Stocks rushed higher worldwide, and oil prices eased as hopes built that the war with Iran could end soon. That’s even though some of the signals investors saw as hopeful on Wednesday are already under dispute. The S&P 500 rose 0.7% and added to its leap from the day before, which was its best since last spring. That followed even bigger gains for markets across Europe and Asia, including an 8.4% surge in South Korea, which were catching up to Wall Street’s rally from Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 1.2%.

U.S. stocks held steadier as Wall Street waited for the next signal on when the war with Iran may end. The S&P 500 dipped 0.2% Tuesday, a day after its latest wild swings caused by extreme moves in the oil market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 34 points, and the Nasdaq composite edged higher by less than 0.1%. Oil prices remained sharply below their peaks hit the day before. They had plunged from nearly $120 per barrel toward $90 late Monday on hopes for a quick end to the war. Stocks rose in Asia and Europe in their first chance to trade after that fall for oil prices.