Weekly Stock Market Update | Dow, S&P 500, NASDAQ News – April 12, 2026

The US stock market recently experienced a significant boost due to the temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, following President Trump’s suspension of strikes on Iran, jumped over 1,300 points in one day, marking a significant rise. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq also saw an uptick, closing the week with 3.6% and 4.7% gains respectively. However, CNBC’s Jim Cramer warned of an “incredibly overconfident” market given the unstable ceasefire.

The stock market’s positive trajectory was maintained, despite the volatility stemming from the U.S.-Iran conflict. The S&P 500 successfully rallied with 12.5% blended growth forecasted for Q1 2026. The largest growth (44%) is expected in the Technology sector. Though the high energy costs caused Delta Air Lines to plan reductions, optimism regarding the upcoming earnings season and Middle East tensions lead the market’s narrative.

The ceasefire has not extinguished the threat of war, but a sound earnings season could deliver the good news investors have missed for six weeks. Major banks such as Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America are set to kick-off the upcoming season. Other notable entities like Netflix, BlackRock, and Johnson & Johnson will also declare their results.

Hardware stocks, including Marvell Technology and Intel witnessed significant gains of 20% and 23% respectively, while software stocks such as Salesforce dwindled by nearly 12%. Meta (formerly Facebook) unveiled a new AI model, causing a 9.6% rise in its stocks.

Overall, the stock market is performing well despite potential geopolitical risks. The first-quarter earnings season could prove pivotal for equities, and could help solidify the positive market outlook. Meanwhile, investors are advised to remain cautious and vigilant due to the precarious state of the US-Iran relations.

This week’s stock market saw significant gains, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite leading with a rise of 4.7%. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average followed with increases of 3.6% and 3% respectively. The market rally was mainly driven by hopes for a sustainable ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran.

Intel topped the most overbought stocks this week as a result of new partnerships with Google and Elon Musk’s Terafab project. The chipmaker’s shares surged nearly 25% this week. Alongside Intel, Broadcom also made to the overbought list, with shares adding 19% following expanded chip deals with Google and Anthropic.

Tech shares overall were shining with the VanEck Semiconductor ETF recording an 11% gain. However, not all software stocks had a good run. ServiceNow and Salesforce faced significant sell-offs, leading the list of most oversold stocks with 19% and 11% declines respectively.

In other news, Palantir Technologies suffered its worst week in a year with a 14% dip. The software company’s decline came despite President Donald Trump’s praises for its military-grade technologies. The drop is tied to the ongoing conflict with Iran.

At the same time, the U.S. stock market rallied this week following a temporary ceasefire announcement between the U.S. and Iran. Considering the broader market, many analysts suggest focusing on high-quality companies, like industrial safety product maker Halma from the FTSE 100, that demonstrate strong growth prospects and resilience over time, instead of worrying about short-term market turbulences. However, the expiry of the ceasefire after 10 days instills uncertainty in the market.