Market Highlights

Wall Street traders drove stocks higher as oil closed below $100 after Israel agreed to direct talks with Lebanon, bolstering expectations that a US ceasefire deal will hold. Equities extended gains into a seventh straight day, with the S&P 500 notching its longest winning run since October. That’s despite a selloff in software shares. US crude settled near $98 on hopes for a de-escalation in strikes that have prompted Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz largely blocked. Asian stocks rose, extending their firstweekly gain since the Middle East war began, with investors cautiously hopeful ahead of US-Iran talks this weekend. Oil was set for its biggest weekly loss in nine months