NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks closed sharply higher on Monday, powered by a powerful rally in technology shares, as investors returned from the weekend with renewed appetite for risk following U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of a deal with Iran. All three major benchmarks posted solid gains, with the Nasdaq Composite leading the charge.

The NASDAQ Composite surged 3.07 percent to finish the session at 26,683.94. Trading volume on the Nasdaq reached 8.494 billion shares, reflecting strong participation across tech-heavy names.

The Standard and Poor's 500 advanced 1.66 percent to close at a new record high of 7,554.53. The index traded within a daily range of 7,516.75 to 7,577.92, with total volume of 3.286 billion shares. The latest closing level sits just shy of the index's all-time intraday peak of 7,620.90.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average also finished higher, adding 469.57 points, or 0.92 percent, to end the day at 51,671.83. The Dow moved between 51,364.55 and 51,945.89 during the session, with volume totaling 495.251 million shares. The Dow's record intraday high remains at 51,945.89.

NORTH OF THE BORDER

Canada's benchmark S&P/TSX Composite index closed in positive territory as well, rising 0.97 percent to 35,275.64. Trading volume on the TSX came in at 289.771 million shares, as energy and financial stocks contributed to the advance.

MARKET DRIVERS

Monday's rally appeared broad-based, but technology shares were the undisputed leaders, propelling the Nasdaq to a gain of more than three percent on the day. Analysts pointed to easing concerns over interest rates and continued optimism around artificial intelligence and semiconductor stocks.

With the S&P 500 and Dow both hovering near all-time highs, investors now look ahead to midweek economic data, including consumer confidence figures and revised GDP numbers, for further direction.

FOREX MARKET UPDATE: U.S. dollar slips as Washington and Tehran agree on 60-day truce

The latest foreign exchange quotes for Monday show a weakened performance by the U.S. dollar against major currencies, with investors betting on an end to the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, declining oil prices and retreating bond yields.

The euro edged higher against the greenback, with EUR-USD last trading at 1.1593, a gain of 0.22 percent from the previous close. The pair also benefited from slightly better-than-expected sentiment data out of Germany.

Against the Japanese yen, the dollar advanced marginally. USD-JPY was quoted at 160.30, up 0.04 percent, as U.S. Treasury yields held steady.

Sterling continued its recent firm tone. GBP-USD rose to 1.3417, an increase of 0.08 percent, supported by expectations that the Bank of England will keep interest rates higher for longer compared to the Federal Reserve.

The Australian dollar was one of the session's stronger performers. AUD-USD climbed to 0.7074, gaining 0.38 percent, lifted by rising iron ore prices and risk appetite in Asian trading.

The U.S. dollar inched higher against its Canadian counterpart. USD-CAD reached 1.3985, up 0.02 percent, as oil prices gave back some early gains.

Finally, the Swiss franc improved. USD-CHF traded at 0.7943, dipping 0.35 percent.

GLOBAL MARKETS CLOSE: Asia Leads Gains as Seoul and Tokyo Surge; Europe Mixed

World stock markets closed Monday with sharp regional divergences, as Asian bourses posted powerful gains while European indexes finished mixed. Investors reacted to a flurry of corporate earnings, interest rate expectations, and sector rotation.

ASIA RALLIES

The KOSPI Composite Index in Seoul was the day's standout performer, soaring 5.20 percent to close at 8,545.98, driven by tech and battery stocks. Japan's Nikkei 225 followed closely, jumping 4.99 percent to end at 69,317.50. Taiwan's TWSE Capitalization Weighted Stock Index climbed 2.78 percent to 45,396.99.

Greater China markets were positive as well. The SSE Composite Index in Shanghai added 1.61 percent to close at 4,096.47. Hong Kong's HANG SENG INDEX gained 0.50 percent to 24,842.67.

Australia also saw strong buying interest. The S&P/ASX 200 gained 1.25 percent to 8,914.00, while the broader ALL ORDINARIES added 1.35 percent to finish at 9,128.00.

In Southeast Asia, the IDX Composite in Jakarta surged 4.12 percent to 6,254.97. Singapore's STI Index rose 1.02 percent to 5,077.29, and Malaysia's FTSE Bursa KLCI advanced 0.46 percent to 1,691.39.

India's S&P BSE SENSEX rose 0.97 percent to 76,264.33.

New Zealand bucked the regional trend: the S&P/NZX 50 fell 0.25 percent to 13,360.59.

EUROPE DIVERGES

European markets finished mixed. Frankfurt's DAX P led gainers, climbing 1.05 percent to 24,894.01. The EURO STOXX 50 I added 0.68 percent to 6,229.43, and Paris's CAC 40 rose 0.40 percent to 8,384.01.

However, London's FTSE 100 slipped 0.39 percent to 10,430.62, while the Euronext 100 Index dipped 0.18 percent to 1,912.33. Brussels' BEL 20 fell 0.93 percent to 5,683.73.

MIDDLE EAST

In the Middle East, Israel's TA-125 dropped 2.34 percent to 4,191.81. In Egypt, the EGX 30 Price Return Index closed up 0.60 percent at 52,306.70.

SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa's Top 40 USD Net TRI Index posted a strong gain of 3.41 percent, closing at 7,143.88.

Trading volumes were generally steady, with Egypt recording 546.61 million shares traded. Shanghai saw 3.466 billion shares change hands.

(This report incorporates quotes retrieved with the assistance of artificial intelligence).

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