04:21 PM EDT, 05/22/2026 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes rose this week after crude oil prices declined and Iran peace talks progressed, helping restrain a surge in government bond yields.

* The S&P 500 closed at 7,473.47 on Friday versus 7,408.50 a week ago. The Nasdaq Composite stood at 26,343.97, compared with 26,225.15 a week earlier. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended at 50,579.70, versus 49,526.17 at the end of last week.

* Utilities, health care, and real estate led the gainers this week, according to data compiled by Finviz. The communication services sector was the steepest decliner.

* A Qatari negotiating team arrived in Tehran on Friday in coordination with the US to help secure a deal to end the war, Reuters reported, citing a source with knowledge of the matter. Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir is headed to Tehran to help mediate a settlement, Al Jazeera reported Friday.

* While there are "good signs" that an agreement to end the conflict is in sight, any deal would be "unfeasible" if Iran pursues measures to permanently control the Strait of Hormuz, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday, according to CNBC. The US plans to seize Tehran's stockpile of enriched uranium as part of peace negotiations, President Donald Trump reportedly said Thursday.

* West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures traded below $96 a barrel after having started this week at around $107.

* The US 30-year Treasury yield, which climbed to as high as 5.18% on Wednesday, the highest since the global financial crisis, traded at around 5.06% on Friday. Similarly, the 10-year yield retreated from its strongest level since January 2025 of 4.67%, headed for a close at around 4.56% on Friday.

* A majority of FOMC participants appear to be leaning away from rate cuts for now and were open to the possibility of rate increases, minutes of the April 28-29 meeting released Wednesday showed.