Major Averages Rise on Optimism for U.S.-Iran Peace Deal
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Apr 16 2026
0mins
The major averages were higher near noon, supported by optimism around a potential U.S.–Iran peace deal. Comments from President Donald Trump suggesting the conflict may be nearing an end have further boosted investor sentiment. Of note, the Lebanese presidency said the country's president Joseph Aoun spoke with Trump, who then stated in a social media post that Lebanon and Israel have agreed to begin a 10-day ceasefire.Meanwhile, investors also have their eyes on a new spate of earnings reports, including new prints from PepsiCo, TSMC, and Travelers along with a report due from Netflix later today.Get caught up quickly on the top news and calls moving stocks with these five Top Five lists.1. STOCK NEWS:PepsiCoreportedand affirmed its FY26 financial outlookTSMCreported better-than-expectedTravelersreportedand raised its quarterly dividendHims & Hersshares were rising after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the FDA isOkloand NuScale Powerwere also higher after the White House released rules for2. WALL STREET CALLS:Oktato Outperform at Raymond JamesQualcommto Neutral at JPMorganFlywireto Buy at BTIGFlutter Entertainmentto Sell from Buy at CitiJetBlue (JBLU)to Buy at Seaport Research3. AROUND THE WEB:Googleis negotiating a deal with the U.S. Department of Defense that would let the Pentagon deploy Gemini AI models in classified settings, reversing its previous stance, The Information saysMore banks are being invited to join Softbank's$40B loan backing its investment in OpenAI, Bloomberg reportsBoeingis hiring 100 to 140 factory workers a week as the company looks to replace retirees and increase staffing to support higher production rates, Reuters saysCaterpillarhas acquired the assets of Monarch Tractor, TechCrunch saysRepsolhas signed an agreement with Venezuela and state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela to regain operational control of the Petroquiriquire asset, aiming to boost production significantly, WSJ reports4. MOVERS:Aehr Test Systemshigher after reportingfrom a hyperscale AI customerNextNavgains after Oppenheimerthe stock to OutperformHarmony Goldincreases in New York after Morgan Stanleythe stock to OverweightQuidelOrtholower afterJinkoSolardeclines in New York after5. EARNINGS/GUIDANCE:Abbottand cut its guidance for FY26Charles Schwabwith CEO Rick Wurster commenting, "Schwab's strong business momentum continued into 2026"ManpowerGroupwith EPS and revenue beating consensusOnto Innovationfor Q1 and provided guidance for Q2Wipro, with EPS in-line with consensusINDEXES:Near midday, the Dow was up 0.16%, or 79.44, to 48,543.16, the Nasdaq was up 0.34%, or 82.79, to 24,098.81, and the S&P 500 was up 0.26%, or 18.50, to 7,041.45.
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Analyst Views on CAT
Wall Street analysts forecast CAT stock price to fall
15 Analyst Rating
8 Buy
6 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 887.670
Low
395.00
Averages
620.54
High
730.00
Current: 887.670
Low
395.00
Averages
620.54
High
730.00
About CAT
Caterpillar Inc. is a manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. Its segments include Construction Industries, Resource Industries and Power & Energy. It also provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment. Construction Industries segment is responsible for supporting customers using machinery in infrastructure and building construction applications. Resource Industries segment develops and manufactures high productivity equipment for both surface and underground mining operations around the world, and provides select work tools, machinery components, wear and maintenance components and related parts. Power & Energy segment supports customers in oil and gas, power generation, marine, rail and industrial applications, including Caterpillar machines. It is engaged in the provision and development of mining software solutions to the mining industry.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Pentagon Contract Boost: Dell Technologies secured a $9.7 billion five-year contract to consolidate Microsoft software licenses for the U.S. military, expected to generate substantial recurring revenue for Microsoft and strengthen its market position.
- Market Sentiment Analysis: Despite ongoing military tensions between Iran and the U.S., investor reactions to geopolitical risks have softened, highlighting confidence in corporate fundamentals and underscoring the importance of maintaining a diversified investment strategy amid uncertainty.
See More
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- Microsoft Stock Surge: Microsoft shares rose 3.4%, adding approximately $107 billion to its market capitalization, demonstrating its significant influence in the market, particularly due to its substantial weighting in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indices.
- AI Model Launch Anticipation: Microsoft is set to unveil a suite of proprietary AI models at next week's Build developer conference, reducing reliance on external partners like OpenAI, which is expected to further solidify its leadership position in the AI sector.
- Five-Year Defense Contract: Dell Technologies secured a $9.7 billion five-year contract to consolidate Microsoft software licenses for the U.S. military, providing Microsoft with substantial recurring revenue and enhancing its financial stability.
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See More
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- Snowflake Breakout: Snowflake shares soared over 35% today as it enhances its competitiveness against private Databricks by securing a $6 billion spending deal with Amazon Web Services, signaling a rerating in the cloud consumption AI sector.
- Salesforce Growth: Salesforce reported strong earnings last night, particularly in Agentforce, bolstered by a significant buyback; however, sluggish performance in Tableau and the commerce vertical led to a stock decline of over 1.5%, reflecting market caution regarding its future growth.
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See More
