Stocks were mixed on Monday, as an early across-the-board bounce for the main equity indexes softened during the second half of the trading session. There's renewed optimism about peace in the Persian Gulf, though investors, traders and speculators remain cautious about the AI trade.

According to Axios , President Donald Trump told Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he's open to diplomacy as a way out of the stalemate in the Middle East. In a separate but related development, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) said Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has permitted Iran's government to engage in peace negotiations.

The front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures contract declined 8% to $95.84 per barrel, while Treasury yields were mixed, with the 2-year (+1.3 basis points, 4.594%) ticking higher, but the 10-year (-2.5 bps, 4.904%) and the 30-year (-2.9 bps, 5.28%) tracking lower.

From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance

Become a smarter, better informed investor.…