The Middle East has seen a surge in stock markets as the warring sides in the Middle East negotiate a resolution, with Israel and Lebanon agreeing to a 10-day ceasefire. However, uncertainty remains over whether this will be sustained by the volatile nature of geopolitics. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite both rose to record highs on Thursday, marking their 12th consecutive positive session since 2009. Meanwhile, shares of chip giants TSMC and ASML fell despite reporting better than expected results. The news of a potential second round of talks between the U.S. and Iran regarding the situation appears to be encouraging.