Author: PAZAMBA

Semiconductor stocks declined after a report stated that the U.S. is reviewing measures that would end waivers allowing some chipmakers to send American technology to China. A Commerce Department official reportedly informed Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Taiwan Semiconductor that he wants to cancel their waivers that enable shipping U.S. chipmaking tech to their factories in China. As a result, the VanEck Semiconductor ETF fell approximately 1%, Nvidia and Qualcomm also decreased about 1% each, whereas shares in Marvell Technology and Taiwan Semiconductor dropped by around 2% each.

Companies with big moves during trading included GXO Logistics whose shares rose up by over 11% after the firm improved its full-year earnings guidance. In contrast, Regencell Bioscience fell by more than 42% amid volatile trading following the implementation of a 38-for-1 split. Shares of CarMax jumped 6% on better-than-expected Q1 results while GMS stock increased 26% due to involved in a bidding war between QXO and Home Depot. Meanwhile, Jack in the Box shares lost 1% after receiving a Stifel downgrade to hold from buy, and shares of Accenture fell around 7% after a 6% quarterly drop in new bookings despite topping fiscal Q3 earnings and revenue expectations.

Regarding the defense stocks, Bernstein noted that they could still gain even if President Donald Trump’s “Golden Dome” project fails. Although unlikely to be accomplished by 2029, substantial spending benefiting major defense contractors is anticipated. Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX, L3Harris Technologies, Boeing, and BAE Systems are among the projected beneficiaries.

Lastly, JP Morgan has high expectations for Micron Technology’s earnings report next week on the backdrop of sustained momentum in high-bandwidth memory demand trends and potential consumer applications.

The Federal Reserve’s annual stress test results, to be released next week, could benefit large banks including Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, and Capital One. The stress test assesses how banks would cope in a severe economic downturn. Ahead of the results, analysts are hopeful that the regulatory stress capital buffers will be lowered for many leading banks. They predict weaker decline in GDP, a smaller rise in unemployment, and less severe declines in asset prices compared to last year.

Amphenol (APH), an under-the-radar company involved in the AI and data sector, could benefit from the ongoing build-out of AI data centers and infrastructure. The company’s largest and fastest-growing business is Communications Solutions, which comprises 45% of the firm. The division is fueled by strong demand from broadband, mobile networks, and data center interconnects. Amphenol’s upcoming product launches are expected to boost its growth.

Tesla is set to launch its robotaxis in Austin, Texas, on June 22. Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, has announced that the first driverless trip from the factory to a customer house is expected on his birthday, June 28. The launch will include a limited number of Tesla vehicles operating in a geofenced area of the city, with remote drivers monitoring the cars. Industry analysts have lauded this move, predicting it could double Tesla’s market value to $2 trillion by the end of 2023.

JPMorgan Chase is set to launch new tools that allow investors to research and purchase bonds and brokered certificates of deposit through its mobile app. The bank aims to compete with other online brokerages, and to attract investors who trade a few times a month. Despite steady gains in recent years, JPMorgan has only crossed $100 billion in assets under management. The key digital move is projected to make JPMorgan a leader in online banking.

Details about the absolute numbers for Dow, S&P, Nasdaq, and the main gainers and losers’ stocks are not provided in the text.

Tensions between Israel and Iran are escalating, potentially leading to a full-blown war that may impact the US economy. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell stated that while energy prices may temporarily spike, the US economy is far less dependent on foreign oil than it was in the 1970s. However, economists warn that closure of Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil chokepoints, by Iran could significantly disrupt seaborne oil and gas flow, leading to a spike in energy costs and thus impacting the global economy.

Oil prices rose by nearly 3% as a result of these tensions, with the Brent global benchmark reaching $78.85 per barrel, its highest since January. US crude oil also showed similar trends. JPMorgan pointed out that further destabilization of Iran, a major oil producer, could sustain higher oil prices for extended periods.

