US equity markets eked out slight gains in volatile trade as investors eyed the latest advance in crude prices and looked ahead to a busy week of central bank meetings including interest-rate decisions from the Federal Reserve, Bank of England and Bank of Japan - Dow eked out a +6-points gain.

US equity markets retreated on Friday (15 September), with technology stocks under pressure - Dow fell -289-points or -0.83%. Cisco Systems Inc (down -0.59%) announced another round of job cuts, with the networking company announcing that it will lay off 350 employees in Silicon Valley next month. Last year, Cisco announced it would slash ~5% of its workforce, roughly 4,000 jobs, and laid off nearly 700 more Silicon Valley employees in March, according to state filings.

US equity markets rallied as investors digested strong wholesale prices and retail sales data - Dow gained +332-points or +0.96%, booking its largest daily point and percentage gain since 7 August. The broader S&P500 rose +0.84%, with all of Real Estate (up +1.71%), Utilities (+1.17%), Materials (+1.40%), Energy (+1.26%) and Communication Services (+1.18%) rising over >1% to lead all eleven primary sectors higher. The Nasdaq climbed +0.81%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -0.49%. Tonight’s AEST expiration is set to be the sixth-largest monthly expiration on record, in addition to being the largest September.

US equity markets edged higher and Treasury yields declined as investors digested the latest inflation figures - Dow eased -70-points or -0.20%, The broader S&P500 +0.12%, with Utilities (up +1.21%) and Consumer Discretionary (+0.90%) leading seven of the eleven primary sectors higher. Real Estate (down -1.03%) and Energy (-0.76%) sat at the foot of the primary sector leaderboard overnight. Citigroup Inc. gained +1.66% after the major bank said it would reorganize into a flatter structure, with the heads of its five major business units reporting directly to Chief Executive Jane Fraser. American Airlines Group Inc dropped -5.67% after cutting its third-quarter earnings outlook, citing higher fuel prices and costs associated with a new labour agreement. The company said it now expects adjusted earnings per share of ~US$0.20c to US$0.30c, down from previous guidance of ~US$0.85c to US$0.95c and versus current consensus of US$0.69c. Delta Air Lines Inc fell -2.80% and United Airlines Holdings Inc -3.80%.

US equity markets declined and oil prices hit fresh 2023 highs ahead of the release of the latest monthly inflation figures tonight AEST - Dow dipped -18points or -0.05%, The broader S&P500 eased -0.57%, with Information Technology (down -1.75%) and Communication Services (-1.06%) falling over >1% to lead eight of the eleven primary sectors lower. Energy (up +2.31%) was the clear outperformer overnight. Oracle Corp tumbled -13.50% to be the worst performing S&P500 component after the business software giant posted weaker-than-expected second quarter earnings and revenue guidance after the close of the previous session.

US equity markets advanced, with both the S&P500 and Nasdaq booking their biggest daily percentage gains since 29 August ahead of US inflation and retail sales figures later in the week - Dow up +87-points or +0.25%. Walt Disney Company rose +1.15% after CNBC reported that the media and entertainment giant has come to an agreement with cable giant Charter Communications Inc (+3.18%) to restore popular channels such as ESPN to the cable operator’s nearly 15M subscribers following an 11-day long channel blackout.

US equity markets advanced on Friday (8 September) but settled off their session highs as investors eyed inflation data later this week - Dow up +76-points or +0.22%, Goldman Sachs Group Inc settled +1.11% higher on the news that the investment banking giant would cut underperformers as soon as October - a regular practice that it had paused in during the pandemic - according to the Financial Times.

US equity markets logged modest gains, advancing for a fourth consecutive session and further curtailing August’s losses as investors weighed signs of cooling in the labour market and revised data on economic growth in the second quarter - Dow edged +38-points or +0.11% higher, with Apple Inc gaining +1.92% a day after confirming 12 September as the date for its latest product event where the company is expected to debut its latest smartphone line-up.

US equity markets retreated, continuing the sluggish start to September as fresh rises in Treasury yields weighed on risk assets - Dow fell -199-points or -0.57%, with Apple Inc (down -3.58%), Amgen Inc (-1.97%) and Boeing Co (-2.08%).

