NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks fell Thursday as hopes for a negotiated end to the Iran war faded. Iran's Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf resigned from the country's negotiating team, according to Israel N12News. The report was later denied by Iran.

Ghalibaf, who recently said there are no radicals or moderates in Iran, claiming they are all "Iranian" and "revolutionary," has been a key member of Iran's negotiating team. The difficulty Iran has, and the United States too, is that Israel has assassinated all the country's leaders, and their likely replacements, even the more moderate leaders who could have played a major role in negotiating an outcome.

U.S. stock markets ended Thursday's session in negative territory, led by a sharp decline in technology shares. The Nasdaq Composite suffered the heaviest losses, while the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average also posted modest declines. Canada's benchmark index edged lower in a more muted performance.

The Standard and Poor's 500 fell 29.50 points to close at 7,108.40, a drop of 0.41 percent. Trading volume for the broad-market index reached 3.202 billion shares. The index traded within a range of 7,046.55 and 7,147.78, remaining well above its 52-week low of 5,371.96 but slightly off its peak of 7,147.78.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 179.71 points to finish at 49,310.32, a decline of 0.36 percent. Blue-chip volume came in at 452.046 million shares. The Dow fluctuated between an intraday low of 48,861.31 and a high of 49,522.94, staying within its 52-week range of 39,371.87 to 50,512.79.

The Nasdaq Composite underperformed its counterparts, plunging 219.06 points to end the day at 24,438.50, a loss of 0.89 percent. The tech-heavy index saw the highest turnover among the major US benchmarks, with 6.584 billion shares changing hands. The selloff was broad-based, with software, semiconductor, and megacap internet names pacing the decline.

Market participants attributed the selloff to a combination of profit-taking following recent record highs and renewed concerns about interest rates, following comments from Federal Reserve officials suggesting that policy may need to remain restrictive for longer than previously anticipated. The tech sector, which has led much of this year's rally, was particularly vulnerable to rising bond yields.

U.S. Dollar Gains Ground Against Major Peers as Risk Appetite Fades; Kiwi and Aussie Lead Losses

The U.S. dollar traded firmly higher against most major currencies in the latest session, capitalizing on a shift in risk sentiment that weighed heavily on commodity-linked currencies. The New Zealand dollar and Australian dollar suffered the steepest declines, while the euro and British pound also lost ground against a resurgent greenback.

The euro struggled for traction, with the EUR/USD pair sliding 0.001835 to trade at 1.16867. The move represented a decline of 0.16 percent from the open, as the single currency faced resistance after peaking at 1.17165 earlier in the session. The pair traded in a range between 1.1716 and a low of 1.1669.

Sterling saw a sharper drop, with GBP/USD falling 0.003250 to 1.3468, a loss of 0.24 percent. The British pound opened at 1.3501 and briefly touched a high of 1.3518 before sliding to a session low of 1.3447. Traders cited concerns over the UK economic outlook following weaker-than-expected service sector data.

The Japanese yen remained under pressure, as USD/JPY advanced 0.2185 to 159.69, gaining 0.14 percent. The dollar-yen pair oscillated between a low of 159.29 and a high of 159.84, reflecting the continued interest rate differential between the Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan.

Against the Swiss franc, the dollar also posted gains. USD/CHF climbed 0.001510 to 0.7862, an increase of 0.19 percent. The pair traded in a wide band from 0.7832 to 0.7873, with the dollar holding firm throughout most of the session.

The U.S. dollar extended its winning streak against the Canadian dollar, with USD/CAD rising 0.002250 to 1.36944, a gain of 0.16 percent. The loonie was pressured by falling crude oil prices, with the pair hitting a high of 1.37143 before settling just below that level.

Commodity currencies were the clear underperformers. The Australian dollar tumbled 0.002705 against its U.S. counterpart, with AUD/USD falling to 0.7133, a decline of 0.38 percent. The pair opened at 0.7161 and touched an intraday high of 0.7166 before sliding to a low of 0.7111 amid risk-off flows.

The New Zealand dollar suffered the heaviest losses of the major currency pairs. NZD/USD dived 0.004590 to 0.5858, representing a sharp drop of 0.78 percent. The kiwi opened at 0.5903 and briefly rallied to a high of 0.5923, but then reversed course dramatically to hit a session low of 0.5840, its weakest level in recent weeks.

