Japan Finance Minister Defends PM Takaichi’s Remarks on Weak Yen Benefits 
South Korea Factory Activity Hits 18-Month High as Export Demand Surges 
Gold Prices Stabilize in Asian Trade After Sharp Weekly Losses Amid Fed Uncertainty 
JPMorgan Lifts Gold Price Forecast to $6,300 by End-2026 on Strong Central Bank and Investor Demand 
Asian Markets Slide as Silver Volatility, Earnings Season, and Central Bank Meetings Rattle Investors 
UK Employers Plan Moderate Pay Rises as Inflation Pressures Ease but Persist 
Dollar Holds Firm as Strong U.S. Data, Fed Expectations and Global Central Bank Moves Shape Markets 
India Budget 2025 Highlights Manufacturing Push but Falls Short of Market Expectations 
Oil Prices Slide Nearly 3% as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Geopolitical Tensions 
S&P 500 Rises as AI Stocks and Small Caps Rally on Strong Earnings Outlook 
Starmer’s China Visit Highlights Western Balancing Act Amid U.S.-China Rivalry 
Asian Currencies Strengthen as Indian Rupee and Australian Dollar Rally 
EU Recovery Fund Faces Bottlenecks Despite Driving Digital and Green Projects 
Indian Rupee Strengthens Sharply After U.S.-India Trade Deal Announcement 
South Korea Inflation Hits Five-Month Low as CPI Reaches Central Bank Target 
U.S. stocks climbed on Friday, boosted by stronger-than-expected job growth and optimism over renewed U.S.-China trade talks. The S&P 500 closed above 6,000 for the first time since February, led by gains in technology stocks.
Nonfarm payrolls rose by 139,000 in May, surpassing forecasts of 130,000, while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.2%. The report eased concerns over economic slowdown and led traders to believe the Federal Reserve will likely delay interest rate cuts until September. The Fed meets later this month.
Investors were also encouraged after President Donald Trump announced that three cabinet officials will meet Chinese representatives in London on June 9 to discuss a trade agreement. Although his recent conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping left several issues unresolved, markets welcomed the diplomatic progress.
The S&P 500 gained 61.02 points (1.03%) to close at 6,000.32, while the Dow Jones rose 442.88 points (1.05%) to 42,762.62. The Nasdaq jumped 231.50 points (1.20%) to 19,529.95. For the week, the S&P rose 1.5%, the Dow 1.17%, and the Nasdaq 2.18%.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) rebounded 3.8% after plunging 15% on Thursday amid a public feud between Trump and Elon Musk. Other tech giants saw gains: Amazon rose 2.7% and Alphabet climbed 3.25%.
Wells Fargo jumped 1.9% after S&P Global upgraded its outlook to “positive.” In contrast, Broadcom fell 5% following a weak revenue forecast, and Lululemon plunged 19.8% after slashing its profit outlook due to rising tariff-related costs.
Market breadth was strong, with advancing issues outpacing decliners by over 2-to-1 on both the NYSE and Nasdaq. Trading volume remained light at 14.5 billion shares, below the 20-session average.
