April’s market rebound: earnings power, AI optimism, and energy prices

Markets finished April with a rebound: the S&P 500 rose more than 10% to a series of records and the Nasdaq climbed about 15%, helped by solid corporate profits and optimism around AI, even as oil spiked above $100 a barrel and bond yields rose. The Fed kept rates steady, with traders pricing in a hold into 2027. But a longer Iran war could revive inflation and slow growth, keeping risk in the mix as energy costs stay elevated.