US equity markets settled with modest declines following the recent Nvidia Corp (up +0.35%) fuelled rally, with traders eyeing gross domestic product (GDP) and inflation data later in the week - Dow eased -62-points or -0.16% to 39,069.23 after logging its 14th record close of 2024 last Friday (23 February). Amazon.com Inc (down -0.15%) joined the 30-stock index overnight, replacing Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (-3.41%). The Dow’s holdings are weighted according to stock price, not market capitalisation. Chevron Corp (down -0.14%) warned that its $53B acquisition of Hess Corp (fell over >4% in extended trading after rising +0.57% in the regular session) could be thwarted by rival oil groups ExxonMobil Corp (+0.39%) and China National Offshore Oil Corporation, which are asserting their right to pre-empt its purchase of a stake in a massive oil project off the coast of Guyana.

The Dow and S&P500 eked out fresh record highs on Friday (26 February) - Dow added +62-points or +0.16% to a fresh record losing high of 39,131.53. Amazon.com Inc (up +0.23%) will replace Walgreens Boots Alliance (up +0.74%) as one of the 30 members of the Dow before the start of trading tonight AEST.

A bumper fourth quarter earnings release from Nvidia Corp after the close of the previous session drove a strong rally on US equity markets and global markets more broadly - Dow rose +457-points or +1.18% to a fresh record closing high of 39,069.11, pushing above >39,000 for the first time. Salesforce Inc (up +3.56%), Visa Inc (+2.53%), International Business Machines Corp (+2.51%) and Microsoft Corp (+2.35%) all climbed over >2%, with just seven stocks closing in the red in the 30-stock index.

US equity markets settled mostly firmer, paring losses in the final hour of trading as investors digested minutes from the Federal Reserve’s late-January monetary policy meeting and awaited technology titan Nvidia Corp’s fourth quarter result - Dow edged +48-points or +0.13% higher.

US equity markets resumed trading following the Presidents’ Day holiday on the backfoot - Dow slipped -64-points or -0.17%. Caterpillar Inc fell -2.54% to be the worst performer in the 30-stock index.

The Financial Times (FT) and Bloomberg News reported Sunday (18 February) that European Commission antitrust regulators are preparing to impose an ~ €500M fine against Apple, after finding that it created an anticompetitive environment by failing to inform iPhone users that cheaper, alternative music-streaming apps were available outside its App Store. The investigation was sparked by a complaint that Spotify SA filed in 2019. The FT reported the fine is expected to be announced in early March.

US equity markets retreated on Friday (16 February) after another hotter-than-expected inflation reading undermined the case for interest rate cuts - Dow fell -145-points or -0.37%. Nike Inc fell -2.4% after the company announced 1,700 job cuts as part of a plan to cut costs.

US equity markets climbed, with investors looking past some mixed economic data - Dow rallied +349-points or +0.91%. Chevron Corp rallied +3.4% to be the leading component in the 30-stock index, with a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revealing that Berkshire Hathaway lifted its stake in the oil giant to more than >US$18B.

US equity markets rebounded, recovering from sharp declines recorded in the previous session following a hotter-than-expected consumer price inflation figures - Dow rallied +151-points or +0.40%, with Salesforce Inc (up +2.85%) and Intel Corp (+2.39%) leading the upside.

A hotter-than-expected consumer price inflation (CPI) print weighed heavily on US equity markets - Dow fell -525-points or -1.35%, slightly paring an earlier decline of as much as 758-points or almost -2%. It marked the worst session for the 30-stock index since March 2023. Walgreen Boots Alliance (down -4.77%) and Goldman Sachs Group Inc (-3.54%) were the worst index performers overnight. Boeing Co fell -% after Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Brian West discussed 737 production at the Cowen Aerospace Conference and reportedly said Boeing 737 MAX production would be below 38 a month for the first half of the year and trend back to 38 by the end of 2024.

US equity markets mixed ahead of the latest consumer price inflation figures tonight AEST - Dow gained +126-points or +0.33% to a fresh record closing high of 38,797.38, the 30-stock indices 12th of 2024.

US equity markets advanced on Friday (9 February), with a fresh march higher for mega-capitalisation technology stocks seeing the S&P 500 settling above the 5,000 for the first time - Dow eased -55-points or -0.14%. Chevron Corp fell -1.96% amid reports Venezuela had built up its military presence along its border with Guyana. Chevron last year announced a US$53B acquisition of Hess () in part to take ownership of Hess’s assets in the newly oil-rich country. Cisco Systems Inc added +0.36% after Reuters reported that the networking giant is planning thousands of job cuts as it restructures its business to focus more on high-growth markets. Intel Corp rose +1.91% after the White House said it would invest $5 billion in a new public-private consortium for the research and development of advanced semiconductors. International Business Machines (IBM) Corp rose +1.07% and Microsoft Corp +1.56%.

