Wall Street stocks finished mostly higher, with one analyst saying the market “still shows its muscles” and remains “very resilient”.
Specialist Anthony Matesic works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Photo: AP/Richard Drew)
22 May 2026 05:44AM
NEW YORK: Wall Street stocks finished mostly higher Thursday (May 21) following a choppy session as markets tried to parse the prospects for a Middle East peace deal while digesting earnings from Nvidia and Walmart.After oil prices ascended for the first part of the day, benchmark futures contracts reversed course and finished down about two per cent.International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol warned that the world may be entering "the red zone" on oil supplies, but markets continue to welcome signs - even if vague or faint - that a deal between Washington and Iran could be forthcoming.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced hope of progress on ending the war with Iran, with mediator Pakistan's army chief due to arrive in the Islamic republic for talks."I believe the Pakistanis will be travelling to Tehran today. So hopefully that'll advance this further," Rubio told reporters on Thursday.Major US indices finished modestly higher after starting in the red, with the broad-based S&P 500 ending up 0.2 per cent."The market still shows its muscles here. It's very resilient," said Peter Cardillo of Spartan Capital Securities. "And, of course, is betting on the fact that the war is about to end."
