On Friday, a decline in oil prices propelled a rally in U.S. airline service stocks.
As of the time of writing, American Airlines (NASDAQ: AAL) shares surged more than 6.7%, while JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU) advanced over 7.6%, Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) climbed more than 4.7%, and United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAL) gained over 4%.
Market sentiment was influenced by reports that Pakistan is exploring avenues to restart U.S.-Iran negotiations, aiming to end a conflict that has lasted nearly five months. According to three Pakistani sources, exploratory talks took place during a visit to Islamabad this week by Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni—his second trip in the last ten days. In a Pakistani government statement, Momeni, who is considered closely aligned with Iran's Revolutionary Guard, met with the country's leadership and military chief General Asim Munir. The three sources cautioned that significant obstacles remain to any potential negotiations with the United States.