02:22 PM EDT, 04/06/2026 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes were mostly higher intraday and oil prices rose as investors evaluated the prospects of a ceasefire in the Middle East.

The Nasdaq Composite was up 0.2% at 21,923.5 after midday Monday, while the S&P 500 rose 0.1% to 6,590.2. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was almost steady at 46,514.2. Among sectors, communication services paced the gainers, while materials saw the biggest drop.

The US equity market was closed April 3 for the Good Friday holiday.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil was up 2.4% at $114.22 a barrel intraday Monday.

A new proposal for a temporary US ceasefire with Iran is "significant," but "not good enough," CNBC reported Monday, citing President Donald Trump.

Separately, CNN reported, citing a White House official, that Trump has not endorsed a proposal calling for a temporary ceasefire that would fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has reportedly rejected a ceasefire. Trump reiterated threats to attack bridges and power plants in Iran, after Israel said it struck a key petrochemical complex in Tehran, according to CNN.

"War escalation risk remains high into the next few weeks," Wells Fargo Investment Institute said in a note to clients Monday. "Oil prices spilling into higher transportation and fertilizer prices heighten the economic challenges for global economies that rely on energy imports."

JPMorgan ( JPM ) Chief Executive Jamie Dimon said Monday that supply disruptions caused by the Iran war could keep inflation and interest rates higher than expected.

US Treasury yields were little changed intraday, with the 10- and two-year rates at 4.34% and 3.85%, respectively.

In economic news, US services sector growth slowed more than expected in March, with the price measure reaching its highest level in more than three years amid elevated oil and fuel costs due to the ongoing Middle East conflict, the Institute for Supply Management said.

"With employment softening and inflation pressures flaring up again, the data suggest slower growth alongside sticky price pressures," BMO Capital Markets said in a note. "This keeps the (Federal Reserve) in a difficult position and reinforces the case for patience."

On Friday, official data showed that the US economy added 178,000 jobs in March, more than double the 65,000 increase expected in a Bloomberg-compiled survey.

The stronger-than-expected report allays labor market concerns that may have arisen following February's weak data, allowing the Fed to stay put as it assesses the economic impact of the Iran war, economists said.

In company news, Seagate Technology ( STX ) shares were up 5.7% intraday Monday, the top gainer on the S&P 500, as Morgan Stanley raised its price target on the stock to $582 from $468.

Neurocrine Biosciences ( NBIX ) agreed to acquire Soleno Therapeutics ( SLNO ) in a deal worth $2.9 billion. Soleno shares jumped 32%, while Neurocrine fell 0.5%.

Invesco ( IVZ ) was the second-worst performer on the S&P 500, down 5.5%, as Goldman Sachs lowered its price target on the company's stock to $27 from $30.

Gold was up 0.1% at $4,683.10 per troy ounce, while silver fell 0.1% to $72.83 per ounce.