New Delhi, April 15 -- The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq rose on Wednesday as investors closely tracked diplomatic efforts in the Middle East. Optimism grew following reports that discussions were ongoing to resolve the conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.

The market was further supported by a wave of strong first quarter earnings from major blue-chip corporations. These results reassured investors that the regional conflict has yet to significantly disrupt corporate profits or long-term investment strategies.

As of 10:45 a.m. Eastern Time, the S&P 500 rose 0.3% and the Nasdaq Composite was 0.8% higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3%.

At the open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 13.2 points, or 0.03%. The ...