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US Stock Market LIVE Updates: US stocks opened Friday’s session higher after March inflation data largely met expectations, even as energy prices surged sharply. Investors are also watching if upcoming weekend talks can bring more clarity to the fragile Iran ceasefire.The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose about 0.3%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite also gained around 0.3% each at the open.Data released by the Labour Department showed consumer prices rose 0.9% month-on-month in March, while annual inflation stood at 3.3%. Economists had expected a 3.4% yearly rise and a similar monthly increase.The spike in inflation was largely driven by energy costs. The gasoline index alone jumped 21.2%, accounting for nearly three-fourths of the monthly increase. It also marked the sharpest rise in the series since 1967, highlighting how disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz are feeding into prices.More data, including durable goods orders and consumer sentiment, is expected later, which could offer cues on how the economy is holding up.Part of the support has come from easing geopolitical worries. US President Donald Trump has paused military action against Iran for two weeks, giving room for negotiations. But the situation is far from settled. Iran has flagged continued Israeli activity in Lebanon, while Israel has said there is no formal ceasefire in place. Talks over the weekend are expected to offer more clarity.Oil prices have cooled from recent highs but are still elevated. Both Brent and WTI crude are holding below the $100 per barrel mark, as uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz continues to linger.

Treasuries fell as quickening inflation stemming from the US war on Iran — and the prospect of escalation — eroded wagers that the Federal Reserve will lower interest rates once this year.

The rise in yields began in early US trading after the release of consumer prices data for March — the first to reflect the impact of the war. Yields extended their climb to as much as five basis points after midday, after US President Donald Trump threatened to escalate the war if weekend talks failed.

The latest US inflation report is likely to keep interest rate cuts off the Federal Reserve’s agenda in the near term, according to Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley Wealth.

Hogan said the consumer price index (CPI) data delivered a mixed signal for markets. While headline inflation came in broadly in line with expectations, he noted that those forecasts were already elevated due to a recent spike in energy prices.

The brighter spot in the report was core inflation, which excludes food and energy. Hogan said both monthly and annual core readings suggest inflation is still gradually moving in the right direction, helped by easing shelter costs.

However, he cautioned that the broader inflation picture remains too hot for policymakers to begin discussing monetary easing anytime soon.

“This report will keep any rate cuts out of the conversation at the Fed in the near term,” Hogan said.

Markets have been closely watching inflation data for clues on when the central bank may start lowering rates.

Meta’s decision to commit another $21 billion to artificial intelligence cloud infrastructure from CoreWeave has reinforced confidence that demand for AI computing remains strong, according to analysts tracking the sector.

The latest deal makes Meta the largest customer of CoreWeave, adding to an earlier $14.2 billion agreement between the two companies. Analysts say the scale of the fresh commitment highlights Big Tech’s continued willingness to spend heavily on AI infrastructure despite broader market volatility.

Wells Fargo noted that the deal is particularly significant because it marks the first time CoreWeave will deploy Nvidia’s next-generation Vera Rubin AI system in a customer contract. Barclays said the move reinforces CoreWeave’s position at the cutting edge of AI infrastructure deployment.

CoreWeave also announced plans to raise $3 billion in fresh debt, but analysts downplayed concerns, saying the company’s strong contract pipeline and customer demand outweigh worries around additional borrowing. The deal underscores the rapid expansion of AI investment across the technology sector.

US President Donald Trump on Friday renewed his warning to Iran over reports that Tehran may be charging oil tankers fees to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, accusing the country of trying to extort the world through control of a key global shipping route.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Iran must “stop now” if it is imposing transit charges on ships moving through the strategic waterway. He added that Iran’s only leverage was the “short term extortion of the world” through international waterways and claimed the country had “no cards” beyond that.

Trump also said Iran’s survival now depends on its willingness to negotiate.

Despite the sharp rhetoric, financial markets showed little immediate reaction. Both stock markets and oil prices remained largely steady following Trump’s comments.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical oil transit chokepoints, handling a significant share of global crude shipments.

