12:54 PM EDT, 04/09/2026 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes rose in midday trading on Thursday as a fragile Iran ceasefire deal brokered by Pakistan appears to be largely holding.

The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.6% to 22,775.1, with the S&P 500 up 0.5% to 6,817.7 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average higher by 0.5% to 48,159.6, after staging a strong rally on Wednesday.

All three gauges had opened lower on Thursday, reflecting Israel's Wednesday attacks on Lebanon that, according to Reuters, killed more than 250 people. However, CNN reported that the two-week ceasefire deal appears to be on track, with fewer attacks reported across the Middle East on Thursday.

Further, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tel Aviv will begin talks with Lebanon focused on disarming Hezbollah, a militant group reportedly fighting as Iran's proxy. That statement would allay concerns raised by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who, on Thursday, said Israeli strikes on Lebanon on Wednesday violated the US-Iran truce deal and would render the upcoming peace negotiations in Pakistan meaningless.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures jumped 3.1% to $97.34, after trading more than 7% earlier in the session.

Brent crude futures rose 0.7% to $95.38, after climbing almost 5% intrday.