* Indexes up: Dow 0.60%, S&P 500 0.88%, Nasdaq 1.41%

* BlackRock ( BLK ) gains after profit rises

* Wells Fargo ( WFC ) falls after results, Citi hits highest

since 2008

* United, American Airlines ( AAL ) climb after merger pitch

(Updates with late morning trading)

By Niket Nishant and Avinash P

April 14 (Reuters) - Wall Street's main indexes advanced

on Tuesday after reports of fresh efforts to ease the Middle

East conflict boosted sentiment, while traders also assessed a

spate of corporate earnings.

Delegations from the U.S. and Iran could resume talks in

Pakistan to end the war this week, sources told Reuters. U.S.

President Donald Trump also said Iran wanted to make a deal.

The market has been sensitive to developments in the region,

with even tentative signs of an off-ramp sufficient to encourage

investors eager for positive news.

"The shift in the U.S.-Iran conflict from missiles to words

leaves markets hoping for a beginning to the end of the war,"

said Bob Savage, head of markets macro strategy at BNY.

At 11:26 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average

rose 290.36 points, or 0.60%, to 48,508.61. The S&P 500

gained 60.15 points, or 0.88%, to 6,946.39, and the Nasdaq

Composite jumped 326.91 points, or 1.41%, to 23,510.64.

The S&P 500 was on track to recoup all its losses

since the start of the war, while the Nasdaq 100 was set

for a 10-day winning streak, its longest since 2021.

Still, any hint of a re-escalation in hostilities could

quickly derail the rally, especially as concerns about the

economic impact of the war persist.

The International Monetary Fund cut its global growth

outlook on Tuesday.

Commentary from several Federal Reserve policymakers will

also be closely watched through the day for insight into how the

central bank is assessing the impact of the U.S.-Iran war.

EARNINGS OFFER DIRECTION

In addition to geopolitics, investors are taking cues from a

busy slate of quarterly earnings to guide their positioning.

"The earnings season will help investors shift their focus

from the macro to the micro," said Art Hogan, chief ​market

strategist at B Riley Wealth.

BlackRock ( BLK ) gained 4.2% after the asset manager

reported a rise in first-quarter profit, helped by strong

inflows into its exchange-traded funds and a sharp increase in

performance fees.

Citigroup ( C ) rose 1.5% and hit its highest in nearly two

decades after beating first-quarter profit estimates, while

Johnson & Johnson ( JNJ ) added 1.4% after reporting earnings.

JPMorgan ( JPM ) inched 0.6% lower following its

first-quarter results, while Wells Fargo ( WFC ) declined 4.8%

after interest income fell short of market expectations.

The S&P's financial sector edged 0.3% higher.

Software stocks rose 1.4%, logging their biggest

two-day gains since May last year.

Among other stock movers, United Airlines and

American Airlines ( AAL ) rose 4% and 8.9%, respectively.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby pitched a potential merger

with American Airlines ( AAL ) to Trump in late February, two sources

said, raising the prospect of a deal that could reshape the

industry.

Shares of Globalstar ( GSAT ) jumped 10.1% after Amazon.com ( AMZN )

agreed to buy the satellite company.

Separately, data on Tuesday showed that U.S. producer prices

increased less than expected in March as the cost of services

was unchanged.

Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 2.61-to-1 ratio

on the NYSE and by a 2.4-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.

The S&P 500 posted 18 new 52-week highs and one new low,

while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 109 new highs and 29 new

lows.