By Aaron McDade

Stock futures are rising this morning after another record-setting session on Thursday amid hopes for a deal to end the Iran war; oil prices are sliding after President Trump once again expressed confidence in a possible agreement with Iran, while a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect; Netflix shares are tumbling after the streaming giant issued a disappointing revenue outlook and co-founder Reed Hastings announced plans to leave the company's board; Oracle shares have gained nearly 30% so far this week and are pointing higher again this morning; and a busy week of bank earnings is closing with results from several smaller financial institutions today. Here's what you need to know today.

Stock Futures Rise After S&P 500, Nasdaq Set New Highs

Stocks are poised to open higher Friday as the market wraps up a strong week fueled by optimism about a potential peace deal in the Middle East and the outlook for corporate earnings. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 0.5% recently, while those tied to the S&P 500 and Nasdaq added 0.3%. The benchmark S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq closed at record highs in each of the last two sessions. The Nasdaq enters Friday on a 12-session winning streak as investors have once again grown optimistic about AI-fueled growth. Crude oil prices were down 4% (more on that below), while gold futures held steady at around $4,800 an ounce. Bitcoin was at $75,500, down from an overnight high of $76,400 and trading at its highest levels since early February. The yield on the 1-year Treasury, which affects borrowing costs on a wide range of loans, ticked lower to 4.30%.

Oil Prices Fall as Investors Track Middle East Developments

Crude oil prices are losing ground following news of a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon and the latest comments from President Donald Trump about the prospects for negotiations to end the Iran war. West Texas Intermediate futures were down 4.2% at $90.75 per barrel recently, while Brent futures, the international standard, dropped 3.5%. Israel has been fighting with the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, but Israel and the Lebanese government agreed to a 10-day ceasefire yesterday. The truce could be tested by the fact that Hezbollah is not directly controlled by the Lebanese government, as the group has said it will keep a close eye on Israeli forces to make sure they don't violate the ceasefire, The New York Times reported. Pakistani officials are still trying to moderate the conflict between the U.S. and Iran and set up a second round of negotiations before reaching the end of the current two-week ceasefire next Wednesday, per The Associated Press. Trump, meanwhile, said the U.S. was "very close to making a deal" with Iran.

Netflix Stock Sinks on Weak Outlook, News That Co-Founder Is Leaving

Netflix (NFLX) shares are sinking ahead of the opening bell after the streaming giant reported first-quarter earnings last night. Even though the results came in above estimates, a lower-than-expected revenue growth forecast for the second quarter and news that co-founder Reed Hastings is leaving the company are dragging on the stock. The company announced that Hastings will not run for re-election to Netflix's board of directors when his current term expires in June, as the former CEO plans to depart the company to focus on his philanthropic efforts. Netflix shares were down more than 10% recently.

Oracle Stock On Track to Post Best Week in Months

Oracle (ORCL) shares are pointing higher once again this morning, as the stock gets set to close out a week of massive gains. Through Thursday's close, shares of the cloud computing giant had gained 29% so far this week, jumping to their highest point in nearly three months. The stock has been boosted by the rally lifting tech stocks broadly this week, along with new agreements to power its growing network of data centers and the launch of new AI agent software products. The stock was up roughly 2% in recent premarket trading.

More Banks Round Out Busy Week of Earnings

A busy week of earnings reports from banks continued on Friday, with Truist Financial Corp. (TFC), Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB), State Street (STT), Regions Financial (RF) and Ally Financial (ALLY) all reporting results. Big banks largely posted solid results this week, with executives touting a "resilient" U.S. economy in the first quarter. However, many of those same executives, including JPMorgan Chase's (JPM) Jamie Dimon, warned of of risks that could threaten that resiliency, such as high fuel prices and rising inflation caused by the Iran war.

READ: Stock Futures Point Higher as Market Set to Wrap Up Big Week of Gains

Source: Investopedia