Shares of Berkshire Hathaway fell by over 10% following Warren Buffett’s announcement of his upcoming departure as CEO. Some experts predict an additional decline in the shares after Buffett’s exit due to his significant role in the company’s success.

In Europe, stocks closed lower as the Israel-Iran conflict becomes the focus, with London’s FTSE, Germany’s DAX, France’s CAC 40 and Italy’s FTSE MIB all showing declines. The US Federal Reserve’s decision to keep interest rates steady is also being weighed by investors.

Meanwhile, the Buss family agreed to sell the majority stake of the Los Angeles Lakers to businessman Mark Walter at a valuation of $10 billion, a record for NBA valuations. Jeanie Buss will retain a minority stake in the team and her governor seat.

As global equity market volatility continues, fund managers are increasingly turning their attention to emerging markets. Notably, despite new tariff rates set to take effect on July 8, Bank of America’s latest Fund Manager Survey highlights that institutional investors are not overly concerned that the high tariff rates will endure. BofA polled 222 fund managers, collectively managing $587 billion assets, and found that net allocation to equities from emerging markets is now at its highest since August 2023. Goldman Sachs also recently launched its Emerging Markets Green and Social Bond Active ETF, further evidence of growing interest in developing economies.

In other market news, Asia-Pacific stocks saw declines, largely driven by Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index which fell by over 2%. Investor concerns included the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to maintain interest rates and the continuing Middle East conflict. China’s CSI 300 was down by 0.82%, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 1.02% to close at 38,488.34, and the Topix declined 0.58% to end the trading day at 2,792.08. The Dow finished the trading day down 44.14 points at 42,171.66, while the S&P 500 fell 0.03% to close at 5,980.87. The Nasdaq Composite was slightly up, gaining 0.13% to settle at 19,546.27.

In its latest meeting, the Federal Reserve retained interest rates steady amid expectations of higher inflation and lower economic growth. Indications suggest two cuts by the end of 2025 are being anticipated, however, expectations for 2026 and 2027 both saw a decrease by one rate cut, suggesting that officials remain uncertain about the future of rates. The updated Federal Reserve predictions revised the gross domestic product’s increase to a slower 1.4% pace in 2025, and inflation is projected to reach 3%.

The Federal Reserve voted to keep interest rates unchanged at a range of 4.25%-4.5%, mirroring market expectations. While no changes are expected imminently, the central bank hinted at two potential rate cuts by the close of 2025, down from the previous three. In terms of economic forecasts, the committee predicted the gross domestic product (GDP) to progress at a rate of 1.4% in 2025 and inflation to reach 3%.

In the semiconductor sector, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has seen a significant upturn, with the share price rising nearly 9% at the start of the week. Notably, the stock successfully managed to push past the 13-, 26-, and 40-week moving averages, potentially signaling further gains. However, despite robust grow in the short term, the pace is expected to slow down.

Cybersecurity stocks, including CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks, have remained relatively stable, even amid global geopolitical tensions, like the conflict between Iran and Israel. The stability likely stems from the increasing criticality of cybersecurity across industries.

Shares of major crypto companies Circle and Coinbase saw prices surge following reports that the Senate passed the GENIUS act, which aims to govern the issuance of stablecoins. The news increased take values by 22% and 10% for Circle and Coinbase, respectively.

Lastly, Ned Davis Research suggests that the record-high household ownership of US stocks could potentially be a negative indicator for the market. Households have invested about 48% of their portfolio into stocks during Q1. With the S&P500 nearing record-highs, there may be a limited margin for future buying. Meanwhile, other experts have raised concerns over the record-high foreign ownership of US equities, which sits at 18%. Should there be a drop in the trade deficit, this might result in fewer dollars being recycled into the US stock market.

