European Stocks Rise as AI Optimism Offsets U.S.-Iran Tensions 
New World Screwworm Found Near U.S. Border Raises Threat to Cattle Industry and Beef Prices 
Iran-U.S. Nuclear Talks Remain Unresolved as Strait of Hormuz Risks Keep Markets on Edge 
European EV Sales Surge in April 2026 as Tesla and Chinese Automakers Gain Ground 
US Launches New Trade Investigation Into Vietnam Over Intellectual Property Concerns 
Oil Prices Jump After New U.S. Strikes on Iran Raise Supply Concerns 
Asian Markets Slide as New U.S. Strikes on Iran Spark Investor Caution 
Gold Prices Hold Near Record Levels as Inflation Concerns Offset Middle East Ceasefire Hopes 
US Imposes Fresh Iran Oil Sanctions Despite Progress on Ceasefire Talks 
Nikkei Hits Record High as AI Chip Stocks Power Japan Market Rally 
Asian Stocks Rally as AI Boom and Iran Ceasefire Progress Lift Market Sentiment 
Mega IPOs Like SpaceX and OpenAI Could Reshape S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 Portfolios in 2026 
Asian Currencies Steady as U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Extension Hopes Weigh on Dollar 
ECB’s Philip Lane Warns Middle East Conflict Could Keep Inflation Elevated 
Gold Prices Slip as Stronger Dollar and Iran Peace Talk Uncertainty Weigh on Market 
Tokyo Inflation Cools in May, Supporting BOJ’s Cautious Rate Hike Path 
U.S. stock index futures held steady Wednesday evening after the S&P 500 hit a record high, driven by Netflix’s strong earnings and optimism over President Donald Trump’s AI investment initiative. S&P 500 Futures were flat at 6,118.0 points, while Nasdaq 100 Futures dipped 0.1% to 21,970.50. Dow Jones Futures remained steady at 44,354.0 points.
Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) shares soared 10% after reporting 19 million new subscriber additions in Q4 2024, smashing expectations. Revenue rose 8% to $9.5 billion, while net income increased 12% to $915 million. The streaming giant announced U.S. and international price hikes, citing higher programming investments.
AI stocks surged as Trump unveiled a $500 billion AI initiative, Stargate, a joint venture with OpenAI, Oracle (NYSE:ORCL), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA), and SoftBank (TYO:9984). The project aims to build AI data centers and power facilities in Texas, boosting the sector’s growth. Oracle shares rose 7%, Microsoft gained 4.1%, and Nvidia climbed 4.4%.
Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:ARM) surged 16%, while Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) rose 2%, pushing the S&P 500 to a record high of 6,100.81 points before closing 0.6% higher at 6,086.28. The NASDAQ Composite rose 1.
