{"id":63400,"date":"2026-06-18T17:08:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T21:08:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-surge-on-u-s-iran-peace-deal-and-semiconductor-breakthroughs\/63400\/"},"modified":"2026-06-18T17:08:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T21:08:14","slug":"global-markets-surge-on-u-s-iran-peace-deal-and-semiconductor-breakthroughs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-surge-on-u-s-iran-peace-deal-and-semiconductor-breakthroughs\/63400\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Markets Surge on U.S.-Iran Peace Deal and Semiconductor Breakthroughs"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>U.S. equities rallied sharply<\/strong> following news of a potential permanent truce with Iran, with the <strong>Nasdaq 100 jumping 2.5%<\/strong> and the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/indices\/sp500\/today\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"snp500 today\">S&amp;P 500<\/a> gaining 1.1%<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Intel (<a href=\"\/stock\/INTC\">INTC<\/a>) shares surged<\/strong> after President Trump announced a strategic partnership with Apple (<a href=\"\/stock\/AAPL\">AAPL<\/a>) for domestic semiconductor production.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/energy\/crude-oil\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"12\" title=\"Crude oil\">Oil prices<\/a> plummeted<\/strong> as the U.S.-Iran agreement eased concerns over the Strait of Hormuz, reducing global energy supply risks and inflation fears.<\/li>\n<li><strong>MSCI flagged significant accessibility issues<\/strong> in South Korea and Indonesia, citing currency constraints and opaque shareholding structures.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Foreign holdings of U.S. Treasuries rose in April<\/strong>, led by increased buying from Japan and the United Kingdom.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Geopolitical Breakthrough Drives Market Optimism<\/h2>\n<p>U.S. stocks recorded significant gains on Thursday as the White House briefed lawmakers on a landmark peace agreement with Iran. The deal aims for a <strong>permanent truce within 60 days<\/strong>, with Iran agreeing to invite IAEA inspectors to its nuclear facilities. This development significantly boosted investor confidence by ensuring the <strong>Strait of Hormuz remains open<\/strong>, effectively easing global energy supply concerns.<\/p>\n<p>As a result of the diplomatic progress, <strong>oil prices &quot;dropped like a rock,&quot;<\/strong> according to President Trump. The decline in energy costs has led investors to bet that inflationary pressures will subside. This shift in sentiment suggests the <strong>Federal Reserve<\/strong> may be more likely to keep interest rates unchanged rather than pursuing further hikes in the near term.<\/p>\n<h2>Semiconductor Sector Hits Record Highs<\/h2>\n<p>Technology stocks led the broader market rally, fueled by major leadership and partnership announcements at Intel (<a href=\"\/stock\/INTC\">INTC<\/a>). President Trump confirmed that Intel would partner with Apple (<a href=\"\/stock\/AAPL\">AAPL<\/a>) on <strong>domestic semiconductor design and production<\/strong>. This news pushed a key semiconductor index to a record high as investors cheered the move toward U.S.-based manufacturing.<\/p>\n<p>Intel (<a href=\"\/stock\/INTC\">INTC<\/a>) also announced a major internal restructuring, appointing <strong>Seok-Hee Lee<\/strong> as Executive Vice President of Intel Foundry. The company is establishing <strong>Advanced Packaging as a standalone business<\/strong> to compete more aggressively with global rivals. Naga Chandrasekaran will remain EVP of Intel Foundry to ensure continuity across technology development and manufacturing operations.<\/p>\n<h2>Emerging Markets Face MSCI Scrutiny<\/h2>\n<p>In its 2026 Global Market Accessibility Review, MSCI highlighted persistent hurdles for investors in Asian markets. The index provider stated that <strong>South Korea still lacks a fully deliverable offshore currency market<\/strong>, with underlying accessibility issues remaining unresolved. These constraints continue to impact the country&#39;s standing in global equity benchmarks.<\/p>\n<p>Indonesia faced even harsher criticism, as MSCI <strong>downgraded its &quot;Information Flow&quot; criterion<\/strong>. The firm cited concerns over <strong>limited shareholding transparency<\/strong> and signs of &quot;coordinated trading behavior&quot; that undermine price formation. Meanwhile, Bulgaria was notably excluded from the 2026 accessibility review report released today.<\/p>\n<h2>Corporate and Macroeconomic Developments<\/h2>\n<p>Meta Platforms (<a href=\"\/stock\/META\">META<\/a>) has reportedly struck new AI computing deals with data center firm <strong>Crusoe<\/strong> to bolster its infrastructure capabilities. This move comes as the White House and Anthropic work to develop a new <strong>AI security framework<\/strong> featuring benchmarks for &quot;jailbreak resistance.&quot; In a related move, former AI policy official Dean Ball is set to join OpenAI.<\/p>\n<p>On the macroeconomic front, Treasury yields fell as data showed <strong>foreign holdings of U.S. Treasuries rose in April<\/strong>. Japan and the UK led the increase in holdings, signaling continued international demand for U.S. debt. Separately, the EU renewed <strong>sectoral sanctions against Russia for an additional 12 months<\/strong>, maintaining economic pressure on Moscow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways U.S. equities rallied sharply following news of a potential permanent truce with Iran, with the Nasdaq 100 jumping 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