OAN Staff Jenna Lee
12:39 PM – Saturday, May 23, 2026
The Dow Jones Industrial Average, a stock market index tracking the performance of 30 large publicly traded companies in the United States, has hit a record high, marking its first milestone record since the beginning of the U.S.-Iran conflict.
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Lifted by AI-driven trading and growing market optimism over negotiations to end the war, the blue-chip index reached a historic intraday high of 50,830.24 points on Friday. This surpassed its previous record high of 50,512.79 on February 10th, shortly after crossing the 50,000 point milestone. The Dow ultimately finished the session up nearly 300 points, or 0.6%, to secure a record close of 50,579.70.
“The more we inch towards that off-ramp in this war, the more the market gains confidence, especially on the heels of the end of a terrific earnings reporting season and guidance moving up for the whole year,” said B Riley Wealth’s chief market strategist, Art Hogan.
While a Middle East ceasefire and artificial intelligence-driven momentum aided a broader market recovery from the March lows — propelling both the Nasdaq and S&P to reach record highs in mid-April — the Dow had previously lagged behind as technology shares drove those gains.
Dow Jones futures are set to open Sunday evening alongside S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures. The upcoming open comes amid reports that the U.S. and Iran may extend their current ceasefire by an additional 60 days.
According to various diplomatic signals, the U.S. and Iran could be nearing a memorandum of understanding. Iranian leaders met with Pakistani mediators in Tehran on Saturday, while President Donald Trump spoke with Qatar’s emir.
If extended, the ceasefire would buy negotiators more time to hammer out key issues, including a gradual reopening of the vital Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil is exported.
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