-- US equity markets were tracking in the green before the opening bell Thursday amid rising optimism over a potential extension of the ongoing ceasefire between the US and Iran, while investors await the latest earnings from several major companies.
The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.1% each in premarket activity, while the Nasdaq added 0.3%. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq finished Wednesday trading with new closing highs, while the Dow ended in the red.
Washington and Tehran are considering an extension of their ongoing ceasefire due to expire next week to allow more time to negotiate a peace deal, Bloomberg News reported Thursday, citing a person familiar with the matter.
President Donald Trump reportedly said in an interview with Fox Business aired on Wednesday that the war with Iran is "very close to over" and that Iranian authorities are eager to make a deal.
"I think it's close to over, I view it as very close to over," Trump said in the interview. "We'll see what happens, I think they want to make a deal very badly."
"We feel good about the prospects of a deal," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday, CNN reported.
US-Iran peace negotiations in Pakistan ended without a deal over the weekend.
"Markets have grown more confident that the Middle East crisis is moving toward a resolution, with the US and Iran arranging a second round of talks, and Tehran seemingly willing to halt shipments to avoid testing the US naval blockade," ING Bank said in a report on Wednesday.
West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 1.2% to $92.35 a barrel before the open, while Brent increased 1.3% to $89.23.
Streaming giant Netflix (NFLX) is scheduled to report its latest financial results after the markets close. Pepsico (PEP), Abbott Laboratories (ABT), Charles Schwab (SCHW), Prologis (PLD), Bank of New York Mellon (BK), US Bancorp (USB) and Travelers (TRV) release their earnings before the bell, among others.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing's (TSM) US-listed stock decreased 1.5% pre-bell after the chipmaker reported its latest financial results. J.B. Hunt Transport Services (JBHT) inclined 1.8% as the company recorded first-quarter results above market expectations.
Hims & Hers Health (HIMS) gained 6.8% after closing the previous trading session up 14%.
Thursday's economic calendar has the weekly jobless claims bulletin at 8:30 am ET, along with the Philadelphia Fed manufacturing index for April. Last month's industrial production report is out at 9:15 am.
Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran is slated to speak at 10:35 am, while New York Fed President John Williams speaks earlier at 8:35 am.
Treasury yields were moving downwards in premarket action, with the two-year rate retreating 1.7 basis points to 3.75% and the 10-year rate off 0.5 basis points to 4.27%.
Gold nudged 0.1% higher to $4,829 per troy ounce, while bitcoin declined 0.7% to $74,459.