US equity markets settled with modest gains as investors eye Friday night’s AEST (5 June) key non-farm payrolls report for May - Dow added +25-points or +0.07%, recording its fifth consecutive session advance and settling ~1.4% shy of its record all-time high.

The broader S&P500 edged +0.14% higher, with Energy (up +1.74%) and Real Estate (+1.41%) leading six of the eleven primary sectors higher. Materials (down -0.94%) was the worst performing primary sector overnight.

Tesla Inc fell -3.01% after electric car maker said it is recalling nearly 6,000 vehicles over concerns that their brake caliper bolts might loosen, which could potentially result in a loss of tire pressure. Tesla was also reportedly told by the Securities and Exchange Commission that it had failed to properly approve tweets by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elon Musk.

The technology-centric Nasdaq also added +0.14%. Microsoft Corp (down -0.04%) announced that it will unveil “the next generation of Windows” on 24 June. Windows, the dominant operating system for personal computers, is the source of ~14% of total revenue for Microsoft.

The small capitalisation Russell 2000 edged +0.13% higher. In merger and acquisition (M&A) news, Etsy Inc gained +7.15% after announcing it is buying London-based privately held fashion marketplace Depop for US$1.625B.