Software stocks extended their sharp decline on Friday, pushing the iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF to its lowest level since November 2023 as investors grow increasingly concerned about the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence on the software industry.

The ETF was down 3% in midday trading at 74.29, taking its two-day loss to 6%. For 2026 so far, the fund has plunged more than 27%, reflecting mounting pressure on software valuations.

Market participants are increasingly worried that advances in AI could disrupt the traditional software-as-a-service (SaaS) business model, forcing companies to rethink pricing, product offerings and long-term growth strategies.

Among individual stocks, Salesforce fell more than 3.5%, making it the top drag on the Dow Jones Industrial Average. ServiceNow dropped over 8%, ranking among the worst performers on the S&P 500, while Datadog declined 5%.

The sell-off highlights growing investor anxiety over how rapidly AI may reshape the technology landscape.

Deutsche Bank believes the recent pullback in gold prices during the ongoing Middle East conflict presents a buying opportunity for investors, arguing that the metal’s long-term outlook remains intact despite short-term volatility.

In a note released Friday, analyst Michael Hsueh said gold’s prospects have been only “temporarily dented” by the war involving Iran and that the broader bullish case for the precious metal remains strong.

The brokerage expects gold to benefit if geopolitical tensions begin to ease, as a softer US dollar and lower interest rate pressures could support fresh gains in bullion prices.

Deutsche Bank has set a second-quarter target of $5,100 per ounce for gold, implying further upside from current levels. According to the bank, such a move would remain within gold’s normal quarterly trading range.

Gold prices have faced pressure in recent sessions amid heightened market volatility, but analysts say investor appetite for safe-haven assets could rebound if macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties persist.

US President Donald Trump on Friday publicly praised data analytics and artificial intelligence firm Palantir Technologies, highlighting the company’s military capabilities despite its stock heading for a sharp weekly decline. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Palantir has demonstrated strong “warfighting capabilities and equipment,” adding, “Just ask our enemies!!!”

The endorsement comes as Palantir is increasingly being viewed by investors as a potential beneficiary of the ongoing conflict involving Iran, given its extensive work with the US military and intelligence agencies. The company has expanded its defence footprint during Trump’s second term, winning fresh government contracts and strengthening ties with the Pentagon.

Palantir CEO Alex Karp has also maintained regular engagement with the administration, signalling closer cooperation despite earlier tensions between the company and Trump allies.

However, investor enthusiasm has remained muted, with Palantir shares down nearly 28% so far this year and on track for a 13% weekly fall despite the presidential backing.

Anthropic PBC agreed to tap data center capacity from CoreWeave Inc. as part of efforts to handle increasing demand for its artificial intelligence services.

The multiyear deal will help Anthropic build and deploy its Claude AI models, CoreWeave said Friday in a statement. The capacity will include a variety of Nvidia Corp. chip architectures at data centers in the US, CoreWeave Chief Executive Officer Michael Intrator said in an interview. The companies declined to disclose the financial terms of the agreement.

CoreWeave shares jumped as much as 15% to $105.90 in New York trading, the biggest intraday gain in more than two months. The stock had closed at $92 in New York on Thursday.

The first inflation snapshot of the war-fueled spike in energy costs matched expectations, driving stocks higher ahead of this weekend’s planned peace talks between the US and Iran.

While consumer prices jumped the most since 2022, core inflation – which is closely watched by the Federal Reserve – was relatively tame. That was enough to put the S&P 500 on pace for its best week since May. Bond yields edged up, but traders kept betting on a rate cut in 2026. Oil hovered near $98.

Separate data showed US consumer sentiment fell in recent weeks to a record low, indicating Americans’ increasing worries about mounting inflation due to the Iran war.

The war in Iran is prompting states across the country to consider temporarily cutting fuel taxes, a relief measure that could cost them millions of dollars.

