USA
- Monday’s session ends with slight gains across most U.S. indices despite a turbulent geopolitical backdrop. Wall Street index futures are up about 0.2–0.3% on average. The Russell 2000 leads the gains, rising more than 0.8%.
- Donald Trump used strong language regarding negotiations with Iran, calling the Iranian side’s terms impossible to accept. Many analysts point to the president’s unfavorable position and the failure of his policy toward the Islamic Republic. Axios reports that the administration may consider resuming military operations.
- The equity market appears clearly focused on semiconductor valuations. Nearly the entire sector is posting single- to double-digit gains on the back of expectations and sentiment. Intel, Nvidia, Micron, SoFi, IonQ, and AMD are all higher.
- Euphoria in semiconductors is also spilling over into sectors linked to data-center expansion. Companies involved in power supply, energy storage, infrastructure, and services are gaining as well. Names in this group include Plug Power and Target Hospitality, both up by double digits.
- OpenAI is creating a subsidiary specializing in AI deployments. The company will provide support and consulting services to organizations looking to implement AI solutions.
- The National Association of Realtors released U.S. existing home sales data for April. The reading came in slightly below expectations at 4.02 million versus 4.05 million expected. Market strength is reflected in an upward revision to March data, to 4.01 million.
- Sentiment in Europe remains clearly weaker than in the U.S., and index performance by the close was mixed. Poland’s WIG20 and Italy’s FTSE MIB performed best, with gains of about 0.7–1.4%. The Eurostoxx50 fell more than 0.3%.
- OpenAI is granting the European Commission access to its cybersecurity-related tools.
- The European Commission is considering relaunching a subsidy program for smaller airports, supporting shares of European airlines.
- Norway’s year-over-year inflation was close to expectations, coming in at 3.4%.
- In FX markets, the British pound dominates, strengthening by about 0.4–0.8% against major currency pairs.
- Cocoa is up more than 10%, driven by supply concerns, including a shortage of fertilizers.
- Donald Trump’s comments about a potential collapse in Iran negotiations are supporting oil prices, which are up more than 3%. Brent is back above $104.
- Rising inflation in China is raising hopes for stronger industrial activity; copper and aluminum prices are up more than 2%.
- Silver is closing the gap to gold, rising by around 6%.
- Sentiment toward cryptocurrencies remains mixed but with an optimistic tilt. Bitcoin is up more than 1% and climbs above $81,000. Ethereum is lagging, posting a marginal gain of less than 0.5%. Solana is doing better, up more than 2%.
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