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Dow Hits Record High as Healthcare and Consumer Stocks Lead Wall Street Rally 
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Gold Prices Slip as Stronger Dollar and Iran Peace Talk Uncertainty Weigh on Market 
European Stocks Rise as AI Optimism Offsets U.S.-Iran Tensions 
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Oil Prices Jump After New U.S. Strikes on Iran Raise Supply Concerns 
European EV Sales Surge in April 2026 as Tesla and Chinese Automakers Gain Ground 
Wall Street Hits New Highs as U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Talks Boost Market Sentiment 
Dollar Gains Slightly as U.S.-Iran Tensions Keep Forex Markets on Edge 
Mega IPOs Like SpaceX and OpenAI Could Reshape S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 Portfolios in 2026 
US Launches New Trade Investigation Into Vietnam Over Intellectual Property Concerns 
U.S. stock index futures edged higher Wednesday evening, driven by tech sector gains following Alphabet Inc.’s strong quarterly results and President Donald Trump’s announcement of new initiatives to boost the artificial intelligence industry.
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) jumped 1.8% in after-hours trading after reporting second-quarter earnings per share of $2.31, beating Wall Street estimates of $2.18. The company raised its 2025 capital spending outlook to $85 billion, citing increased demand for cloud services and rapid AI integration into its core search platform, which helped lift advertising revenue by 10%.
Trump also fueled optimism with the White House’s first AI summit, unveiling a 90-part plan and signing three executive orders to strengthen U.S. leadership in AI. The measures aim to streamline federal regulations, expand AI technology exports, and prevent the use of politically biased AI. The president praised chipmakers Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) and AMD (NASDAQ:AMD) as central to the country’s AI ambitions.
Futures tracked Wall Street’s earlier rally, spurred by Trump’s trade deal with Japan. The agreement imposes a 15% tariff while securing $550 billion in Japanese investment and expanded U.S. agricultural and auto exports. Hopes are rising for additional trade agreements before Trump’s proposed global tariffs of 15%-50% take effect on August 1.
As of 20:09 ET (00:09 GMT), S&P 500 Futures gained 0.1% to 6,402.25, Nasdaq 100 Futures rose 0.3% to 23,387.50, while Dow Jones Futures slipped 0.3% to 45,097.00. The S&P 500 closed earlier at a record 6,358.97. Attention now shifts to next week’s Federal Reserve meeting, where rates are expected to remain unchanged.
