New Delhi, April 17 -- US equities opened with a sharp gap-up on Friday, 17 April, with two of the three key indices logging fresh record highs after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz is fully open, allowing oil tankers to exit the Persian Gulf and supply crude to global markets.

The announcement further boosted US stocks, which were already on a winning streak, pushing the S&P 500 up 0.9% to a new record high of 7,100, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 722 points to the 49,300 level.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 advanced 0.8% to another peak of 26,572, putting all three benchmarks on track for a third consecutive weekly gain.

Stocks have jumped more than 11% since hitting a bottom in late March on hopes that the United States an...