USA: Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 Notch Records.

US equities closed higher amid strong corporate earnings and a pullback in oil prices. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 rose 0.2% and 0.7%, respectively, to new records. Apple gained 3.4% after reporting strong earnings and outlook, supported by sales of its newest iPhone and a robust performance in China. Energy majors were also in the spotlight with both ExxonMobil and Chevron exceeding their profit expectations. Still, their shares were muted as Iran submitted a new agreement proposal for the US, a step in the eventual resumption of oil exports from the Persian Gulf. Meanwhile, Meta halted its selloff and Oracle jumped nearly 7% as markets continued to gauge whether signals of higher AI spending are grounded on demand growth, evidenced my a mixed earnings momentum for hyperscalers. AI investment had carried the US GDP in the first quarter, per the latest data, offsetting signs of slowing private consumption. On the other hand, defensive stocks weighed and the Dow lost 0.2%.