08:49 AM EDT, 06/18/2026 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates with economic data, recent oil price movement, world markets' overview and corporate stock movements.)

US equity futures were higher pre-bell Thursday after the US and Iran digitally signed an agreement aimed at ending the war in the Middle East.

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were 0.5% higher, S&P 500 futures were up 0.8%, and Nasdaq futures were 1.6% higher.

President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian digitally signed a memorandum of understanding targeting a permanent peace deal to end the war between the US and Iran. Amid criticism that Iran came out with the better end of the deal, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that people thinking he was not tough enough on the Middle Eastern nation were "either jealous, bad people, or stupid."

All three major US stock indexes ended lower on Wednesday after Federal Reserve officials signaled a potential rate hike by the end of 2026 as inflation remains elevated.

Traders observed the latest round of earnings, with Accenture ( ACN ) posting higher fiscal Q3 earnings and revenue.

Oil prices were lower, with front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent crude down 1.3% at $78.52 per barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude 2.1% lower at $75.22 per barrel.

The weekly jobless claims bulletin showed 226,000 new unemployment claims for the week ended June 13, compared with the upwardly adjusted 230,000 figure in the prior week and above the 225,000 expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg. The Philadelphia Federal Reserve's monthly manufacturing index rose to 10.3 in June from negative 0.4 in May, compared with expectations for a smaller increase to a reading of 10.0.

In other world markets, Japan's Nikkei closed 1.7% higher, Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended 1.6% lower, and China's Shanghai Composite finished 0.4% lower. Meanwhile, the UK's FTSE 100 was down 1.1%, and Germany's DAX index was 00% lower in Europe's early afternoon session.

In equities, Intel ( INTC ) shares were up 9% after President Donald Trump said Apple ( AAPL ) has "agreed to work with Intel ( INTC ) to design and build its Chips in America." Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing's ( TSM ) stock was up 1.6% after a Nikkei Asia report cited chief operating officer Chris Koopmans as saying that Marvell Technology ( MRVL ) plans to adopt the company's 1.4-nanometer process for future chips. Broadcom ( AVGO ) shares were up 3.2% after the company said increased the maximum amount it will spend on its debt buyback program to $3 billion from $2.5 billion due to the strong participation.

On the losing side, Accenture ( ACN ) shares dropped 16% after the company reported its fiscal Q3 financial results. Kroger ( KR ) stock was down 4.7% after the company posted higher fiscal Q1 adjusted earnings and revenue.