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US markets hovered close to all-time highs yesterday after the White House said that the July 9 deadline that marks the end of its 90-day tariff pause "is not critical." The S&P 500 reached a new intraday high, and Nvidia and Microsoft both set new records.

In company news, Nike jumped 10.7% in after-market trading, thanks to stronger-than-expected sales, a sign that the world's biggest sportswear brand is getting back on track by clearing old inventory and focusing on newer, trendier designs. Elsewhere, Meta is in advanced talks to acquire PlayAI, a niche startup that uses AI to replicate human voices.

At the closing bell, the JSE All-share was 0.69% higher, the S&P 500 rose 0.80%, and the Nasdaq climbed by 0.97%. One more push and we'll be flying into open skies.

US markets held steady near record highs yesterday. The S&P 500 was flat but still within 1% of its all-time peak as the Israel-Iran ceasefire held firm. Nvidia rose 4.3% to hit a fresh lifetime high, cementing its position as the most valuable company in the world. What a winner!

In company news, Google is rolling out a new AI coding assistant in a move to catch up with rivals including OpenAI's Codex and Anthropic's Claude Code. European defence contractors like Rheinmetall and Thales climbed after NATO members agreed to increase spending to 5% of GDP. Lastly, BP rose on reports that it might be acquired by Shell.

Izolo, the JSE All-share closed down 0.60%, the S&P 500 was literally unchanged, and the Nasdaq was 0.31% higher.

Wall Street continued to move higher yesterday, as Middle East tensions cooled. Trump scolded Israel and Iran for ceasefire breaches, saying "they don't know what the f**k they are doing."

The S&P 500 is now less than 1% off its all-time high, a strong bounce back after those terrible April lows. It's been an eventful year, that's for sure, but the market has shown great resilience.

In company news, Uber is expanding its partnership with Waymo by rolling out driverless rides in Atlanta. Elsewhere, Starbucks pushed back on reports that it's considering a full sale of its China business. Finally, Nektar Therapeutics shareholders scratched an itch; the stock rose 156.3% after strong Phase 2 trial results of a new eczema treatment.

In summary, the JSE All-share closed up 0.80%, the S&P 500 added on another 1.11%, and the Nasdaq shifted 1.43% higher. Hells bells!

US markets ended higher yesterday as traders shrugged off Iran's limited retaliatory strike on a US air base in Qatar. The S&P 500 climbed nearly 1%, helped by news that Qatar intercepted the attack with no casualties.

Meanwhile, oil prices dipped, with Brent falling 10% to $69, as Iran and Israel agreed to a ceasefire. The pullback in energy prices also helped cool inflation worries, giving markets some breathing room.

In company news, Tesla shares popped 8.2% after the EV giant finally launched its long-awaited driverless taxi service, offering rides to a select group of users in Texas. Elsewhere, Novo Nordisk pulled the plug on its partnership with Hims & Hers Health less than two months in, accusing the company of using "deceptive marketing" to push knockoff versions of its hit weight-loss drug, Wegovy.

Here's the lowdown, the JSE All-share closed up 0.44%, the S&P 500 rose 0.96%, and the Nasdaq was 0.94% higher.

A choppy week on Wall Street ended on a cautious note, with major US indices barely budging as traders digested rising oil prices, geopolitical tensions, and trade headlines. The Nasdaq edged up 0.2% and the S&P 500 slipped 0.2% for the week. Energy stocks stood out, gaining 1.1%, as oil continued to rise. All in all, it was a jittery stretch with more noise than direction.

In company news, Meta was apparently interested in acquiring AI search startup Perplexity AI before ultimately opting for a multibillion-dollar investment in Scale AI, signalling its continued push to secure a lead in the AI arms race. Elsewhere, Tesla is preparing to open its first showrooms in India this July, marking the EV giant's formal entry into the world's third-largest car market. With sales slowing in Europe and China, Elon Musk is now turning to India for the next wave of growth.

On Friday, the JSE All-share closed down 0.22%, the S&P 500 fell 0.22%, and the Nasdaq was 0.51% lower.

US markets were closed for Juneteenth yesterday. Oil gave up earlier gains after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump will decide within two weeks whether to back Israel militarily in its clash with Iran. The statement brought some near-term clarity but didn't do much to settle nerves over possible US escalation, or the inflationary blowback if energy markets get rattled.

In company news, Google's legal troubles in Europe just got a little stickier. An adviser to the EU's top court has sided with regulators in their long-running case over Android, saying the company did abuse its dominance by boxing out rivals. The original EUR4.34 billion fine was trimmed slightly in 2022, time will tell how much of that Google will have to pay.

Izolo, the JSE All-share closed down 0.08%.

US stocks lost steam late on Wednesday after Fed Chair Jerome Powell threw some cold water on rate-cut optimism. He flagged ongoing risks from tariffs and inflation, saying they're still muddying the waters for a clear path to looser monetary policy. The S&P 500 briefly popped above 6 000, but couldn't hold the line and ended the day slightly lower. Markets finished the session more or less flat.

In company news, Nike and Kim Kardashian's Skims collab was supposed to hit shelves this spring (up north), but the launch has been delayed, no new date yet. Meanwhile, Alphabet's Waymo is eyeing the Big Apple. They have applied for a permit to test thier robotaxis in New York City, signaling ambitions to crack one of the toughest, most lucrative ride-hailing markets in the world, even though the local rulebook isn't quite ready for self-driving cars.

In summary, the JSE All-share closed up 0.35%, the S&P 500 fell a tiny 0.03%, and the Nasdaq was 0.13% higher.

