From Newsgroup: alt.politics.usa

https://www.newsmax.com/finance/streettalk/stocks-s-p-500-dow/2026/05/22/id/1257243/

U.S. stocks rose Friday, with the Dow reaching an intraday
record high, as investors cheered signs of progress in talks
to end the Middle East conflict and a rCistrong corporate
earnings season.

The S&P 500 notched its eighth consecutive weekly gain,
its longest since rCia nine-week streak ended in December 2023.

Semiconductor stocks, which have driven recent Wall Street
gains, were mostly higher. The Philadelphia Semiconductor
Index rose, lifted by gains in Qualcomm, rUawhile Nvidia slipped.

The U.S. has made some progress toward a deal with Iran,
though more work remains, rCiSecretary of State Marco Rubio
said on Friday. IranrCOs foreign ministry spokesman said
differences between the two rUasides remained deep.

"Earnings season looked really good and the economic data,
save a few outliers, looked pretty solid so fundamentally
the picture looks really solid," said James St. Aubin,
chief investment officer at Ocean Park Asset Management
in Santa Monica, California.

"The war rCihas been one major speed bump along the road for
at least the equity market rCibut I think rCithe headlines today
looked encouraging and that was probably helping at the margin."

According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 gained 27.84 points,
or 0.36%, rCito end at 7,473.56 points, while the Nasdaq Composite
gained 50.87 points, or 0.20%, to 26,346.27. The Dow Jones
Industrial Average rose 294.90 points, or 0.59%, to 50,580.56.

. . .

Good bit ... this generates money that will boost
US - including IN-USA - development. That means
more jobs, more security, more good stuff.

What is not addressed so well is "inflation" - of
late due to the Iran war, but Joe made it really
bad even before.

Note gasoline is STILL a bit cheaper than during
most of Biden's term. The Dems are counting on
Americans having VERY VERY short memories here -
"Vote For Us - We Fucked Up Everything Worse !"

. . .

VERY likely Trump IS ready to blast Iran again.
He cleared lots of space on his calendar, which
even included skipping his sons wedding festivities.

Iran has offered a "new" paper - which isn't worth
the paper it's writ on. Oh well, diplomacy has been
more than well served here - time to 4th-world Iran
and NOT apologize.

Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthi and other Iran proxies have
NOT been getting their arms shipments of late. GOOD !
Let's KEEP it that way.

Xi kind of issued a "Who Gives A Shit ?" vibe ... so
Trump can go for it. China can move more into Iran
afterwards ... and based on their treatment of Moslems
in their southwest it won't be very friendly to the
rad Ayatollahs. In this special case I'd RATHER Iran be
managed by China. It'd mellow out the rad Islam
equation quite a bit. China wants Smooth Business, not
fanatics shooting off nukes in every direction.

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