On Friday, the American stock market experienced one of the strongest crashes in recent times

On Friday, the American stock market went through one of the harshest crashes in recent times due to a massive investor exodus from the technology sector. By the end of the day, the Dow Jones Index (US30) fell by 0.66% (week-to-date -0.58%). The S&P 500 Index (US500) declined by 2.64% (week-to-date -2.62%). The Technology Index NASDAQ (US100) closed lower by 4.77% (week-to-date -4.42%).

The catalyst for the tech panic was a strong US labor market report (172,000 new jobs versus the expectation of 85,000), which pushed the yield on 10‑year Treasury bonds above 4.5%, and 30‑year yields above 5%, intensifying fears of long-term high Fed rates. The main blow fell on semiconductor manufacturers, where Broadcom’s restrained outlook triggered a chain reaction and capital outflow from AI infrastructure. Broadcom’s own shares fell by more than 7% (continuing Thursday’s double‑digit decline), Marvell Technology and Micron Technology shares plunged by 16% and 13% respectively, while giants Intel and AMD lost about 11% of their value.

Statistics Canada published a strong labor market report that temporarily dispelled recession fears. The unemployment rate in the country unexpectedly fell by 0.3 percentage points in May – to 6.6% (the lowest level since January), while analysts had expected it to remain at 6.9%. The Canadian economy demonstrated surprising resilience despite triple pressure: the restrictive monetary policy of the Bank of Canada, prolonged tariff wars with Washington, and high energy prices caused by the Middle Eastern crisis.

European indices closed mixed on Friday. By the end of the day, Germany’s DAX (DE40) fell by 0.75% (week-to-date -1.29%), France’s CAC 40 (FR40) closed down 0.32% (week-to-date +0.58%), Spain’s IBEX 35 (ES35) rose by 0.38% (week-to-date +0.08%), and the UK’s FTSE 100 (UK100) ended the session up 0.08% (week-to-date -0.40%).

European stock indices closed in the red, reacting to the prolonged standoff between the US and Iran and the inevitable tightening of policy by major central banks. The main driver of sell-offs in Europe was the strong US labor market report, which strengthened expectations of a Fed rate hike, as well as the May acceleration of inflation in the Eurozone to 3.2%, causing markets to price in an almost 100% probability of an ECB rate increase at the June 11 meeting. The situation was worsened by a technical revision of Eurozone GDP for the first quarter: the bloc’s economy contracted by 0.2% due to a drop in Ireland’s GDP amid volatility in multinational companies’ financial flows.

Prices for American light crude oil WTI fell another 3%, dropping to $90.3 per barrel. While earlier in the week the main trigger for the decline was purely geopolitical, by the end of the week investors’ focus shifted to fundamental economic indicators signaling a noticeable cooling of global demand for raw materials. But on Monday, prices for American light crude oil WTI rose by more than 3%, surpassing $93 per barrel and fully recovering the late‑week decline. A powerful trigger for the renewed rally was a new escalation in the Middle East: Iran launched a direct missile strike on Israeli territory and issued a harsh warning about its readiness to expand military actions in Lebanon. Although Israeli air defense systems intercepted all missiles and no casualties were reported, this attack put the already fragile ceasefire agreement at risk, effectively bringing diplomatic efforts to a deadlock.

On Monday, platinum (XPT/USD) prices collapsed to around $1,760 per ounce, hitting the lowest level since December 2025. The precious metal came under heavy pressure due to the sharp deterioration of the geopolitical situation over the weekend, when Iran launched missile strikes on Israel. This step jeopardized the fragile truce and worsened the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Investors fear that entrenched cost inflation, combined with the recent strong US labor market report (Nonfarm Payrolls), will force the Fed and other central banks to keep interest rates at a strictly restrictive level, reducing the attractiveness of precious metals. Nevertheless, the large-scale collapse in platinum prices is being limited by strong fundamental factors on the physical market side. According to fresh outlooks from the World Platinum Investment Council (WPIC), the global market will record a supply deficit in 2026 for the fourth consecutive year.

On Friday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) fell by 1.31% (week-to-date +0.34%), China’s FTSE China A50 closed lower by 1.62% (week-to-date -0.50%), Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) declined by 1.15% (week-to-date -0.87%), and Australia’s ASX 200 (AU200) fell by 0.70% (week-to-date -0.97%). Asian stock markets were swept by a powerful wave of sell-offs triggered by Friday’s crash on Wall Street. The main epicenter of the decline was South Korea’s KOSPI Index, which plunged by 8.8%, showing one of the worst days in its history. The catalyst for the panic was a massive capital outflow from semiconductor giants and companies linked to AI infrastructure, which began after Broadcom’s restrained prognoses. Other key regional markets – Japan, Australia, China, and Hong Kong – also came under cross‑pressure from macroeconomic factors and geopolitical risks, recording deep declines. An additional blow to trader sentiment came from the sharp escalation of the geopolitical conflict in the Middle East.