Stocks Rally to Records on AI Bets and Iran Strait Deal Hopes

Bullish Gator

Global markets hit records as AI-driven chip gains and prospects of a US-Iran deal reopening the Strait of Hormuz boost stocks; Brent steadies and bonds/gold react as rate-hike expectations ease.

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What stands out

Stocks hit fresh records after two very different forces lined up, a thaw in geopolitical risk around the Strait of Hormuz and a fresh rotation into artificial intelligence names. Bloomberg’s Opening Trade captured both: chipmakers led the charge while Axios reported progress on a US-Iran accord that would unclog Persian Gulf flows, easing an oil-risk premium. For index and data providers like MSCI Inc., higher global equity levels and renewed investor appetite for thematic exposure mean more indexing dollars and data usage, which matter to revenues more than a single market headline.