Shares of steel producer Nucor increased by more than 3% thanks to a promising guidance for their Q2 earnings, despite a dip in Steel Dynamics guidance causing a 1% fall in the stock. Among significant movers, Scholar Rock Holding shares soared nearly 15% after a positive report on its experimental drug. Affirm saw a 3% rise after announcing a new loan sale facility with Prudential. Sunrun and Bausch Health both saw a bump in their stocks by 5% and 8% respectively. However, CERo Therapeutics and Zoetis saw declines of 30% and 3%.

In other news, Nippon Steel completed its acquisition of U.S. Steel, with shares removed from NYSE listing. Meanwhile, Iran’s largest crypto exchange, Nobitex, was attacked by hackers, leading to a loss of over $90 million in cryptocurrencies.

Lastly, following a 19.5% spike in oil futures, history suggests that investors should diversify away from automakers and airlines while favoring tech stocks resistant to increases in oil prices and broader geopolitics. Specifically, chip manufacturers Advanced Micro Devices and Monolithic Power Systems tend to see a rise in stock performance following significant oil price hikes. CSX, C.H. Robinson, and Xylem also reflect this trend. However, consumer-driven companies like Ford, United Airlines and Target tend to see a dip.

The Federal Reserve’s policy meeting this week is unlikely to lead to any immediate movement on interest rates, with the committee expected to maintain their forecast of two rate cuts this year. Chair Jerome Powell will need to react to a White House campaign pushing for decreased monetary rates, with impacts from the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict and tariffs being closely assessed by investors.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy predicts increased use of generative AI which may reduce the need for certain roles within a company, leading to a leaner workforce. Oil prices rose by 4% on Tuesday following Trump’s threat to Iran and its leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Meanwhile, the housing market continues to struggle as high mortgage rates and low inventory pressure affordability.

JPMorgan Chase is expanding further into the cryptocurrency market with the proposed launch of JPMD, a stablecoin-like token. Aimed at institution-level clients, JPMD offers round-the-clock settlement and allows interest to be paid to holders. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly is eyeing long-term growth by stocking its pipeline with potential winners, announcing plans to buy gene-editing firm Verve Therapeutics for $1.3 billion.

Finally, it’s anticipated that a wider array of stocks could drive further gains in the QQQ Nasdaq-100 ETF, with stocks such as Palantir Technologies, Zscaler, Micron Technology, Netflix, AppLovin, Warner Bros. Discovery and Charter Communications expected to rally in the coming year.

US stocks tracked lower amidst concerns over intensifying conflicts between Israel and Iran. The S&P 500 energy sector added 1% taking advantage of the rising crude oil futures, with Valero Energy gaining 2.9%. Chevron, Hess, and APAC Corporation also advanced more than 1%. The electronics manufacturer, Jabil, saw its stocks rise nearly 9% after boosting its full-year outlook based on Q3 beats.

Meanwhile, airline stocks fell. JetBlue Airways dropped by 7.9% after announcing new cost cuts due to softer-than-expected travel demand. Other carriers’ shares followed suit, with United Airlines down by 6.2%, Delta Air Lines by 4.3%, and American Airlines by 3%.

Solar stocks took a significant hit as the Senate’s version of President Donald Trump’s tax bill would phase out renewable energy incentives. Enphase Energy fell by 24%, First Solar by 18%, and Sunrun by a massive 40%. SolarEdge Technologies also stepped back around 33%.

Biotech company Verve Therapeutics saw an impressive 81% rally following an agreement to be taken over by Eli Lilly for $10.50 per share, a 68% premium. The total deal could be worth up to $1.3 billion and is set to close in the third quarter. Eli Lilly shares fell 2% in response.

T-Mobile US shares dropped 4% after reports emerged of SoftBank selling 21.5 million T-Mobile shares, raising roughly $4.8 billion.

Tesla shares also fell nearly 4% after reports that the EV maker was halting Cybertruck and Model Y production for a week in Austin, Texas. Similarly, Reddit stock jumped 6% after the social media company introduced new AI advertising tools.