Analysts attributed the weakness in the Antipodean currencies to a combination of falling commodity prices, particularly iron ore and dairy, along with broader risk aversion stemming from concerns over global growth. The U.S. dollar's safe-haven appeal was also boosted by remarks from Federal Reserve officials signaling no imminent rush to cut interest rates.

Global Stock Markets: Woes Weigh on Canada, UK, and Asia; European Benchmarks Show Resilience

Global stock markets concluded Tuesday's trading session with a mixed performance, as Asian indices suffered broad losses driven by lingering concerns over economic headwinds, while some European bourses managed to eke out gains. Investors continue to digest a complex web of interest rate expectations and geopolitical risks.

In Europe, the CAC 40 was a notable standout, climbing 70.89 points to close at 8,227.32, a gain of 0.87 percent. The Paris index shrugged off regional weakness after a positive session for luxury and consumer goods names, while Germany's DAX P fell 39.45 points to 24,155.45, a loss of 0.16 percent. The pan-European EURO STOXX 50 I also dropped 11.49 points to end at 5,894.73, falling 0.19 percent, and the Euronext 100 Index closed 3.03 points lower at 1,810.88, a decrease of 0.17 percent. Bucking the trend, Belgium's BEL 20 added 5.24 points to finish at 5,392.03, up 0.10 percent.

In London, the FTSE 100 slipped 19.45 points to 10,457.01, a decline of 0.19 percent.

In Canada, the S&P/TSX Composite Index posted a relatively resilient performance, dipping just 42.18 points to 33,912.93, a marginal loss of 0.12 percent. Volume on the Toronto exchange reached 254.501 million shares. The TSX was supported by strength in energy and financials, which helped offset weakness in mining and technology names.

Asian markets faced a tough session. Hong Kong's HANG SENG INDEX tumbled 248.04 points to 25,915.20, a drop of 0.95 percent, pressured by weak technology and property stocks. Singapore's STI Index slid 58.61 points to 4,944.11, falling 1.17 percent. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 declined 50.20 points to 8,793.40, a loss of 0.57 percent, while the ALL ORDINARIES dropped 50.20 points to settle at 9,024.20, off 0.55 percent.

In India, the S&P BSE SENSEX posted a significant loss, diving 852.49 points to 77,664.00, a decline of 1.09 percent amid broad-based selling. Indonesia's IDX COMPOSITE was the session's biggest decliner among major indices, plunging 163.01 points to 7,378.61, or 2.16 percent.

In Japan on Thursday, the Nikkei 225 also ended lower, dropping 445.63 points to 59,140.23, a decrease of 0.75 percent. South Korea's KOSPI Composite Index provided a rare bright spot in Asia, adding 57.88 points to close at 6,475.81, an increase of 0.90 percent.

Elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI rose 11.31 points to 1,721.70, up 0.66 percent, while New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 INDEX GROSS fell 60.67 points to 12,884.93, a loss of 0.47 percent. Taiwan's TWSE Capitalization Weighted Stock Index slipped 164.32 points to 37,714.15, down 0.43 percent, and China's SSE Composite Index gave up 13.01 points to finish at 4,093.25, a marginal decline of 0.32 percent on volume of 2.692 billion shares.

In the Middle East and Africa on Thursday, Israel's TA-125 was virtually unchanged, adding just 0.18 points to end at 4,328.05, a flat performance of 0.00 percent. Egypt's EGX 30 Price Return Index advanced 413.00 points to 52,375.40, rallying 0.79 percent on turnover of 888.724 million shares. South Africa's Top 40 USD Net TRI Index, however, fell 114.69 points to 7,084.43, a decline of 1.59 percent.

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

Related stories:

Wednesday 22 April 2026 | Wall Street bucks global trend, major indices advance | Big News Network.com

Tuesday 21 April 2026 | Looming end to ceasefire keeps lid on U.S. stocks Tuesday | Big News Network.com

Monday 20 April 2026 | U.S. stocks edge lower as fears linger about Iran | Big News Network.com