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US equity markets mixed although the technology centric Nasdaq scaled a fresh record peak - Dow eased -71-points or -0.21% . The broader S&P500 slipped -0.11% but still sits ~0.4% from its all time high. The Nasdaq edged +0.13% higher to book its 16th record closing high (14,271.73) of 2021 and touching a fresh record intra-day peak (14,317.66). The small capitalisation Russell 2000 added +0.33%.

US equity markets followed through in Monday night’s (21 June) rebound, with the technology centric Nasdaq logging a fresh record closing high - Dow added +69-points or +0.20% . The broader S&P500 rose +0.51% to 4,246.44, settling just shy of last week’s (14 June) record closing high (4,255.15), with Consumer Discretionary (up +1.04%) and Information Technology (+0.89%) leading nine of the eleven primary sectors higher. Utilities (down -0.68%) and Real Estate (-0.44%) were the only primary sectors to close in the red. Delta Air Lines Inc (down -0.87%) plans to hire more than 1,000 pilots by next summer, according to multiple news reports. Citing an internal memo, Reuters and Bloomberg News separately reported that the airline looks to increase the number of pilots by ~8%, anticipating a recovery in air travel over the next year as international travel restrictions ease. The Nasdaq erased earlier losses to settle +0.79% higher at 14,253.27, eclipsing its previous record close of 14,174.14 set on 14 June. Microsoft Corp rose +1.1% and briefly saw its market capitalisation rise above >US$2 trillion after touching a record intra-day high of US$265.79. Microsoft is looking to join Apple Inc (up +1.27%), which is the only U.S. company to have closed a trading day with a market capitalization above >US $2 trillion. Apple is now worth ~US$2.2 trillion. Alphabet Inc rose +0.43% despite the European Commission announcing that it had opened a formal probe into Google’s digital advertising business in order to assess whether the U.S. company is distorting competition by favouring its own business. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 rose +0.43%. In merger and acquisition (M&A) news, Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust Inc., a real-estate investing platform managed by a unit of private-equity firm Blackstone Group Inc (up +0.10%) announced that it would acquire Home Partners of America in a deal valuing the company at US$6B.

US equity markets rebounded from last Friday’s (18 June) sharp sell-off and bond markets softened - Dow rallied +587-points or +1.76%, recording its best single session percentage climb since 5 March and rebounding from its worst weekly performance since the week ended 30 October, 2020 last week. Boeing Co gained +3.34%, while the Banks (including JPMorgan Chase & Co +1.70% and Goldman Sachs Group Inc +2.50%) also rebounded. The broader S&P500 gained +1.4%, recording its best single session percentage rise since 14 May to move back to within 1% of its record closing high. Energy (up +4.29%) leading all eleven primary sectors higher. Financials (up +2.35%), Industrials (+2.18%) and Materials (+2.07%) all rebounded over >2%. American Airlines Group Inc (up +0.72%) aid it was trimming some flights (amounting to about 1% of planned flying in the first half of July) to alleviate potential strains on its operations. The Nasdaq +0.79% to 14,141.48 and notch its third highest settlement on record. Microsoft Corp gained +1.23% and hit a record intra-day high (US$263.52). Netflix Inc fell -0.75% despite detailing a partnership with Steven Spielberg’s film and TV studio Amblin Partners for multiple new films for the streaming platform. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 gained +2.16%.

US equity markets retreated to close out a soft week that saw some unwinding of the reflation trade, with investors also eyeing some hawkish comments from St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard - Dow fell -533-points or -1.58% . The broader S&P500 shed -1.31%, with the Energy (down -2.92%), Utilities (-2.63%) and Financials (-2.45%) all falling over >2% and leading all eleven primary sectors lower. ~90% of the S&P500’s constituents settled lower on Friday. Both the Dow and S&P 500 hit their session lows in the final minutes of Friday’s (18 June) trading session and settled around those levels. The Nasdaq -0.92%. Amazon.com Inc’s (down -0.07%) Prime Day two day retail event kicks off tonight AEST., with EMarketer forecasting that total digital sales in the U.S. on Prime Day will jump +17.3% year over year to US$12.18B. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 dropped -2.17%. Last Friday’s (18 June) session also marked "quadruple witching day", the quarterly simultaneous expiration of U.S. options and futures contracts, and saw the largest options expiration in history.