Amazon announced an extension of its annual Prime Day event to four days, and Wells Fargo reiterated its “overweight” buy rating on Meta Platforms, citing the company’s efforts to monetize WhatsApp.

The conflict in the Middle East also pushed oil prices up around 1%, and Middle East Strife saw Trump leave the G7 summit early. Further news around this situation led to the Dow Jones Industrial Average sliding 235 points, S&P 500 futures falling 0.5%, and Nasdaq 100 futures shedding 0.6%.

In the AI field, OpenAI secured a $200 million contract from the U.S. Defense Department to provide AI tools. Amazon extends its Prime Day event and launches AI tools, and Reddit released AI-powered advertising features contributing to a 6% rise in its stock.

Stocks climbed in afternoon trading with the S&P 500 gaining approximately 1% and the Nasdaq Composite increasing about 1.5%. The market suggests that Investors do not predict the attacks between Israel and Iran escalating into a larger Middle-Eastern conflict, which would hinder global economic growth.

The electrical equipment company, Eaton, has announced the $1.55 billion acquisition of aerospace and defense firm Ultra Precision Control Systems. This would extend Eaton’s influence in two rapidly developing markets—global defense and aerospace, both of which are witnessing growth due to increasing geopolitical tensions and overseas conflicts. Eaton’s shares have risen over 4%, outpacing the recovering market.

Despite a peak valuation, Abbott Laboratories received a hold-equivalent rating and target price of $143 from analysts at Leerink Partners. Nonetheless, the stock is one of the best-performing in the portfolio.

Adam Parker of Trivariate Research suggests that during turbulent markets, investors should consider defensive strategies like acquiring dividend-paying stocks. Microsoft, Eli Lilly, Philip Morris International, and Eaton have been suggested as potential investments for this strategy.

Advanced Micro Devices’ (AMD) shares rose by nearly 10% after Piper Sandler upgraded their price target for the stock, based on the company’s new product launch and promising fourth-quarter projections.

In other movements, social media giant Meta Platforms’ shares jumped 2% on its decision to bring advertising to WhatsApp. Casino operator MGM Resorts’ shares increased over 7% after a positive update on its full-year guidance. Despite a dip in oil prices leading to losses for large energy companies, tech stock Cisco surged 2% following an upgrade from Deutsche Bank.

Lastly, several company executives have cashed in on the stock market rebound. Notably, CrowdStrike president Michael Sentonas sold nearly $12 million worth of stock, and Broadcom president Charlie Kawwas offloaded $2.5 million worth of shares. Ralph Lauren sold over $71 million worth of shares in his own company.

According to Citi Research, a notable scarcity of quality firms yielding strong returns is now being observed, particularly those where ROE is projected to increase due to margin expansion and overall asset turnover. A select few, such as defense company Lockheed Martin, retail giants Tapestry and Ralph Lauren, Netflix, Broadcom and Chipotle Mexican Grill are expected to witness high profitability gains. Lockheed Martin, estimated to boast an ROE of 93.90% by 2026, received recently raised forecasts due to resilient demand for its missile systems and jets.

Meta Platforms announced its plan on running ads in a select segment of WhatsApp called the “Updates” tab, sending stock shares higher. Businesses will be able to promote their channels within the brand feed and users can subscribe for monthly updates from their favorite channels.

This week, the Federal Reserve is expected to keep interest rates steady. This could directly affect credit card rates, which have already edged higher and have an average annual percentage rate of 20%.

Bank of America has downgraded CoreWeave, while increasing its price target from $76 to $185 due to the stock running at a premium to peer groups at 16x. They predict an upside related to developments including a new hyperscaler customer and an extension of the OpenAI agreement, with the stock trading at 25x CY27e EBIT.