As war in the Middle East pushes up energy prices, some government officials are advocating for gas tax holidays to try to help consumers struggling with average costs of $4 a gallon, up roughly 30% from a year ago. Even with the US and Iran reaching a fragile ceasefire, drivers are likely to face elevated gas prices for the near future.

Pawn shop owners across the US say they have seen an increase in demand for loans in the past month or so, a sign of just how punishing higher gas prices are for some Americans. “We are making a lot more loans,” said Tim Cassidy, the fourth generation in his family to run Cassidy’s Jewelry & Loan in Stockton, California. “They have to have that gas, they have to get to work.”

Lower-income households spend a larger portion of their wages on fuel than wealthier families, and so are among the first to feel the hit when pump prices go up. The surge — from an average of $2.984 per gallon before the Iran war to $4.166 as of April 8 — has left some without enough cash to fill up their cars or pay for electricity or groceries.

Vista Equity Partners’ credit-investing arm is raising $250 million for a new fund that will buy the beaten-down debt of software companies, seeking to capitalise on recent selloffs tied to concerns over artificial intelligence.

The Vista Tactical Credit Fund will target a mix of private and broadly syndicated loans, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. It will focus primarily on software and technology companies serving the finance, compliance and health-care end-markets, and in particular those with a strong moat against AI disruption, the person said.

At 20:00 IST, WTI crude traded at $97.64, down 0.24%, Brent crude slipped 0.42% to $95.52, and Murban crude declined 1.66% to $97.97, while natural gas fell 0.71% to $2.651.

CoreWeave shares jumped over 4% after the company announced a multi-year partnership with Anthropic.The agreement will see CoreWeave provide cloud infrastructure support for Anthropic’s Claude AI model, enabling it to run workloads more efficiently.The company also highlighted that, following this deal, nine out of 10 AI model providers now use its platforms, underscoring strong demand for its cloud capabilities.US stocks opened higher on Friday, with all the three major indices gaining in early trade, as investors weighed a sharp rise in inflation alongside hopes that fresh talks over the weekend could stabilise the fragile Iran ceasefire.The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose about 0.3%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite also gained around 0.3% each at the open.

US consumer prices rose 0.9% month-on-month in March, in line with expectations, indicating steady inflationary momentum. However, core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, came in softer than expected at 0.2%, suggesting some easing in underlying price pressures.On a yearly basis, headline inflation stood at 3.3%, while core inflation rose 2.6%, pointing to a gradual moderation in price gains.The semiconductor space continues to be at the heart of the AI investment story, offering the most direct way for investors to capitalise on the ongoing transformation. While there are several indirect ways to play the theme, owning chipmakers remains the most straightforward bet on AI growth.Adding to the bullish case, Bank of America analyst Vivek Arya has raised the global semiconductor industry’s 2026 revenue outlook to $1.3 trillion, driven largely by accelerating demand from AI and data centres.Companies such as Nvidia, Broadcom, and Marvell are expected to be key beneficiaries, with gains led by growth in compute, networking, and memory segments.The S&P 500 has climbed back above its crucial 200-day moving average, a key technical level that often signals a shift in market direction and puts bulls back in control.While the move alone isn’t definitive, historical patterns add weight to the breakout. The last time the index slipped below this level in March 2025, it briefly recovered before facing a sharp sell-off in early April. However, once the index reclaimed the 200-day average and successfully retested it from above, it triggered a sustained rally.This time, a similar pattern appears to be unfolding, with the index regaining the level and reinforcing bullish sentiment in the broader market.

At 17:30 IST, WTI crude traded at $98.12, up $0.25 (+0.26%), while Brent crude stood at $96.01, up $0.09 (+0.09%); Murban crude declined to $97.97, down $1.65 (-1.66%), and natural gas fell to $2.649, down $0.021 (-0.79%).NewsLive TVMarketPopular CategoriesCalculatorsTrending NowLet's Connect with CNBCTV 18Network 18 Group :©TV18 Broadcast Limited. All rights reserved.