Asian Stocks Rally as Japan and South Korea Reach Record Highs on US-Iran Peace Deal 
BOJ Signals More Rate Hikes as Inflation Risks Rise Amid Energy Price Pressures 
Oil Prices Steady as U.S.-Iran Truce Uncertainty and Middle East Tensions Keep Markets on Edge 
Dollar Hits One-Month High as Hawkish Fed Outlook Boosts Greenback 
German Industry Employment Falls to Lowest Level in a Decade 
Oil Prices Slide as U.S.-Iran Deal and Hormuz Reopening Ease Supply Concerns 
China’s AI Manufacturing Boom Masks Weak Consumer Economy, Citi Says 
Canada, British Columbia Launch $5 Billion Infrastructure Partnership to Boost Housing, Transit, and Healthcare 
Japan Signals Readiness to Intervene as USD/JPY Nears 161 Amid Yen Weakness 
Europe EV Demand Surges as Fuel Prices Rise Amid Iran Conflict 
France Faces Long Road to Economic Rebalancing as Weak Demand and High Rates Weigh, Says Citi 
Italy’s Economy Outpaces Eurozone Peers as Investment Spending Fuels Growth 
Gold Prices Rebound on U.S.-Iran Peace Deal Optimism Despite Fed Rate Hike Signals 
Canada Imposes 10% Tariff on Canned Vegetable Imports to Protect Domestic Industry 
Fed Chair Kevin Warsh Signals Policy Overhaul as Hawkish Rate Outlook Rattles Markets 
Gold Prices Slide as Hawkish Fed and Strong Dollar Weigh on Bullion 
Asian Stocks Surge as Oil Prices Fall and Strong US Dollar Weighs on Markets 
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed at record highs Monday, driven by gains in Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and other major tech stocks ahead of key earnings reports and potential trade developments. Alphabet surged 2.7% ahead of its Wednesday earnings, while Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), also reporting the same day, dipped 0.35%. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) rose 0.62% and Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) climbed 1.43%, further boosting the indexes.
Verizon (NYSE:VZ) jumped over 4% after raising its annual profit forecast. Analysts expect S&P 500 companies to post a 6.7% increase in Q2 earnings, with Big Tech leading the gains, according to LSEG I/B/E/S. U.S. Bank strategist Tom Hainlin noted that earnings so far have met or exceeded expectations, with no signs of weakening corporate profits or consumer demand.
As President Trump’s August 1 tariff deadline nears, the S&P 500 has risen about 8% in 2025, fueled by hopes trade tensions will ease. Trump has warned of tariffs up to 50% on imports from several countries, including Mexico, the EU, and Japan. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick remains optimistic about a U.S.-EU deal despite European countermeasures.
The S&P 500 gained 0.14% to close at 6,305.60, the Nasdaq rose 0.38% to 20,974.18, while the Dow dipped 0.04% to 44,323.07. Seven of 11 S&P sectors advanced, led by communication services (+1.9%) and consumer discretionary (+0.6%). Trading volume hit 19.7 billion shares, above the 20-day average.
Investors now await Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s Tuesday speech and Thursday’s jobless claims and business activity data for interest rate clues. A July rate cut is seen as unlikely, but markets price in a better-than-even chance of a cut by September, per CME Group’s (NASDAQ:CME) FedWatch tool.