Finally, as global conflicts increase, defense stocks Axon Enterprise and RTX Corp are experiencing sharp price gains due to their roles in aerospace and defense. The former is expected to have an ROE of more than 43% by 2026, and is being advised to have a longer leash to recover from sell-offs due to what is described as a secular bull market for defense-oriented stocks.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite both ended higher on Thursday, partly credited to a surge in Oracle shares. The S&P 500 went up by 0.38% to close at 6,045.26, and Nasdaq gained 0.24% to reach 19,662.48. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also increased, settling at 42,967.62 with an addition of 101.85 points, or 0.24%. Oracle’s shares experienced a 13% increase after delivering positive fiscal fourth-quarter results and projecting more cloud growth. Boeing shares, on the other hand, decreased by nearly 5% after an Air India Dreamliner 787 crash.

On Friday, stocks fell due to escalating conflicts between Israel and Iran. The Dow dropped 769.83 points or 1.79% to end at 42,197.79, while the S&P 500 closed at 5,976.97 with a decrease of 1.13%. The Nasdaq Composite lost 1.30% to settle at 19,406.83. All these factors resulted in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq ending the week with losses of 0.4% and 0.6%, respectively, and the Dow Jones decreasing by 1.3% for the week.

The major gainers included tech companies led by Oracle, which surged 13%. Safe assets like Gold also saw a rise, Lockheed Martin and RTX recorded gains of over 3% each, and Exxon added 2% due to the increased oil prices.

Boeing was among prominent losers, shedding nearly 5% after a major plane crash. Nvidia along with other stocks leading the market’s comeback since April also saw significant drops as investors moved away from riskier assets.

Wall Street faced a turbulent week, with stocks ending lower due to geopolitical tensions and awaited trade and federal decisions. The S&P 500 lost 0.27% to close at 6,022.24, ending a three-day winning streak. The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.5% to 19,615.88. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed a mere 1.1 points, closing at 42,865.77.

Top losers for the week include Visa and Mastercard, which tumbled around 5% after a Wall Street Journal report suggested major retailers are exploring stablecoin options to bypass traditional card payment fees. GameStop shares also fell significantly, dropping more than 23% after announcing plans to offer convertible notes.

Boeing and GE Aerospace shares fell following a crash of an Air India plane shortly after take-off. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane was reportedly powered by GE Aerospace’s GEnx-1B engines.

On the other hand, Oracle shares surged over 23% in the week after posting impressive quarterly earnings. The company’s performance defied the general market trend, rising even in the face of increased risk. BMO Capital markets upgraded the stock to ‘Outperform’ and raised its price target to $235 per share.

Investors remained on edge regarding geopolitical tensions and potential impact on global financial markets as conflicts between Israel and Iran escalated. A surge in oil prices due to these conflicts is expected to have an impact on inflation. The Federal Reserve meeting is another focal point for investors as they await decisions on interest rates.

While the market volatility continues, U.S.-China talks are also a point of attention for investors, with the leaders of both nations needing to approve a trade deal framework that includes rare-earth mineral exports and rollback of restrictions on sale of advanced technology. There was speculation over potential change in U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports, but they are set to remain at current levels.

Another concern for investors is the rising oil prices due to escalating tensions in the Middle East. For consumers, the risk of gas prices going up in proportion to oil prices is looming, which could impact discretionary spending. Despite the uncertainty, the market is awaiting consumer sentiment indexes and retail reports for more clarity about the state of the economy.

Oracle shares are experiencing their best week since 2001, increasing by approximately 24% following a robust earnings report and optimistic projections for their future in cloud computing. The software giant exceeded revenue and earning predictions, with Oracle CEO Safra Catz predicting sales to surpass $67 billion in the new fiscal year. The company’s capital expenditures for the 2025 fiscal year exceeded $21 billion and are set to reach $25 billion in fiscal 2026. Clients using Oracle’s services include Meta, OpenAI, and Elon Musk’s xAI.

Financial markets dropped on news of increased tension in the Middle East following Israel’s attack on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by almost 2%, and the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both dropped more than 1%. Oil prices surged, with Brent crude increasing 7% to over $74 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate Crude also spiking 7%.