US equity markets resumed trading following the Labor Day long weekend, with value stocks under particular pressure as investors digested some disappointing manufacturing orders data - Dow fell -196-points or -0.6%, The broader S&P500 -0.42%, with Materials (down -1.81%), Industrials (-1.69%) and Utilities (-1.54%) all declining over >1.5% to lead eight of the eleven primary sectors lower. Energy (up +0.49%) and Information Technology (+0.39%) sat atop the primary sector leaderboard. The Nasdaq dipped -0.08%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -2.10% as rising Treasury yields added pressure.

US equity markets and bonds rallied following data that showed signs of a cooling labour market that could further ease pressure on the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates - Dow up +293-points or +0.85%. The broader S&P500 rallied +1.45% to log its best day since June, with Communication Services (up +2.46%) and Consumer Discretionary (2.35%) rallying over >2% to lead all eleven primary sectors higher. Tesla Inc jumped +7.69% to a near three week high of US$257.18, logging its largest one-day percentage increase since 21 March. Analysts at Oppenheimer reported that the electric vehicle maker launched a US$300M AI Computing cluster, saying the supercomputer “will employ 10,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs and is more powerful than the world’s third highest-performing supercomputer.”

US equity markets advanced to kick off the final trading week of August, picking up from where they left off last Friday (25 August) following Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium. A number of analysts felt that the central bank chief had set a high bar for further interest rate hikes, whilst eyeing key inflation and employment data at the back end of the week - Dow gained +213-points or +0.62%. 3M Co gained +5.22% after The Wall Street Journal reported that the multinational conglomerate was nearing an agreement on an ~US$5.5B plan to settle more than 300,000 lawsuits over defective military earplugs.

US equity markets logged their biggest drop in three weeks, with losses accelerating into the close as rising Treasury yields and a stronger U.S. dollar weighed on the benchmark indices - Dow dropped -374-points or -1.08%, Boeing Co fell -4.93% after the company warned of potential delivery delays of its 737 MAX jets.

US equity markets advanced as investors eyed the release of chipmaker Nvidia Corp’s latest quarterly result after the close and the beginning of the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium tonight AEST - Dow gained +184-points or +0.54%, Nike Inc (down -2.67%) fell for a tenth consecutive session, its longest slide on record. The broader S&P500 rose +1.10%, snapping a streak of 36 consecutive sessions without a gain of 1% or more in the process - longest such streak since the 42 trading day streak from 26 July, 2021 to 22 September, 2021, according to Dow Jones Market Data. It also marked the index’s best one day gain since 30 June. Information Technology (up +1.92%), Communication Services (+1.90%) and Real Estate (+1.46%) all gained over >1% to lead all primary sectors higher with the exception of Energy (down -0.30%).The Nasdaq rallied +1.59%, marking the technology-centric index’s largest one-day point and percentage gain since 28 July. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 rose +1.04%.

The Dow and S&P500 logged modest losses as a fresh ratings agency downgrade weighed on the financial sector - Dow fell -175-points or -0.51%. Nike Inc fell -1.36% to log its ninth consecutive session decline, with the latest decline coming following a disappointing quarterly update from Dick’s Sporting Goods.

US equity markets advanced, led by technology stocks despite longer dated Treasury yields climbing to levels not seen in over a decade - Dow eased -37-points or -0.11%, paring an earlier slide of as much as -252-points. Johnson & Johnson (down -2.98%) and Nike Inc (-1.86%) were the worst performing Dow components overnight. The broader S&P500 rose +0.69%, with Information Technology (up +2.26%) leading five of the eleven primary sectors higher. The more defensive Real Estate (down -0.88%) and Consumer Staples (-0.64%) sat at the foot of the primary sector leaderboard overnight. Tesla Inc jumped +7.33% buoyed by an upbeat research note from analysts at Baird that highlighted some positive developments ahead of the electric vehicle maker in the second half of the year, including the launch of the Cybertruck and “a wider-scale adoption of [Full Self Driving, Tesla’s suite of advanced driver assistance systems to navigate city streets], continued growth in the energy business, expanding into new markets, and a possible AI [Artificial Intelligence] Day.” Palo Alto Networks Inc soared +14.84% after the cybersecurity firm’s fiscal fourth quarter result released after the close of last Friday’s (18 August) session topped consensus analysts forecasts, as did forecasts for profit and billings.

