This photo taken on April 20, 2026, shows the Iranian flag raised on a building damaged by US and Israeli attacks in Tehran, Iran.
Shadati | Xinhua News Agency | Getty Images
Hello, my name is Leonie Kidd and I’m from London. Welcome to another edition of CNBC’s Daily Open.
A single page document has had a huge impact on the market over the past 24 hours. The reported memorandum is the latest development in peace talks between Iran and the US, and despite its size and envisaged scope, has sparked optimism across global equities.
But investors are still choosing to look on the bright side as the major indexes continue their record gains.
What you need to know today
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said it was considering a US peace proposal, following multiple reports on Wednesday suggesting the US and Iranian governments were close to signing a “one-page memorandum of understanding” to end the war and begin talks on key issues.
US President Donald Trump said Iran would be bombed at a “much higher level” if it did not agree to a peace deal. In a post on Truth Social, he said that if Iran “agrees to give what is agreed to, the U.S. offensive known as Operation Epic Fury will end,” which is probably a big assumption.
Oil prices plunged in Wednesday trading following reports that the United States and Iran could reach a deal. Oil prices are currently stable as traders monitor the latest developments in the Middle East.
NBC News reported that two US officials said President Trump’s abrupt reversal of plans to assist ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz came after key allies in the Gulf stopped using US military bases and airspace to carry out operations.
A phone call between President Trump and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman did not resolve the issue, forcing the president to suspend Project Freedom, which restores U.S. military access to critical airspace, two U.S. officials said.
Global stock markets are showing a relieved rebound, and Japanese stock prices are rising significantly. Nikkei Stock Averagewill reopen after a long holiday closure. The index exceeded 62,000 for the first time.
Tech-heavy investment giant SoftBank led the rally after shares soared more than 16% on Thursday, on track for its best day since 2020.
On the other hand, this is a good problem for Anthropic. CEO Dario Amodei said the company is planning for 10x growth. But revenue and usage in the first quarter increased 80x on an annualized basis, which explains why it’s so difficult to keep up with demand, he says.
“That’s why we’re having trouble with computing,” Amodei said Wednesday at the company’s developer conference in San Francisco. Amodei added that the company is working to provide “more” capacity as soon as possible and will “get that compute into our customers as quickly as possible.”
In Europe today, big shipping companies earn a lot of money. maerskinvestors are focused on the impact of the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz disruption. Squawk Box Europe speaks to the CEO.
— Leonie Kidd
And finally…
McDonald’s will soon announce its financial results. Here’s what you can expect
McDonald’s is expected to report first-quarter results before the bell on Thursday.
In March, McDonald’s and CEO Chris Kempczinski’s taste test of the new Archburger went viral, with viewers deemed it less than enthusiastic. Despite the ridicule from rivals and social media users, Wall Street still predicted a strong quarter for the fast food giant.
— Amelia Lucas