The stock of Air India and Amazon experienced losses due to respective crises. Air India’s stock dropped after a fatal crash involving one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets, killing 241 of the 242 people on board. Amazon is restructuring its healthcare business into six new units, aiming for a “simpler structure”, amid competitive pressures and senior management departures.

Tension in the Middle East has made investors cautious. Despite a fall in indexes, including a 1% decrease for the Dow, a 0.6% decrease for Nasdaq, and a 0.5% decrease for the S&P 500, experts advise against drastic portfolio adjustments. They encourage investors to remain focused on long-term sales and earnings. Some sectors, such as energy, healthcare, and utilities, are still performing well amidst the crisis.

In other news, Amazon is restructuring its healthcare business into six units to create a simpler structure and to try to break into the multitrillion-dollar US healthcare industry. Meanwhile, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) will unveil its vision for advancing AI with its CEO and industry luminaries.

1. Energy stocks saw a significant increase due to a rise in oil prices following Israel’s airstrikes against Iran, with Chevron and Exxon Mobil rising around 1% each. Halliburton saw gains of over 4% while EOG Resources rose more than 3%. However, payment companies faced significant losses with Visa and Mastercard falling more than 5% each, following reports that Walmart and Amazon are considering the issuance of their own stablecoins.

2. Bank of America has stated that the S&P 500 appears statistically expensive based on all 20 of the valuation metrics it tracks. According to Savita Subramanian, equity and strategian for the firm, the S&P 500 now trades at 21-times forward earnings, 35% above its historical average. Despite this, the S&P 500 is up around 2% in 2025.

3. The IPO market in June has seen significant success, contributing to the rise of big banks. Notably, Chime saw a 37% rise on its public debut on the Nasdaq. Additionally, the market has also seen strong IPOs from companies like Voyager Technologies and Circle. As a result, Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo are expected to experience further upside due to their involvement in such investments.

4. Archer Aviation’s stocks dropped by about 15% due to the sale of $850 million worth of shares. This move followed President Donald Trump’s recent creation of a pilot programme to support the development and deployment of eVTOL vehicles in the U.S. Despite regulatory and safety challenges, Archer is continuing to proceed with its plans and aims to provide air taxi services for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

5. Modine Manufacturing, a producer of thermal management solutions, has been tipped for significant growth by KeyBanc Capital Markets. The company is focusing on high growth opportunities in the data center market, targeting cooling needs. Modine is expected to maintain robust organic growth momentum and is predicted to see sales for its data center business reach ~30% by 2026. At present, shares have pulled back 19% however, have rallied 23% in Q2 2025. The potential upside has led KeyBanc to set a $125 price target for the stock.

Google Cloud and other internet services reported global outages on Thursday disrupting many major internet services. Affected companies included Amazon Web Services, Amazon’s Twitch, CoreWeave’s Weights and Biases, Elastic, Gitlab, LangChain, Microsoft’s GitHub, Replit, and Intuit’s Mailchimp. The situation negatively impacted Cloudflare, which saw its stocks fall by about 6%.

The stocks of Nvidia gained significantly after the CEO Jensen Huang’s Charitable Foundation grew from $828 million in assets to over $9.1 billion, due to shares Huang donated to the foundation. This catapults the foundation to become one of the 15 largest private foundations in the U.S.

Former President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. will have a “golden share” in U.S. Steel after its deal with Japan’s Nippon Steel closes. However, information about how the deal is structured and other details are yet to be provided by the White House, U.S. Steel, and Nippon Steel.

The online banking company, Chime, opened at $43 in its Nasdaq debut. The company had earlier sold its shares at $27 each in an IPO, thereby valuing the company at $11.6 billion. Even though this is a step down from the $25 billion valuation the company received in 2021, Chime’s offering signifies a reopening of the fintech IPO market.

