By the end of the day, the Dow Jones Index (US30) rose by 0.72% (up +1.49% for the week). The S&P 500 Index (US500) gained 0.37% (up +1.80% for the week). The Technology‑heavy NASDAQ Index (US100) closed higher by 0.20% (up +2.58% for the week).

On Friday, May 29, 2026, US stock indices ended the session at new historical highs, recording phenomenal results for the entire month. The main triumph of May was the Technology‑focused NASDAQ, which jumped more than 8% over the month. The broad‑market S&P 500 added 5% in May, while the industrial Dow Jones rose 3%. A powerful long‑term driver for the equity market was another wave of AI euphoria, supported by strong corporate news. Shares of IT giant Dell posted an incredible surge of +33% as the company sharply raised its profit and revenue expectations thanks to an avalanche‑like increase in demand for its artificial‑intelligence server equipment.

In turn, Oracle (+10%) and Microsoft (+5%) received a strong investment boost amid news of a new funding round for the startup Anthropic, confirming the continued resilience of the AI trend. At the same time, the stock market was supported by a local improvement in the geopolitical backdrop. Reports that the US and Iran had agreed on a 60‑day memorandum to extend the ceasefire and unblock the Strait of Hormuz (although the document is still awaiting Donald Trump’s signature) led to a decline in energy prices and US Treasury yields.

The Canadian dollar (CAD) weakened significantly, falling below 1.378 per US dollar. The main reason for the sell‑off in the “loonie” was weak macroeconomic data, which effectively forced investors to price in an exclusively “dovish” scenario for the Bank of Canada’s next steps. The biggest disappointment for the market was the GDP report: in the first quarter of 2026, the Canadian economy unexpectedly contracted in annual terms. Since this marks the second consecutive quarterly decline, analysts openly began speaking about a technical recession and a deep domestic slowdown. Against this backdrop, market participants have virtually no doubt that at the upcoming meeting on June 10, the Bank of Canada will prefer to pause and leave interest rates unchanged.

On Friday, Germany’s DAX (DE40) rose by 0.05% (up +0.87% for the week), France’s CAC 40 (FR40) closed down by 0.07% (up +0.83% for the week), Spain’s IBEX 35 (ES35) gained 0.46% (up +2.10% for the week), and the UK’s FTSE 100 (UK100) ended the session lower by 0.16% (down -0.33% for the week). The external backdrop for European assets remains mixed. On the one hand, markets were supported by reports from the White House that the US and Iran had agreed on a 60‑day memorandum to extend the ceasefire and launch official negotiations, which is now awaiting Donald Trump’s approval. On the other hand, the balance of risks worsened due to a new escalation in Eastern Europe, where, during a nighttime attack on Friday on Ukrainian border infrastructure, a Russian drone struck a building in the Romanian city of Galați, triggering a sharp reaction from the NATO member state.

WTI crude oil prices fell by 1.1%, dropping below $88 per barrel – the lowest level in the past six weeks. This decline capped an extremely unsuccessful month for the commodity market: in May alone, WTI prices plunged by 16%. Investors are actively pricing in a preliminary agreement between the US and Iran on a 60‑day extension of the ceasefire and the restoration of commercial shipping, despite the fact that Donald Trump has not yet signed the document, and official Tehran states that the deal is not finalized. Analysts urge the market not to get carried away and warn that the actual return of supply to the global market will be a complex and uneven process.

In Asia on Friday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) rose by 2.53% (up +1.80% for the week), China’s FTSE China A50 closed higher by 0.31% (up +2.51% for the week), Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) gained 0.70% (down -1.79% for the week), and Australia’s ASX 200 (AU200) increased by 1.62% (up +0.87% for the week).

China’s Manufacturing PMI indicated stagnation in the industrial sector, falling to the critical level of exactly 50.0 points. The main restraining factors remain weak domestic demand and persistently high costs for raw materials and components. The internal sub‑indices point to cooling across all key areas, as production growth slowed to a three‑month low of 51.2 points, while the volume of new domestic orders returned to contraction territory at 49.9 points.
The New Zealand dollar (NZD) saw a slight correction, slipping to around 0.596 USD, but the “kiwi” continues to hold near its three‑month highs. The fundamental position of New Zealand’s currency remains strong thanks to a sharp rise in aggressive market expectations for monetary tightening. The main driver behind the continuation of the long‑term upward trend was Friday’s remarks by Reserve Bank of New Zealand Governor Anna Breman. She openly warned investors that to combat entrenched inflation, the regulator will likely have to raise the Official Cash Rate significantly faster and more aggressively than previously projected. The probability of a rate hike at the next meeting in July has surged to 80%.