Financial Markets                      04/27 09:54

   

   NEW YORK (AP) -- The U.S. stock market's record-breaking rally is slowing on 
Monday after uncertainty rose over the weekend about what will happen next in 
the Iran war, while oil prices are rising.

   The S&P 500 was virtually unchanged, coming off its latest all-time high 
driven by strong profit reports from U.S. companies and hopes that the United 
States and Iran can avoid a worst-case scenario for the economy because of 
their war. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 7 points, or less than 
0.1%, as of 10 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq was 0.2% lower after setting 
its own record.

   The moves were stronger in the oil market, where prices climbed roughly 2% 
as tankers still find the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed. That's keeping 
crude stuck in the Middle East and away from customers worldwide, including 
crude produced by Iran that's being blockaded by the U.S. Navy.

   Iran has offered to reopen the strait if the United States ends its 
blockade, while proposing that discussions on the larger question of its 
nuclear program would come in a later phase. But U.S. President Donald Trump 
seems unlikely to accept the offer, which was passed to the Americans by 
Pakistan.

   Over the weekend, Trump told U.S. envoys not to go to Pakistan, which has 
been playing a crucial mediating role. By saying the Iranians could call 
Washington with any proposal, Trump appeared to signal he's content to try to 
continue to squeeze Iran with the blockade.

   The price for a barrel of Brent crude to be delivered in June climbed 2.2% 
to $107.60. Brent to be delivered in July, which is where more of the trading 
is happening in the oil market, rose 2.3% to $101.38 per barrel.

   Brent prices were at only roughly $70 per barrel before the war and have 
briefly shot above $119 a couple times when fears about the war have hit their 
heights.

   Most big U.S. companies have nevertheless been reporting profits for the 
start of 2026 that have topped analysts' expectations. That's helped the S&P 
500 jump nearly 13% since hitting a low in late March.

   Verizon Communications joined the list, and its stock climbed 4.1% after the 
company said it added more postpaid phone customers than it lost during a first 
quarter for the first time since 2013. It also raised its forecast for profit 
growth this year, even though its revenue for the first quarter fell short of 
analysts' expectations.

   Domino's Pizza helped drag on the market and fell 9.8% after it reported 
weaker profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

   Several of Wall Street's most influential stocks are scheduled to deliver 
their own profit reports this week, including Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms 
and Microsoft all on Wednesday. Apple will report on Thursday.

   In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady even with the 
rise in oil prices. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note remained at 4.31%, 
where it was late Friday.

   The Federal Reserve will announce its latest move on interest rates 
Wednesday, and the consensus expectation among traders is that it will hold 
rates steady. Lower rates would give the economy a boost, but they would also 
threaten to worsen inflation when oil prices are in flux and tariffs are also 
threatening to raise prices.

   Wednesday will likely be the final meeting where Chair Jerome Powell will 
lead the Fed. His term as chair is scheduled to expire next month, and Trump 
has already named a nominee for his replacement, Kevin Warsh.

   The European Central Bank, Bank of Japan and Bank of England will also be 
announcing their own rate decisions this week.

   In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe following a stronger 
finish in Asia. South Korea's Kospi jumped 2.2%, and Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 
1.4% for two of the world's bigger moves.

   ___

   AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this 
report.

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