Oracle shares rose by 15% due to robust earnings and a strong forecast, fueled by growth in the cloud. The company’s revenue rose by 11% year-over-year to $15.9 billion, and adjusted earnings per share of $1.70 exceeded the average analyst estimate of $1.64. This is being attributed to Oracle’s recent headway in the cloud infrastructure market, competing against major companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.

President Donald Trump criticized Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, urging him to lower interest rates, claiming a 2 percentage point cut would save the U.S. $600 billion annually. The pressure came after a Labor Department report showed lower than expected inflation increase.

A recent survey found 53% of retail executives expect the U.S. to avoid imposing the proposed 46% “reciprocal” tariffs on goods imported from Vietnam, a significant importer for companies like Nike. There is tempered optimism that President Trump will soften the impact of these tariffs as has often been seen previously.

Palo Alto Networks (PANW), a cybersecurity company, is showing solid performances in its business units, with the AI and automation business, Cortex, driving significant growth. The company, which is the largest cybersecurity stock in America with a $130 billion market cap, plans to double its business over the next five years.

Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) and mutual funds offer different advantages, with ETFs offering the ability to buy and sell like individual stocks throughout the day, while mutual funds are priced only at the end of the trading day. Based on State Street data, ETFs generally have lower expense ratios compared to mutual funds, with 0.52% versus 0.91%.

Finally, investment bank UBS recommended retail stocks Costco Wholesale, O’Reilly Automotive, and Walmart, dubbed “COW” stocks as a measure of safety against macroeconomic uncertainty. Each stock has performed well in 2025, with share increases of 14%, 9%, and 4% year-to-date respectively.

The main article talks about the differences between ETFs and mutual funds. Although both are popular investment vehicles, ETFs and mutual funds have different structures. ETFs are tradeable like individual stocks and their prices fluctuate throughout the day. Mutual funds, on the other hand, are purchased and sold directly and priced at the end of the trading day. Another distinction is that ETFs tend to have lower expense ratios than mutual funds due to the operational cost differences. There are no specific market figures provided in the article.

Bank of America endorsed Goldman Sachs, setting a $700 price target and reiterating a buy rating for the investment bank’s stock. Goldman Sachs was applauded for its resilient and adaptable strategies. It has propelled a 9% overall gain in 2025, and a 4% leap in June alone.

GameStop’s stock dropped by more than 23% when the company announced its plans of issuing a $1.75 billion convertible notes offering to fund its bitcoin purchase strategy. The primary goal is the acquisition of cryptocurrencies for its balance sheet, further indicating its shift towards the trading card market. However, the market reaction to this strategy appears uncertain.

In analyst calls, Nvidia, Amazon, Palantir, Dell, SoFi, Oracle, BJ’s, Lockheed Martin, and others, received positive analyses. Stocks like Nvidia and Oracle, were reiterated as ‘overweight’ by analysts from Morgan Stanley and Barclays respectively. Amazon and Dell were reiterated as buy by Bank of America and Deutsche Bank respectively, based on their innovations in AI and infrastructure.

In premarket trading, Boeing’s shares suffered a 7.5% loss following the crash of an Air India Boeing Dreamliner. Oracle’s stock surged by 9% after its Q4 earnings and revenue beat analyst estimates. On the contrary, GameStop fell by approximately 16% after announcing plans to sell $1.75 billion of convertible senior notes, primarily for investing in bitcoin. Other stocks that made significant moves in premarket included CoreWeave, CureVac, Voyager Technologies, and Oklo.

Increasing tensions between the US and Iran have sparked a surge in oil prices and escalated concerns about the prospect of a military confrontation, following less successful than expected nuclear talks and the withdrawal of some American personnel from the Middle East. The primary stumbling block to an agreement appears to be Iran’s uranium enrichment, which the country maintains is its right within the terms of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

On Wall Street, precious metals are outperforming the US stock market, with gold, silver, and platinum yielding significant returns for investors seeking refuge from trade war uncertainty. The price of gold has soared by 27.5%, silver is up by 24%, and platinum increased by an impressive 36%.