US equity markets little changed on Friday (18 August) as gains for more defensive sectors and Energy offset fresh weakness among megacap technology names - Dow edged +26-points or +0.07% higher, snapping a three-session losing streak. The broader S&P500 dipped -0.01%, with Communication Services (down -0.98%) leading five of the eleven primary sectors lower. Energy (up +0.94%) sat atop the primary sector leaderboard, with Devon Energy up +1.90%, Marathon Oil +1.49% and Occidental Petroleum +1.44%. The Nasdaq slipped -0.20%, with Alphabet Inc (-1.80%), Amazon.com Inc (-0.57%), Meta Platforms Inc (down -0.65%) and Microsoft Corp (-0.13%) all weaker. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 rose +0.51%.

US equity markets retreated, once again selling off late in the session as longer dated Treasury yields continued to climb - Dow fell -291-points or -0.84% to 34,474.83, closing below its 50-day moving average for the first time since 1 July. The broader S&P500 dropped -0.77%, with Consumer Discretionary (down -1.27%) and Consumer Staples (-1.01%) leading ten of the eleven primary sectors lower overnight. Energy (up +1.11%) was the only primary sector to advance. The Nasdaq shed -1.17%, with Alphabet Inc (up +0.95%) the only member of the so-called ‘Magnificent Seven’ of technology megacaps to advance. Meta Platforms Inc (down -3.13% at US$285.09) joined Apple Inc (-1.46%), Microsoft Corp (-1.10%) and Nvidia Corp (-0.33%) in official correction territory, down at least 10% from its most recent peak (US$325.48 set on 28 July). Tesla Inc (down -2.83%) is in official bear market territory, down more than >20% from its most recent peak. Only Alphabet and Amazon.com Inc (down -0.81%) remain in bull market territory. Meta Platforms still remains the second best performer in the S&P500 year-to-date, up +136.9%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -1.15%.

US equity markets retreated to five week lows and longer term Treasury yields hit their highest levels since October last year as strong retail sales figures stirred concerns that US interest rates could remain higher for longer - Dow fell -361-points or -1.02%, snapping a three session winning streak. The broader S&P500 fell -1.16% to 4,437.86, sliding below its 50-day moving average for the first time since 28 March (snapping a 96-day streak of closes above the 50-day, the index’s longest since a 102-session streak ended on 17 September, 2020) and logging its lowest close since 11 July. Energy (down -2.44%) led all eleven primary sectors lower. Financials (-1.91%), Utilities (-1.69%), and Materials (-1.65%) all fell over >1.5%. The technology-centric Nasdaq lost -1.14%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -1.29%.

US equity markets recovered from earlier session losses, buoyed by a rebound for some megacap technology names and with investors eying earnings reports from some major retailers and along with the latest retail sales figures that could shed some light on the health of the US consumer - Dow edged +26-points or +0.07% higher, The broader S&P500 rose +0.58%, with Information Technology (up +1.85%) and Communication Services (+1.04%) rising over >1% and leading six of the eleven primary sectors higher. The more defensive Utilities (down -0.83%), Real Estate (-0.54%) and Consumer Staples (-0.52%) sat at the foot of the primary sector leaderboard. Tesla Inc fell -1.19% after the electric-vehicle maker cut the cost of two versions of its Model Y SUVs by ~US$1,900 in China. In early August, Tesla reported China deliveries slumped -31% in July to their lowest point of the year.