US equity markets mixed as investors continued to ponder the latest monetary policy pronouncements from the Federal Reserve, although technology stocks traded strongly - Dow fell -210-points or -0.62%, extending its losing streak into a fourth straight day – the longest losing streak since January. Among some of the Dow’s key components, Caterpillar Inc fell -3.55%, Chevron Corp -2.37% and Dow Inc fell -3.13%, The broader S&P500 dipped -0.04%, with the Energy (down 3.49%), Financials (2.94%) and Materials (-2.20%) recording sharp falls. However, Information Technology rose +1.17% to be the leading primary sector performer. The technology-centric Nasdaq gained +0.84%, with Facebook (up +1.64%), Apple Inc +1.26%), Amazon.com Inc (+2.17%) all posting solid gains. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 fell -1.18%.

US equity markets retreated but settled off their worst levels of the session as investors digested the Federal Reserve’s latest monetary policy pronouncements that saw the central bank raise its headline inflation projection - Dow fell -266-points or -0.77% , dropping as much as -382-points or -1.1% earlier in the session and booking a third straight session decline. The broader S&P500 shed -0.54%, paring an earlier decline of as much as -1%. Utilities (down -1.49%), Consumer Staples (-1.24%) and Materials (-1.17%) all fell over >1% to lead ten of the eleven primary sectors lower. Consumer Discretionary (up +0.16%) was the only primary sector to advance. Oracle Corp fell -5.59% following the release of their fourth quarter result after the closing bell of the previous session. General Motors Co (up +1.56%) expects the ongoing semiconductor chip shortage and rising inflation to increase its expenses during the second half of the year by up to US$3B, according to Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Paul Jacobson The Nasdaq eased -0.24%, recovering from an earlier slide of as much as -1.2%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 lost -0.23%.

US equity markets retreated as investors digested some mixed economic data and eyed the conclusion of the Federal Reserve’s two day monetary policy meeting, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq pulling back from the record closing highs logged in the previous session - Dow down -94-points or -0.27% . The broader S&P500 eased -0.20% after touching a fresh record intra-day high (4,257.16) earlier in the session, with Real Estate (down -1.04%) and Information Technology (-0.64%) the worst performing primary sectors. Energy (up +2.06%) was comfortably the leading the primary sector performer. The Nasdaq fell -0.71%, with Apple Inc (down -0.64%), Alphabet Inc (-0.25%), Amazon.com Inc (-0.02%) and Microsoft Corp (-0.59%) all registering losses The small capitalisation Russell 2000 slipped -0.26%.

US equity markets advanced after a strong finish to the opening session of the week, with technology stocks outperforming - Dow down -86-points or -0.25%, paring an earlier -268-point/-0.78% decline. FedEx Corp in extended trading after its board approved a US$0.10c or +15% increase to the delivery and logistics company's dividend to US$0.75c per share.. The broader S&P500 edged +0.18% higher to 4,255.15, moving into positive territory in the final 15-minutes of the session and logging its 29th record closing high of the year. Information Technology rose +1.04% to lead six of the eleven primary sectors higher. Materials (down -1.28%) and Financials (-1.03%) both fell over >1% to be the worst performing primary sectors. Tesla Inc (up +1.28%) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elon Musk on Sunday (13 June) said the company will resume bitcoin transactions once it confirms there is reasonable clean energy usage by miners. The Nasdaq gained +0.74% to 14,174.14, logging its first record closing high since 26 April. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 fell -0.41%. Novavax (NVAX) slipped -0.9% despite announcing that Phase 3 trial data showed its COVID-19 vaccine to be 90.4% effective against the disease overall, and 100% effective at preventing severe cases.

Benchmark US equity markets advanced, shrugging off the latest evidence of accelerating inflation - Dow inched +19-points or +0.06% higher. The broader S&P500 added +0.47% to settle at a fresh record closing high of 4,239.18, also touching a fresh record intra-day high (4,249.74) earlier in the session. Healthcare (up +1.69%) led seven of the eleven primary sectors higher. Financials (down -1.12%) was the worst performing primary sector. RH (formerly known as Restoration Hardware) soared +15.67% after the home furnisher posted a better-than-expected first quarter result after the close of the previous session and lifted its fiscal full year sales.

US equity markets retreated, losing steam in the final half-hour of trading ahead of tonight’s AEST May inflation data - Dow fell -153-points or -0.44% . The broader S&P500 slipped 0.18% to 4,219.55, having surpassed its 7 May record closing high (4,232.60) earlier in the session and touching an intra-day peak of 4,237.09. Financials (down -1.06%) and Industrials (-1.03%) led seven of the eleven primary sectors lower. Healthcare (up +1.00%) and Utilities (+0.85%) sat atop the primary sector leaderboard. Target Corp fell -1.34% despite it would raise its quarterly dividend by +32.4% to US$0.90c per share from US$0.68c and reported traffic growth of 4.8% over the past 13 quarters. The Nasdaq dipped -0.09% to 13,911, booking its first loss in four sessions after touching an intra-session peak of 14,003.50. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 fell -0.71%.