01 Stock Market
The U.S. major indexes closed as follows: Dow Jones up 2.85% at 47,909.92; S&P 500 up 2.51% at 6,782.81; NASDAQ up 2.80% at 22,634.99. Investors cheered a two-week cease-fire between the United States and Iran, sending all three benchmarks to their strongest single-day advance in weeks and clawing back a sizable portion of the prior session’s geopolitical-driven losses.
Semiconductors and megacaps led an eye-catching rebound. Memory giant Micron Technology (MU up 7.72% at $406.73), Intel (INTC up 11.42% at $58.95) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD up 4.64% at $231.82) rallied after bullish demand chatter, while leveraged fund Direxion Daily Semiconductors Bull 3× Shares (SOXL up 19.36% at $67.50) spiked. Market bellwethers joined the charge: Nvidia (NVDA up 2.23% at $182.08), Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM up 5.96% at $365.90), Broadcom (AVGO up 4.99% at $350.63), Apple (AAPL up 2.13% at $258.90), Microsoft (MSFT up 0.55% at $374.33), Alphabet (GOOG up 3.56% at $314.74) and Meta Platforms (META up 6.50% at $612.42) all finished higher. Electric-vehicle leader Tesla (TSLA down 0.98% at $343.25) slipped despite the tech rally, while bearish semiconductor ETF Direxion Daily SOXS fell sharply (SOXS down 19.35% at $26.96).
The day’s momentum hinged on easing geopolitical risk and fresh AI optimism. Washington’s agreement with Tehran to pause hostilities, together with Meta’s unveiling of its new “Muse Spark” AI model, bolstered risk appetite and reignited interest in growth names. Meanwhile, a retreat in oil prices weighed on energy shares, but investors rotated capital into technology, communication-services and consumer-discretionary stocks, helping the NASDAQ outperform.
02 Other Markets
U.S. 10-year Treasury yield rose by 0.10%, latest at 4.30%. USD/CNH rose 0.01%, at 6.86; USD/HKD fell 0.00%, at 7.83. U.S. Dollar Index rose 0.02%, at 99.03. WTI crude futures rose 2.56%, at 96.83 USD/bbl; COMEX gold futures fell 0.79%, at 4,739.60 USD/oz.
03 Top News
1. Meta Platforms unveiled its new closed-source large language model “Muse Spark,” aiming to power next-generation AI chatbots and superintelligence ambitions. Internal benchmarks show the model outperforming Google’s Gemini on several tasks and rivaling OpenAI’s offerings. The announcement lifted Meta’s shares by about 6.5% as investors welcomed the company’s accelerated AI roadmap.
2. Unity Software renewed a multi-year partnership with Meta to supply development tools for virtual-reality content on Meta headsets. The agreement extends longstanding collaboration, pledging deeper tool integration for gaming and enterprise developers. Unity’s stock jumped roughly 7% in early trading after the news.
3. SpaceX confidentially filed for an initial public offering as speculation grows over a potential merger with Tesla. The private rocket company, valued near $1.25 trillion after its combination with xAI, could stage one of the largest IPOs ever. Analysts debate whether combining SpaceX with Tesla might accelerate Elon Musk’s broader artificial-intelligence and space ambitions.
4. President Donald Trump announced a two-week suspension of U.S. military strikes on Iran, establishing a temporary cease-fire in the Gulf conflict. The pause is contingent on Tehran reopening the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping, a key route for global energy supplies. Equity markets rallied and oil prices slumped on the perceived de-escalation.
5. The White House threatened immediate 50% tariffs on any country supplying weapons to Iran, expanding economic pressure following the cease-fire. The administration said no exemptions would be granted, signaling a hard-line stance intended to curb Iran’s military resupply. Trade partners are assessing potential fallout from the sweeping tariff threat.
6. Iran’s Fars News Agency reported that Iranian forces halted international oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz after alleging Israel breached the newly announced cease-fire. The stoppage heightened concerns over energy security despite the truce, adding fresh uncertainty to global shipping flows through the critical chokepoint.
7. Israel conducted its heaviest airstrikes in Lebanon in recent days, prompting Iran to declare renewed peace talks “unreasonable.” Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammed Bager Qalibaf warned continued Israeli attacks jeopardize any diplomatic progress. Regional tensions remain elevated even amid nominal cease-fire efforts.
8. Delta Air Lines beat first-quarter earnings expectations, buoyed by robust travel demand despite elevated fuel costs. The airline’s results outpaced analyst forecasts, sending the stock up double digits in pre-market trade. Management cited resilient U.S. consumer demand and operational efficiencies for the outperformance.
9. Grab Holdings’ CEO said the Southeast Asian ride-hailing giant will lean on scale and artificial-intelligence products to offset higher fuel costs and drive growth. The strategy follows the company’s recent acquisition of Foodpanda’s Taiwan business, marking its first expansion beyond Southeast Asia. Executives expect AI-enabled services to enhance efficiency and customer engagement.
10. Super Micro Computer outlined an internal investigation framework to address allegations of chip-smuggling within its supply chain. The server maker detailed plans for an independent review and enhanced compliance measures to reassure regulators and customers. Shares rose more than 5% in extended trading as investors welcomed the transparency.
Sources: Reuters, Dow Jones, Tiger Newspress, public market data Disclaimer: This content is for reference only and does not constitute investment advice.