The S&P500 and Nasdaq fell on Friday (11 August) and posted their second straight weekly losses, as hotter-than-expected U.S. producer prices data pushed Treasury yields higher and pressured rate-sensitive megacap growth stocks – Dow rose +105-points or +0.30%, with energy giant Chevron Corp (up +2.06%) and pharmaceutical major Merck & Co (+1.77%) The broader S&P500 slipped -0.11% to 4,464.05, with Information Technology (down -0.88%) leading four of the eleven primary sectors lower. Energy (up +1.56%) sat atop the primary sector leaderboard. Tesla Inc fell -1.10% a day after a pair of exchange-traded funds (ETF) managed by Cathie Wood’s ARK Investment sold more shares in the electric vehicle manufacturer. Through Friday’s (11 August) close, the S&P500 index is still up nearly 25% from its bear-market closing low of 3,577.03 hit on 12 October. The Nasdaq fell -0.68%, with semiconductor stocks particularly weak including Advanced Micro Devices Inc -2.41%, Nvidia Corp -3.62% and Micron Technology Inc -1.64%. Foxconn Technology Group (also know as Hon Hai Technology Group), the company responsible for manufacturing Apple Inc’s (up +0.03%) iPhone in China, reports its second quarter result today. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 edged +0.13% higher.

US equity markets settled little changed, with all three benchmark indices relinquishing earlier gains of over >1% as investors balanced softer inflation figures against a weaker-than-expected 30-year bond auction - Dow eked out a +3-point gain to 35,126.12, paring an earlier rally of as much as +450-points. Walt Disney Co rallied +4.88% despite a mixed fiscal third quarter result released after the close of the previous session, with the company announcing an upcoming price hike for ad-free Disney+ subscriptions. The broader S&P500 inched +0.03% higher, with gains for Communication Services (up +0.43%) and Consumer Discretionary (+0.28%) largely offset by declines for Utilities (down -0.32%) and Real Estate (-0.31%). The technology-centric Nasdaq edged +0.08% higher. Among the so-called “Magnificent Seven” stocks credited with being the biggest contributors to this year’s rally, Apple Inc (down -0.12%), Nvidia Corp (-0.39%), Microsoft Corp (up +0.22%) and Tesla Inc (+1.30%) all closed below their 50-day averages this week. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -0.42%.

US equity markets retreated as investors’ attention turned to tonight’s AEST inflation figures - Dow fell -191-points or -0.54%, with Salesforce.com Inc (down -2.70%) and Intel Corp (-2.11%), while Goldman Sachs Group Inc (-1.60%) and JPMorgan Chase & Co (-1.34%) were also notable underperformers. The broader S&P500 lost -0.70%, with Information Technology (down -1.51%), Communication Services (-1.24%) and Consumer Discretionary (-1.20%) all down over >1% to lead seven of the eleven primary sectors lower. Energy (up +1.22%) sat atop the primary sector leaderboard. The technology-centric Nasdaq shed -1.17%, with Apple Inc falling -0.90% and Amazon.com Inc -1.49%. Nvidia Corp -4.72% amid concerns the chipmaker is facing supply constraints for popular graphics chips. Super Micro Computer Inc (down -23.39%) Chief Executive Charles Liang told analysts on the company’s earnings call that the company is seeing supply constraints for the graphics chips coming from Nvidia that are designed for artificial intelligence (AI) applications.. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -0.86%.

US equity markets retreated following the release of weak China international trade data for July that heightened concerns about a slowing global economy, while Moody’s Investors Service downgraded the credit ratings of 10 banks and placed six banking giants on review for potential downgrades - Dow fell -159-points or -0.45%, paring an earlier decline of as much as -465-points. Goldman Sachs Group Inc fell -2.05%. The broader S&P500 lost -0.42%, with Materials (down -1.05%) leading eight of the eleven primary sectors lower. Healthcare (up +0.78%), Utilities (+0.49%) and Energy (+0.49) were the only primary sectors to advance overnight. The Nasdaq declined -0.79%. Both the S&P500 and Nasdaq were down over >1% at their session lows and have declined for five of the past six sessions. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -0.59%.

US equity markets rebounded, with the Dow recording its best session since mid-June, while the S&P500 and Nasdaq arrested a four session slide - Dow rallied +408-points or +1.16%, logging its largest one-day point and percentage gain since 15 June. The broader S&P500 rose +0.90% in a broad-based rally that saw ten of the eleven primary sectors advance, led by Communication Services (up +1.88%). Utilities (down -0.02%) was the only primary sector to settle in the red. Tesla Inc lost -0.95% after the electric vehicle maker announced the immediate departure of its Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Zachary Kirkhorn after four years in the role and thirteen years with the company more broadly. Mr Kirkhorn was replaced by Vaibhav Taneja, previously Tesla’s chief accounting officer. The Nasdaq +0.61%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -0.49%. Berkshire Hathaway Inc class B shares closed at a record high (up +3.60% at US$362.58) following the release of the conglomerate’s second quarter result on Saturday (5 August).

