US Imposes Fresh Iran Oil Sanctions Despite Progress on Ceasefire Talks 
European EV Sales Surge in April 2026 as Tesla and Chinese Automakers Gain Ground 
Canada and Germany Advance Major LNG Supply Partnership 
Asian Stocks Rally as AI Boom and Iran Ceasefire Progress Lift Market Sentiment 
Oil Prices Jump After New U.S. Strikes on Iran Raise Supply Concerns 
Dow Hits Record High as Healthcare and Consumer Stocks Lead Wall Street Rally 
S&P 500 Hits Record High as Tech Rally Slows Amid Iran Peace Uncertainty 
Tokyo Inflation Cools in May, Supporting BOJ’s Cautious Rate Hike Path 
Gold Prices Slip as Stronger Dollar and Iran Peace Talk Uncertainty Weigh on Market 
Iran-U.S. Nuclear Talks Remain Unresolved as Strait of Hormuz Risks Keep Markets on Edge 
US Dollar Slips as Markets Weigh Potential US-Iran Peace Deal and Oil Price Outlook 
South Korea Central Bank Holds Interest Rates Steady Amid Inflation Concerns 
U.S. Sanctions Iran’s Strait of Hormuz Authority as Global Oil Markets Face Turmoil 
U.S. Launches New Strikes on Iran as Trump Signals Peace Deal Uncertainty 
New World Screwworm Found Near U.S. Border Raises Threat to Cattle Industry and Beef Prices 
US Launches New Trade Investigation Into Vietnam Over Intellectual Property Concerns 
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.
