Why Is the Stock Market Up Today, 4/15/26?

The S&P 500 (SPX) and the Nasdaq 100 (NDX) are trading higher on Wednesday, with both indexes approaching record highs.

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The U.S. and Iran have reached an “in principle agreement” to extend their ceasefire deadline past April 21 and meet for a second time, a regional official told the Associated Press. While a venue and date have not yet been established, mediators seek to extend the ceasefire by two weeks.

Stock Market Rallies on War Resolution Hopes

On Tuesday, President Trump said a second round of negotiations “could be happening over next two days,” teasing Islamabad as a potential location. Trump also told Fox News that the war is “very close to over.”

Meanwhile, both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 have recovered all of their losses since the war began on February 28 as risk-on sentiment returns to the market. On the other hand, oil prices have yet to fall to their pre-war levels, with Brent crude oil futures (BZ) up by 24% since the start of the conflict.