US equity markets retreated on Friday (4 August) as the dust settled on some major technology results and investors digested the latest non-farm payrolls report - Dow fell -150-points or -0.43%, with The broader S&P500 lost -0.53%, with Information Technology (down -1.4%), Utilities (-1.21%) and Consumer Staples (-1.02%) falling over >1% to lead nine of the eleven primary sectors lower. Consumer Discretionary (up +1.91%) and Energy (+0.03%) were the only primary sectors to advance on Friday (4 August). It’s been 113 trading sessions since the S&P 500 has seen a daily drop of 2% or more, the longest such stretch since 21 February, 2020, according to Dow Jones Market Data. When measured by the total number of 2% swings in either direction, last year was the most volatile for U.S. stocks since 2009. The S&P 500 recorded 46 daily swings of 2% or more in either direction last year, compared with 55 in 2009, according to Dow Jones Market Data. Of those, roughly half were down days.

US equity markets retreated as longer dated Treasury yields climbed to nine month highs - Dow slipped -67-points or -0.19%, The broader S&P500 eased -0.25%, with Utilities (down -2.29%) and Real Estate (-1.35%) leading nine of the eleven primary sectors lower and dragging the index lower for a third straight session. PayPal Holdings Inc tumbled -12.32% Energy (up +0.95%) and Consumer Discretionary (+0.34%) were the only primary sectors to advance. The Nasdaq dipped -0.10%. Qualcomm Inc shed -8.18% The small capitalisation Russell 2000 eased -0.28%.

US equity markets retreated a day after Fitch Ratings lowered its U.S. debt ratings to AA+ from the top AAA category, pointing to its growing debt burden and “erosion of governance” over the past two decades - Dow fell -348-points or -0.98%, with Intel Corp down -3.94% and Walt Disney Co -3.07%. The broader S&P500 dropped -1.38%, booking its biggest daily percentage decline since 25 April. The technology-centric Nasdaq shed -2.17%. Advanced Micro Devices Inc dropped -7.02% despite the chipmaker posting better-than-expected second quarter adjusted earnings per share and revenue after the close of the previous session. Amazon.com Inc (-2.64%) and Apple Inc (-1.55%) declined ahead of the release of their quarterly results tonight AEST, while Alphabet Inc (down -2.41%), Microsoft Corp (-2.63%) and Nvidia Corp (-4.81%) all fell over >2%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -1.37%. Chinese tech names JD.com Inc (down -4.47%) and Baidu Inc (-4.24%) fell more than >4% after China proposed limits on smartphone use for minors.

A mixed session for US equity markets to open August as investors continued to assess a raft of quarterly earnings releases and eyed Friday night’s AEST (4 August) key non-farm payrolls report - Dow added +71-points or +0.20%, touching its highest intra-session level since February 2022 earlier in the session. The broader S&P500 eased -0.27%, pulling back from a 16-month high. Utilities (down -1.26%) and Consumer Discretionary (-1.15%) both declined over >1% to lead nine of eleven primary sectors lower overnight. Tesla Inc fell -2.38% following reports that almost 300K Tesla Model 3s and Model Ys are the subject of a fresh investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into their steering after a dozen complaints alleging loss of steering control. Industrials (up +0.32%) and Information Technology (+0.09%) were the only primary sectors to advance. The Nasdaq -0.43%. Apple Inc (down -0.43%) and Amazon.com Inc (-1.49%) The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -0.45%.

US equity markets logged modest gains to close out July amid optimism over corporate earnings and a resilient economy, and ahead of a busy week in terms of quarterly results and economic releases - Dow up +100-points or +0.28% at 35,559.53, the 30-stock index’s highest settlement since 9 February, 2022. The broader S&P500 edged +0.15% to 4,588.96, logging its highest close since 30 March, 2022 and settling ~4.3% below its record closing high of set on 3 January, 2022. Energy rallied +2.0% to lead eight of the eleven primary sectors higher. Health Care (down -0.79%) and Consumer Staples (-0.46%) sat at the foot of the primary sector leaderboard overnight The Nasdaq added +0.21%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 rallied +1.09%.