US equity markets advanced as a narrow group of companies lifted the S&P500 above the 5,000 level for the first time late in the session - Dow added +49-points or +0.13% to log yet another record closing high of 38,726.33. Walt Disney Co jumped +11.50% after reporting better than expected fiscal first-quarter earnings and guidance for fiscal 2024 that was well ahead of Wall Street estimates after the close of the previous session.

US equity markets rallied, with the S&P 500 climbing to within touching distance of the 5,000 mark as investors parsed through another slate of quarterly results - Dow climbed +156-points or +0.40% to a record close of 38,677.36.

US equity markets rallied on Friday (2 January) as strong earnings and a blowout January employment report boosted confidence in the economy, even while lowering the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates any time soon – Dow gained +135-points or +0.35% to a record closing high of 38,654.42.

US equity markets rebounded after logging their worst two-day decline since October, with gains accelerating in the final hour of the session as investors eyed results from three (3) of the so-called ‘Magnificent Seven” large capitalisation technology stocks after the closing bell - Dow rallied +370-points or +0.97%.

US equity markets logged their worst single session performance of 2024 to close out January as investors digested the latest monetary policy pronouncements from the Federal Reserve and served up a lacklustre response to some solid earnings from some technology mega-caps - Dow lost -317-points or -0.82%, the 30-stock index’s biggest one-day point decline since December. Microsoft Corp (down -2.69%). Cisco Systems Inc (-3.94%), International Business Machines (IBM) Corp (-2.24%), Nike Inc (-2.54%) and Salesforce Inc (-2.31%) also declined over >2%.

US equity markets mixed after consumer-confidence numbers and job-opening data pointed to a sturdy U.S. economy, and with investors eyeing some major earnings releases after the closing bell and the Federal Reserve’s latest interest rate decision tomorrow morning AEST - Dow rose +134-points or +0.35% to 38,467.31, sealing its seventh record closing high of 2024. Walmart Inc rose ~1% in extended trading (after rising +0.33% in the regular session) after the retail giant announced a three-for-one stock split, with the stock sitting just below all-time highs.

US equity markets advanced, extending gains in the afternoon session after a Treasury Department funding update underpinned a rally on bond markets that spread to stocks - Dow rose +224-points or +0.59% to 38,333.45, logging its sixth record close of 2024.

US equity markets logged modest declines on Friday (26 January) to close out the opening week of the fourth quarter earnings season with solid gains, with both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq snapping six-day winning streaks as investors weighed the latest inflation data and quarterly earnings releases - Dow added +60-points or +0.16% to a fresh all-time closing high of 38,109.43.

US equity markets settled with modest gains as investors digested another busy earnings calendar and eyed tonight’s AEST fourth quarter gross domestic product (GDP) - Dow eased -99-points or -0.26%, having climbed as much as +159-points earlier in the session. Verizon Communications (down -2.25%) and 3M Co (-2.98%) were key drags a day after both companies posted quarterly results.

US equity markets mixed as investors digested a busy corporate earnings calendar that included quarterly results from a number of major companies - Dow eased -96-points or -0.25% to 37,905.45, a day after climbing above >38,000 for the first time.

US equity markets extended their recent rally, with both the Dow and S&P500 recording fresh record highs - Dow added +138-points or +0.36% to 38,001.81, settling above >38K for the first time. Including the overnight session, it has been 25 trading days since the last 1,000-point milestone for the Dow, which is the shortest time between milestones since the period between 33,000 and 34,000, according to Dow Jones Market Data.

US equity markets rallied, buoyed by fresh gains for heavyweight technology stocks and a strong University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment survey - Dow climbed +395-points or +1.05% to 37, 863.80, logging its second record closing high of 2024.

US equity markets advanced, with the benchmark indices booking their best session in almost two weeks despite a fresh rise in Treasury yields - Dow gained +202-points or +0.54%, recovering from an earlier slide of over >140-points. Boeing Co rallied +4.21% top be the leading performer in the stock index overnight. India’s newest airline, Akasa Air, has ordered 150 Boeing 737 MAX planes.

US equity markets retreated as traders continued to wind back hopes for interest rate cuts, echoing markets in Europe following comments from various central bankers - Dow eased -94-points or -0.25%, with Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (down -3.06%) and Caterpillar Inc (-2.99%) both falling ~3% to be the worst performers in the 30-stock index.