The chaotic trade policies of Donald Trump’s administration have shaken markets and led investors to shift their attentions to traditionally less popular assets. The S&P 500 has seen an increase of less than 3% this year, while the US dollar has grown largely weaker.

Chipmaker Huawei is set to capitalise on China’s developing technology market if the United States continues to restrict access to AI semiconductors. Even though Nvidia’s technology is currently a generation ahead, CEO Jensen Huang warns that export curbs on China could result in Chinese AI technology winning out if American companies don’t compete in China’s market.

Yields for 10-year Treasury bonds dropped 6 basis points to 4.355%, and the 2-year yield dropped 4 basis points to 3.901%. These movements have been influenced by slower than predicted inflation rates in May and the potential extension of a pause on reciprocal tariffs by the Trump administration. An upcoming deadline for this pause is adding volatility, particularly in the bond markets.

BlackRock’s 2024 acquisition of alternative assets data provider Preqin for $3.2 billion is proving to have a significant and beneficial effect on the company. The move brings a new level of transparency to private markets, giving investors more access to non-public sectors such as infrastructure and private credit. Moody’s warned of potential risks in offering retail investors this level of access, but BlackRock CEO Larry Fink sees it as a big opportunity for future growth. Preqin’s integration is already showing results, adding approximately $20 million to BlackRock’s first-quarter revenue.

Despite concerns about inflation affecting the economy, government bond sales and inflation reports are expected to impact the bond market this week. Both consumer and producer prices for May are due out, as well as auctions for $39 billion of 10-year notes and $22 billion of 30-year bonds.

Bitcoin is expected to see a surge that could take it to all-time highs above $130,000, driven by strong institutional demand, a steady macro environment, and an improving regulatory environment. Analysts believe that Bitcoin has the potential to trigger higher returns, and as demand increases, retailers are expected to also see a profit increase.

Despite market turbulence during President Trump’s second term, the S&P 500’s annualized return is positive at 1.58%. Previous presidents’ tenures have seen greater returns in their early days, although Trump’s second term outperformed George W. Bush’s first term, which had a negative return of -12%.

Snap announced plans to release its sixth-generation augmented reality glasses, Specs, in 2026. Specs will run on Snap’s OS and will incorporate Google’s Gemini AI models. The glasses will be lighter and smaller than their predecessors.

The CBOE Volatility Index recorded a steep slide, the third-largest in history, pointing to a bullish outlook for patient investors over a longer time frame, according to Bespoke Investment Group. The S&P 500 is up over 6% since President Trump announced his plan for tariffs, and the volatility shock saw the shortest market plunge on record.

The notable movers midday in the stock market include Topgolf Callaway Brands, that saw a 5% increase, and Insmed whose stocks surged by over 26% after announcing a positive result from a study. J.M. Smucker saw a 13% pullback after it missed fourth-quarter revenue estimates and Taiwan Semiconductor saw a rise of over 1% after increasing yearly revenue. SolarEdge saw a 12% increase and SunRun gained 4% due to a Wall Street Journal report on tech companies lobbying lawmakers.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has raised concerns in health policy circles by gutting a government panel of vaccine advisors. This could introduce regulatory uncertainty for vaccine manufacturer stocks including Moderna, Merck, Pfizer, and BioNTech.

Jim Cramer’s top 10 things to watch in the stock market on Tuesday include Disney’s control of streaming service Hulu, Apple’s disappointing artificial intelligence updates, McDonald’s downgrades, and Bank of America’s increased price target on Cardinal Health.

Boeing’s gross orders for new airplanes reached 303 last month, the most since December 2023, indicating a potential financial recovery for the company against its competition with Airbus. Despite the ongoing pandemic, Boeing has managed to deliver 220 airplanes to customers this year. This surge in orders may result in further deals at the upcoming Paris Air Show.