US equity markets closed out the week on positive note on Friday (28 July), with investors buoyed by upbeat corporate earnings releases and cooling inflation data - Dow rose +177-points or +0.5%, Intel Corp rallied +6.60% after the chipmaker’s second-quarter earnings released after the close of last Thursday’s (27 July) session recorded a return to profitability after two straight quarters of losses, accompanied by stronger-than-expected third quarter forecast The broader S&P500 gained +0.99% to 4,582.23, logging its highest close since 4 April, 2022. Communication Services (up +2.30%) sat atop the primary sector leaderboard on Friday (28 July) for a third straight session, while Consumer Discretionary (+1.85%) and Information Technology (+1.48%) gained over >1%. The more defensive Real Estate and Utilities sectors both declined -0.26% and were the only primary sectors to settle in the red. The Nasdaq rallied +1.90%, with Alphabet Inc rising +2.46% to log its highest close in more than a year (US$132.58), and extending its weekly gain to +10.56% following their strong second quarter result earlier in the week. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 gained +1.36%. Roku Inc soared +31.41% ) after the streaming company’s second quarter results released after the close of the previous session topped consensus estimates at the top and bottom line.

US equity markets retreated, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average snapping it longest winning streak since 20 January, 1987 as Treasury yields climbed following stronger-than-expected second quarter economic growth figures - Dow lost -237-points or -0.67% after rising for thirteen consecutive session. The broader S&P500 fell -0.64%, with Real Estate (down -2.12%), Utilities (-1.73%) and Financials (-1.29%) all falling over >1% to lead ten of the eleven primary sectors lower. Communication Services (up +0.85%) was the only primary sector to settle in positive territory. The Nasdaq eased -0.55%. Meta Platforms Inc rallied +4.40% The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -1.29%.

US equity markets settled little changed after a choppy session that saw investors digest a host of quarterly results and the latest interest rate decision and monetary policy pronouncements from the Federal Reserve - Dow added -82-points or +0.23%, marking the 30-stock index’s 13th consecutive gain and longest winning streak since 20 January, 1987. One more day in the green and the blue-chip gauge will be able to claim its longest winning streak in more than 125 years (noting that the Dow was created in May 1896). The broader S&P500 dipped -0.02%, with Information Technology (down -1.30%) leading six of the eleven primary sectors lower. Communication Services sat atop the primary sector leaderboard with a +2.65% rally, underpinned by a strong gain for Alphabet Inc (up +5.78%) after the search giant reported better-than-expected second quarter earnings per share and revenue after the close of the previous session. The Nasdaq slipped -0.10%. Microsoft Corp fell -3.76% as investors continued to digest the company’s latest quarterly result released after the close of the previous session. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 gained +0.72%.

US equity markets drifted higher ahead of the release of second quarter results from major technology companies after the closing bell - Dow edged +27-points or +0.08% higher to 35,438.07, extending its rally into a 12th consecutive session to and recording its highest close since February, 2022. The broader S&P500 added +0.28%, with Materials (up +1.76%) and Information Technology (+1.19%) rising over >1% and leaving five of the eleven primary sectors higher overnight. Financials (down -0.83%) sat at the foot of the primary sector leaderboard. The Nasdaq rose +0.61%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 eked out a +0.02% gain.

US equity markets advanced to kick off a busy week of key quarterly earnings releases, central bank meetings and inflation data - Dow rose for an eleventh straight session, up +184-points or +0.52% to 35,411.24. The 30-stock index logged its highest close since 9 February, 2022 and secured its longest winning streak since the 12-day trading period that ended on 27 February, 2017. The broader S&P500 gained +0.40% to 4,554.64, settling ~5% shy of it record closing high of 4,796.56 set on 3 January, 2022. Energy (up +1.66%) led nine of the eleven primary sectors higher, while the more defensive Utilities (down -0.28%) and Health Care (-0.23%) sectors sat at the foot of the primary sector leaderboard. Chevron Corp gained +1.97% after releasing a second-quarter performance update on Sunday (23 July) that was better than expected ahead of the oil major’s earnings announcement this Friday night AEST (28 July). Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of US$3.08 (down ~47% year-on-year) topped consensus forecasts for US$2.97. The Nasdaq edged +0.19% higher, with investors eyeing second quarter earnings from a number of technology heavyweights this week including Alphabet Inc (up +1.26%), Meta Platforms Inc (down -0.90%) and Microsoft Corp (+0.39%). The small capitalisation Russell 2000 added +0.28%.