US equity markets resumed trading following the holiday (Martin Luther King Day) long weekend on the back foot, with investors weighing the latest fourth quarter corporate earnings releases and comments from Federal Reserve official Christopher Waller - Dow dropped -232-points or -0.62%. Boeing Co (down -7.89%) was the worst performer in the 30-stock index.

Benchmark oil prices weaker, with traders watching out for supply disruption risk in the Middle East following strikes by U.S. and British forces to stop Houthi militia in Yemen from attacking ships in the Red Sea - WTI lost -US$0.32c or -04% to US$72.36/barrel. Brent fell -US$0.34c or -0.4% to US$77.98/barrel. European bourses the pan-European Stoxx 600 index (which includes UK equities) -0.54%. Germany's DAX lost -0.49%. France's CAC shed -0.72%. Atos tumbled -% after the French information technology group said free cash flow would come in around €100M below target, but reaffirmed it would meet its other financial benchmarks amid growing concerns about its liquidity.

US equity markets settled little changed following the latest inflation figures - Dow edged +15-points or +0.04% higher, recovering from an earlier -271-point fall. Boeing Co fell -2.27% after the Federal Aviation Administration said it formally launched an investigation into whether the aerospace giant failed to complete safety tests on the certain products.

US equity markets climbed ahead of key December inflation figures tonight AEST - Dow gained +171-points or +0.45%, with Home Depot Inc (up +3.06%) the leading performer in the 30-stock index. Analysts at Wedbush upgraded their recommendation on the home improvement retail giant to ‘Outperform’ from ‘Neutral’, with the firm saying that weak home-improvement retail demand from last year was “bottoming or reversing, which should translate to stronger demand in 2024.

US equity markets settled with modest declines as investors continue to eye inflation figures and fourth quarter earnings releases later in the week - Dow fell -158-points or -0.42%, snapping a three session winning streak. Boeing Co continued to slide, falling -1.41% after dropping -8.03% after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Saturday (6 January) ordered the immediate grounding of 737-9 Max jetliners after an Alaska Airlines plane suffered a blowout that left a gaping hole in the side of the fuselage. Alaska Air Group Inc (-1.32%) and United Airlines Holdings Inc (up +1.44%) said they had discovered loose parts on 737 MAX 9 jets that they inspected.

US equity markets rallied, with gains accelerating into the close following a strong session for the technology sector - Dow gained +217-points or +0.58%, recovering from an earlier decline of over >200-points. Boeing Co dropped -8.03% after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Saturday (6 January) ordered the immediate grounding of 737-9 Max jetliners after an Alaska Airlines plane suffered a blowout that left a gaping hole in the side of the fuselage.

US equity markets ended a choppy Friday (5 January) session with modest gains, with the S&P500 and Nasdaq posting their first positive session of 2024 as investors digested the latest jobs data and eyed the beginning of the fourth quarter earnings season - Dow added +26-points or +0.07%. Walgreens Boots Alliance rebounded +3.09% a day after the release of its first quarter result that saw the after the pharmacy chain nearly halve its quarterly dividend and provide a downbeat outlook on consumer spending.

US equity markets advanced, extending their rally in the final hour of the session ahead of the release of key inflation figures tonight AEST - Dow gained +322-points or +0.87%. Intel Corp gained +2.88%, leaving the chipmaker on track to record its best quarterly performance since the third quarter of 2003, according to Dow Jones Market Data.

US equity markets retreated despite fresh falls for bond yields as the so-called ‘Santa rally’ paused - Dow fell -476-points or -1.27%, snapping a nine session winning streak that saw the 30-stock index book five consecutive record closing highs. Walt Disney Co (down -2.83%) and American Express Co (-2.75%) both fell over >2.5% to be worst performing Dow components overnight.

US equity markets advanced as investors continued to bank of interest rate cuts in the new year - Dow climbed +252-points or +0.68% to 37,557.92, rallying for a ninth straight session – the longest such streak since July – and logging a fifth straight record close. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (up +4.2%) was the leading performer in the 30-stock index overnight, while Caterpillar Inc (+2.54%) and Intel Corp (+2.12%) gained over >2%.

US equity markets advanced to kick of the final full week of trading for 2023 - Dow inched +0.86 of a point higher to a fresh record closing high of 37,306.02, logging its eighth consecutive positive session.

US equity markets settled with modest gains, with comments from New York Fed President John Williams tempering hopes of imminent interest rate cuts - Dow added +57-points or +0.15% to log its third consecutive record closing high of 37,305.16. Boeing Co gained +3.13% and logged its seventh consecutive weekly gain (up +8%) – the aircraft manufacturer’s longest weekly winning streak since late 2005.

