile" vessels from transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