US equity markets little changed on Friday (21 July) after a choppy trading session that saw the monthly expiration of US$2.3 trillion of listed stock options (the largest on record), and with investors preparing for a major rebalancing of the Nasdaq-100 after the closing bell (designed to diminish the concentration risk) - Dow eked out a +2.5-point or +0.01%, securing its tenth consecutive session advance and longest winning streak since 7 August, 2017. The broader S&P500 inched +0.03% higher. The Nasdaq slipped -0.22%. Nvidia Corp (down -2.66%) and Microsoft Corp (-0.89%) are the two companies most affected by the Nasdaq rebalancing. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -0.35%.

US equity markets weaker, with the Nasdaq recording its biggest one-day drop in more than four months as investors reacted to second quarter results - Dow rose +164-points or +0.47%, recording its first 9-day rally since 2017.The broader S&P500 fell -0.68%, with Consumer Discretionary (down -3.40%), Communication Services (-2.48%) and Information Technology (-2.04%) all falling over >2% to lead four of the eleven primary sectors lower. The more defensive Utilities (up +1.85%) and Health Care (+1.85%) sat atop the primary sector leaderboard after underperforming earlier in the week. Twenty stocks in the S&P 500 touched 52-week highs overnight (including three homebuilders and investment bank JPMorgan Chase & Co up +1.23%), and 11 of them also reached all-time highs. Tesla Inc tumbled -9.74% after the electric vehicle manufacturer released its second quarter result after the close of the previous session and profit margins that lagged expectations. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elon Musk and other executives said on the company’s earnings call that vehicle production would slow during the third quarter due to shutdowns for factory improvements.

US equity markets settled modestly firmer as investors continued to digest second quarter results, including some heavyweight names after the closing bell - Dow up +109-points or +0.31% to 35,061.21, extending its rally into a eighth consecutive session (its longest winning streak in 4-years) and marking the first time that the 30-stock index has settled above 35,000 since 20 April, 2020. The broader S&P500 added +0.24%, with Real Estate (up +1.12%) and Utilities (+1.02%) rising over >1% and leading eight of the eleven primary sectors higher. Materials (down -0.52%) and Information Technology (-0.27%) sat at the foot of the primary sector leaderboard overnight. The Nasdaq inched +0.02% higher. Apple Inc closed 0.71% higher, rising as much as 2.3% earlier in the session after a media report said it was building generative artificial intelligence tools, which could challenge products such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Microsoft Corp fell -1.23% to snap a six session winning streak. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 added +0.45%.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite closed at 15-month highs, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average notched a sixth straight session of gains as investors shrugged off the latest round of soft China economic data and braced for a wave of second quarter results later this week - Dow added +76-points or +0.22% to 34,585.35, marking the highest close since 30 November, 2022.

A mixed session on Friday (14 July) to close out a strong week for US equity markets as investors digested second quarter results from some of America’s largest financial institutions - Dow rose +114-points or +0.33%, The broader S&P500 slipped -0.10%, snapping a four session winning streak. The index settled above the >4,500 level for the first time since 5 April, 2022 last Thursday (13 July), and hit a record close of 4,796.56 in January last year. The Energy sector (down -2.45%) led eight of the eleven primary sectors lower. Health Care (up +1.50%) sat atop the primary sector leaderboard. The Nasdaq eased -0.18%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -0.49%.

