The S&P 500 (SPX) extended its winning run to an eighth straight week, the longest streak since December 2023, ending up 0.88%. The Nasdaq-100 (NDX) clocked in a weekly gain of 1.22%, driven up by semis once again, as iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) surged 5.30%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) led the gains among key U.S. indexes, jumping 2.13% to a record.Meet Samuel – Your Personal Investing ProphetStart a conversation with TipRanks’ trusted, data-backed investment intelligence

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The Iran conflict continues to create uncertainty, with different parts of the capital markets interpreting developments differently. While bond investors appeared hopeful – sending 10-year Treasury yields lower – crude oil prices edged up on Friday, reflecting skepticism. Meanwhile, stock markets largely shrugged off the headlines, with focus shifting back to earnings, AI, and domestic economic signals.

Last week’s key positive catalyst was the Commerce Department’s announcement of $2 billion in grants to nine quantum-computing companies. IBM (IBM) was the standout winner, receiving $1 billion alone as the established leader in the race to a commercially viable solution. The company is adding $1 billion of its own capital to launch America’s first specialized quantum chip foundry. Shares of IBM soared 16% on the week, its best weekly result since 2002, significantly boosting the DJIA.