Major Averages Broadly Higher as Market Sentiment Improves
The major averages were broadly higher near noon, building on yesterday's strong session. Markets are staging a sharp relief rally to kick off April as the dominant narrative is de-escalation. Comments suggesting a potential wind-down of U.S. military activity in Iran have triggered a broad risk-on move across equities, bonds and currencies. Of note, President Trump said in a social media post that Iran's president has requested a ceasefire, though Trump noted the U.S. will consider the offer when the Strait of Hormuz is "open, free, and clear."Get caught up quickly on the top news and calls moving stocks with these five Top Five lists.1. STOCK NEWS:Nikereportedbut guided for a decline in Q3 revenueRHreportedand revenue and provided FY26 and FY27 revenue growth guidanceConagra Brandsreportedand narrowed its FY26 earnings outlookIntelwill repurchase ain its Ireland Fab joint venture with Apollo GlobalAn Iranian strike damaged an Amazoncloud computing operation in Bahrain a day after Iran's Revolutionary Guards threatened to target U.S. companies operating in the Middle East, including Microsoft, Apple, Google, Meta, and others,2. WALL STREET CALLS:JPMorgan, BofA and Goldman SachsNike after fiscal Q3 reportDisneyto Outperform at Raymond JamesRaymond James alsoUnitedHealthto OutperformDA DavidsonRivianto Neutral on valuation post selloffPPGto Neutral at Citi on raw material costs3. AROUND THE WEB:Appleis testing letting Siri process multiple requests in a single query in iOS 27, Bloomberg saysTesla'sQ1 deliveries are expected to be lower than December's quarter due to uneven demand and intensifying competition in key markets, Reuters reportsShellis in advanced discussions with Venezuela's government to develop four areas near Trinidad and Tobago, in two areas that are the country's largest offshore natural gas fields, Reuters saysAmazon's"sponsored prompts" for its Rufus AI assistant are yielding significantly lower traffic than traditional ads, but are more cost-effective, The Information reportsMicrosoftis in exclusive discussions with Chevronand investment fund Engine No. 1 over a long-term agreement that would underpin a major energy complex in West Texas that would provide power to a large data center campus, Bloomberg says4. MOVERS:Target Hospitalityincreases after securing an over $550MDave & Buster'sgains afterand providing guidance for FY26Oric Pharmaceuticalslower after announcing aGevofalls afteras Chief Commercial Officer and Dave Kettner as General CounselFermideclines after securing a $156.25M5. EARNINGS/GUIDANCE:PVH, with CEO Stefan Larsson commenting, "We delivered a strong fourth quarter and finish to the year, driven by the strength of our two iconic global brands"Lamb Westonand narrowed its guidance for FY26FitLife, with EPS lower year-over-yearUniFirst, with EPS missing consensusSES AIand provided guidance for FY26INDEXES:Near midday, the Dow was up 0.93%, or 429.21, to 46,770.72, the Nasdaq was up 1.71%, or 369.46, to 21,960.08, and the S&P 500 was up 1.14%, or 74.50, to 6,603.02.