The three main US equity benchmarks advanced for a sixth consecutive session as Treasury yields continued to slide - Dow climbed +158-points or +0.43% to 37,248.35, scoring back-to-back record closing highs and hitting a record intra-day peak of 37,287.50. Caterpillar Inc (up +6.42%) and Goldman Sachs Group Inc (+5.72%) were the leading performers in the 30-stock index.

All three benchmark US equity indices hit fresh 52-week highs as investors processed the latest dovish monetary pronouncements from Federal Reserve policymakers - Dow rallied +512-points or +1.40% to 37,090.24, logging its first record closing high since January 2022 and eclipsing >37,000 for the first time. It has been 531 trading days since the Dow’s last 1,000-point milestone, the longest time between milestones since 14,000 to 15,000. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (up +7.41%) was the leading performer in the 30-stock index overnight, while Amgen (up +2.78%), Dow Inc (+2.97%), Goldman Sachs Group Inc (+2.87%), Home Depot Inc (+3.06%), and Merck & Co (+2.68%) all gained over >2.5%.

US equity markets advanced, with all three benchmark indices hitting fresh intra-day 52-week highs despite data highlighting stubborn inflationary pressures and with investors eyeing the latest interest rate decision and monetary policy pronouncements from the Federal Reserve tomorrow morning AEST (14 December) - Dow gained +173-points or +0.48% to 36,577.94, with the 30-stock index touching its highest intra-day level (36,596.11) since January 2022 and logging its third highest close in history. The Dow is closing in on its record high of 36,799.65 set on 4 January, 2022.

The benchmark US equity indices climbed to settle at fresh 52-week highs overnight ahead of tonight’s AEST inflation figures and a host of global central bank monetary policy meetings later in the week - Dow rallied +157-points or +0.43% to 36,404.93, the 30-stock index’s highest close since 5 January, 2022. Chipmaker Intel Corp (up +4.31%) was the leading Dow component overnight. Nike Inc rallied +2.33% after Citi upgraded the athletic apparel brand to ‘Buy’ from Neutral and increased their price target to US$135 from US$110, citing optimism around Nike’s 2024 product lineup for the Paris Olympics and the company’s position in China, along with the positive impact of a decline in freight costs, lower promotions, and direct to consumer strength on gross margins. Citi’s upgrade comes 10 days before the company reports second-quarter financial results.

US equity markets closed out the first full trading week of December on a positive footing as investors assessed the latest jobs data - Dow rallied +130-points or +0.36% to 36,247.87, the 30-stock index’s highest close since 12 January, 2022. Boeing Co (up +3.11% to US$244.70) was the leading performer, hitting a fresh closing high for the year.

US equity markets advanced, with the both the Dow and S&P 500 snapping a three session losing streak ahead of tonight’s AEST latest non-farm payrolls report - Dow rose +63-points or +0.17% to 36,117.38, lifting the 30-stock index to within 2% of its record closing high of 36,799.65 set on 4 January, 2022.

US equity markets retreated, with the Dow and S&P 500 logging their first three-session losing streak since October - Dow slipped -70-points or -0.19%, unwinding an earlier rally of as much as +170-points. American Express Co (down -1.86%) and Intel Corp (-1.55%) both fell over >1.5% to be the worst index performers.

US equity markets settled with modest declines although mega-capitalisation technology stocks resumed their outperformance amid fresh falls for Treasury yields - Dow fell -80-points or -0.22%, logging back-to-back losses for the first time in nearly a month American Express Co fell -1.48% after Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Stephen Squeri addressed the Goldman Sachs financial services conference in New York and said October trends had softened. “If you just go back in the second quarter, we had about 8% overall billings growth. Third quarter, it came down to 7%. And in October, everybody got a little bit skittish, and I think other people have said the same thing that growth wasn’t as strong in October. And we didn’t see growth in October like it was in the third quarter.”

US equity markets retreated amid rising Treasury yields, although a ‘catch-up’ rally for small capitalisation stocks extended into a fourth day - Dow slipped -41-points or -0.11%, snapping a four session winning streak that had lifted the 30-stock index above >36,000 for the first time since 13 January, 2022.

US equity markets opened December on a positive footing on Friday (1 December), with investors shrugging off the latest tough talk on inflation by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell - Dow rallied +295-points or +0.82% to 36,245.50, climbing above >36,000 for the first time since 13 January, 2022 and settling ~1.5% below its record close of 36,799.65 set on 4 January, 2022. Salesforce Inc (up +3.22%) extended its gains into a sixth straight session, and climbing over >12.5% since posting a strong fiscal third quarter result after the close of last Wednesday’s (29 November) session).