Stock Market Update

[BRIEFING.COM] The S&P 500 (+0.7%), Nasdaq Composite (+1.1%), and DJIA (+0.2%) are off to a higher start to the holiday-abbreviated week, with the S&P 500 setting a new all-time intraday high.

Optimism around a potential peace agreement between the U.S. and Iran has oil prices and Treasury yields moving lower this morning, with WTI crude currently down $2.72 (-2.8%) to $93.88 per barrel and the 10-year note yield down six basis points to 4.50%.

Additionally, firm tech leadership is contributing to the index-level advance, with the top-weighted information technology sector (+1.5%) expanding its month-to-date gain past 12%. The PHLX Semiconductor Index is up 4.4% this morning, expanding its month-to-date gain past 21%. Micron (MU 853.09, +102.09, +13.59%) is the best-performing S&P 500 component this morning, rallying after UBS raised its target price on the stock to $1,625 from $535.

Participation in the broader market is relatively solid, with eight S&P 500 sectors trading higher. The materials (+1.4%) and industrials (+1.3%) are among the early outperformers.

Weakness is limited to the defensive consumer staples (-1.3) and health care (-0.9%) sectors, while the energy sector (-0.3%) also trades lower as oil retreats.

Just released, the Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index decreased to 93.1 in May (Briefing.com consensus: 92.0) from an upwardly revised 93.8 (from 92.8) in April.