US equity markets climbed for a fourth consecutive session as wholesale inflation cooled further, and ahead of the release of second quarter results from some of the US’ biggest banks tonight AEST - Dow added +47-points or +0.10%. Walt Disney Co added +0.35% after the company’s board extended Chief Executive Bob Iger’s contract for two more years, through December 2026. The broader S&P500 +0.85% to 4,510.04, settling above the >4,500 level for the first time since 5 April, 2022. Communication Services rallied +2.32% to lead nine of the elven primary sectors higher. Energy (down -0.45%) sat at the foot of the primary sector leaderboard. The Nasdaq +1.58%. Amazon.com Inc rallied +2.68% after the company said the first day of its Prime Day shopping event drove its best sales performance yet. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 gained +0.91%.

US equity markets extended their rebound into a third consecutive session as investors digested a cooler-than-expected inflation report - Dow added +86-points or +0.25%. The broader S&P500 climbed +0.74% to 4,472.16, recording its highest settlement since 8 April, 2022. Domino's Pizza Inc jumped +11.09% after the pizza chain said it entered into a new global agreement with Uber Technologies Inc (+0.36%) that allows U.S. customers to order Domino’s products through Uber Eats and Postmates apps. Domino’s will still be making the deliveries. The technology-centric Nasdaq outperformed, rallying +1.15% to 13,914.48 and logging its highest close since 5 April, 2022. Nvidia Corp (up +3.53%) and Intel Corp (+2.04%), with the Financial Times reporting that UK chip designer Arm is in talks to bring both US semiconductor companies onboard as anchor investors as the SoftBank-owned company presses ahead with plans for a New York listing as soon as September. Nvidia, the world’s most valuable semiconductor company, was forced last year to abandon its planned US$66B acquisition of Arm after the deal was challenged by regulators. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 rose +1.05%.

US equity markets logged back-to-back session gains following a late rally ahead of key inflation figures tonight AEST - Dow rallied +317-points or +0.93%, marking its biggest daily percentage gain since 15 June. Salesforce.com Inc logged its biggest one day advance in four months (up +3.93%) after the client relationship software management group announced it was raising prices for some of its products, the first increase in seven years. The San Francisco-based company said that it would raise list prices in August by an average of 9% across its suite of products, which include Sales Cloud and Tableau. Boeing Co gained +2.55% after the commercial aerospace giant delivered more jets (136 commercial airliners, including 60 jets in June) than expected in the second quarter. The broader S&P500 gained +0.67%, with Energy (up +2.20%) leading all eleven primary sectors higher. The Nasdaq rose +0.55%.

US equity markets logged their first advance in four session overnight as investors eye key US inflation figures and the start of the US second quarter earnings season later this week - Dow rose +210-points or +0.62%, The broader S&P500 added +0.24%, with Industrials (up +1.39%) leading seven of the eleven primary sectors higher. Communication Services sat at the foot of the primary sector leaderboard with a -0.92% decline. The Nasdaq edged +0.18% higher. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 outperformed with a +1.64% rally.

Stocks fell on Friday, and finished lower for the week, as Wall Street struggled to shake off fears that the Federal Reserve may start hiking rates again later this month. The S&P 500 lost -0.29%, the Nasdaq dipped -0.13% while the Dow dropped 187 points, or -0.55%. Energy went from worst to best sector gaining +2.06%, while materials gained +0.88%. Consumer staples fell -1.34% and health care lost -1.16%.

U.S. stocks ended off session lows but suffered broad losses Thursday after data showed the private sector created nearly half a million new jobs in June, sending Treasury yields higher as investors recalibrated interest-rate expectations.

US equity markets slid on Wednesday as Wall Street resumed a holiday-shortened week and digested the latest Federal Reserve meeting minutes for insights into the state of monetary policy. The Dow Jones lost 129.83 points, or 0.38%, to finish at 34,288.64. The S&P 500 fell 0.20% to end at 4,446.82, and the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.18% to 13,791.65. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -23.87 or -1.26%.

European bourses closed mixed on Tuesday, with investors in a cautious mood ahead of data releases and the start of second-quarter earnings season. The pan-European Stoxx 600 ended +0.32 points of 0.07% higher after a day of muted trade. Health-care and tech stocks led gains, up 0.5%, as banking stocks dropped 0.6%. Germany's DAX was down +0.42% and France's CAC was down 0.17%.