Yesterday, equity indices posted strong gains. The S&P 500 rose by 1.79%, and the Nasdaq 100 jumped by 2.59%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average strengthened by 1.71%.

Global indices moved to fresh record levels as investors renewed their bets on the AI theme, driving chip stocks higher. The MSCI All-Country World index gained about 0.4% and is currently heading for another record close, while the MSCI Asia-Pacific benchmark jumped by 2.2%. Australian markets also hit highs. The move followed Tuesday's record closes for the S&P 500 and Dow Jones.

Oil and the dollar fell on prospects of a tentative US–Iran deal. Brent eased by 0.8% to roughly $78.75/bbl after Axios reported Washington, Tehran, and Oman are close to an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with an announcement expected on Wednesday. Treasuries and gold rallied as traders pared back Fed-hike expectations.

The chip sector was again centre stage, with a mixed picture across names. SK Hynix surged by about 6.7% in Seoul, Nvidia rose by roughly 2.2% in after-hours trade after Elon Musk praised the company's Vera Rubin chips. Caution remained: SpaceX shares fell by 7.5% after the company guided to higher-than-expected AI-related spending, and Advanced Micro Devices tumbled by roughly 9% on a disappointing sales outlook.

Tech results over the past week show that capex on AI will continue to accelerate — a source of encouragement for investors, particularly because valuations now look more reasonable after the recent correction. If the first phase of the AI rally was driven by chips, the next phase may increasingly belong to platforms that actually deploy the technology. Strong earnings also reassure investors that demand for AI is intact, while lower oil and yields ease pressure on multiples.

Regarding geopolitics, a US–Iran deal would help normalize commercial traffic through the critical Strait of Hormuz and reduce the risk of renewed Middle East hostilities. That would be positive for the Fed's calculus and for interest rate dynamics, supporting equities over time.

Technically, the S&P 500 daily chart shows that the immediate task for buyers is to overcome the nearest resistance level of $7,774. Doing so would confirm further upside and open the path to $7,793. Holding above $7,810 would further strengthen bulls' positions. On the downside, buyers need to defend $7,756. A break below that level would likely push the index back to $7,737 and open the way to $7,718.