US markets closed lower yesterday as traders took a cautious stance amid rising tensions in the Middle East. Fears of broader US involvement in the conflict kept sentiment low, pushing the S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq into the red. President Donald Trump convened with his national security team in Washington on Tuesday to assess the situation, adding a fresh layer of geopolitical jitters.

In company news, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy says that their headcount will likely shrink over the next few years, not because of slowing growth, but thanks to AI taking over more tasks. It's automation, not austerity. Elsewhere, Eli Lilly is putting $1.3 billion on the table to acquire gene-editing firm Verve Therapeutics, doubling down on next-gen biotech in a bid to fuel long-term pipeline growth.

At the close, the JSE All-share closed down 0.70%, the S&P 500 fell 0.84%, and the Nasdaq was 0.91% lower.

Markets took a deep breath and exhaled. After a jittery Friday, calm returned as tensions between Israel and Iran appeared to cool, at least for now. The S&P 500 bounced back almost 1%, oil prices dipped, and even gold lost some shine as traders shifted back into risk-on mode. Reports that Tehran may be open to reviving nuclear talks helped ease nerves, with investors betting the conflict won't spiral into something bigger.

In company news, Meta is finally cracking open the monetisation vault on WhatsApp, with plans to roll out ads inside the world's most popular messaging app. It's a bold move aimed at unlocking fresh revenue just as the company doubles down on long-term bets like AI. Elsewhere, over in streaming land, Roku and Amazon have teamed up, making it easier for advertisers to reach over 80% of US connected households.

On Friday, the JSE All-share closed down 1.76%, but yesterday the S&P 500 rose 0.94%, and the Nasdaq was 1.52% higher.

Wall Street shook off early jitters and closed in the green yesterday, as hopes of an interest rate cut got a boost. Trump called Powell a "numbskull" for not cutting immediately. Surely that's unpresidential? The Fed chief knows his mandate, and is a sensible man. He has a committee and they think about this stuff deeply. They will assess the state of the US job market and inflation data and make the right call. Come on.

In company news, Oracle said its cloud infrastructure revenue will surge more than 70% in the next year, sending its stock up 13.3%. Elsewhere, AI outsourcing company CoreWeave is burning short sellers as its stock price keeps rising (+272% in six weeks since listing). Finally, Boeing (-4.8%) and engine maker GE Aerospace (-2.3%) both sank after an Air India 787 Dreamliner ploughed into the ground soon after take-off in Ahmedabad. Very upsetting.

Here's the lowdown, the JSE All-share closed up 0.65%, the S&P 500 rose 0.38%, and the Nasdaq was 0.24% higher.

US markets closed lower yesterday, snapping a three-day winning streak as Big Tech took a step back. Inflation came in at 2.4% for May, up slightly from April's 2.3%, but exactly what economists predicted. Geopolitical tensions continue, with worrying news popping up all over the place.

In company-specific developments, online pet store Chewy reported weak results and got sent to the doghouse (-10.9%). Elsewhere, Nvidia's Jensen Huang says quantum computing is looking more useful, and could be deployed to crack some complex global challenges. Finally, Lockheed Martin lost altitude (-4.3%) after the Pentagon cut its order for new F-35 fighter jets in half.

Izolo, the JSE All-share closed down 0.26%, the S&P 500 fell 0.27%, and the Nasdaq was 0.50% lower. Disappointing.

US markets finished in the green again yesterday, with the S&P 500 now just a whisker away from setting fresh all-time highs. As we like to tell clients, you want to be invested in something that keeps hitting new records, so take this as a buying signal.

In company news, Tesla (+5.7%) was back in the robotaxi spotlight, with Elon Musk and team sharing a slick video of a driverless ride through Austin. Elsewhere, Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly hand-picking an elite AI taskforce to chase artificial general intelligence, whatever that is. Finally, JM Smucker had a rough session (-15.6%), after warning that rising tariffs are brewing trouble for its coffee margins.

At the end of it all, the JSE All-share closed up 0.25%, the S&P 500 rose 0.55%, and the Nasdaq was 0.63% higher. Thank you very much.

US markets closed higher yesterday, with the S&P 500 inching up, but staying just shy of its February highs. Tesla led the charge, rising 4.5% after Donald Trump extended an olive branch to Elon Musk, saying he wants to keep Starlink at the White House, and wished Musk "very well." Remember, the latter funds candidates in elections.

In company news, Qualcomm is dropping $2.4 billion to snap up UK-based Alphawave, beefing up its chip tech for the AI boom. Elsewhere, Meta is eyeing a multibillion-dollar investment in Scale AI. Finally, Robinhood (-1.98%) and AppLovin (-8.21%) fell after S&P Dow Jones Indices decided not to include them in the S&P 500.

At the close, the JSE All-share inched up by 0.05%, the S&P 500 rose 0.09%, and the Nasdaq ended 0.31% higher.

US markets wrapped up the week on a strong note after a better-than-expected jobs report. The economy added 139 000 jobs last month, slower than before, but enough to ease fears of an imminent recession.

For the week, the S&P 500 gained 1.5%, and the Nasdaq Composite led the pack with a 2.2% jump. The markets are now up five out of the past seven weeks.

In company news, online broker Robinhood Markets notched its sixth straight day of gains as traders bet it might soon join the S&P 500. Elsewhere, Boeing is back in business with China. The aerospace giant resumed deliveries of commercial jets to the country for the first time since April.

In summary, the JSE All-share closed down 0.05%, but the S&P 500 rose 1.03%, and the Nasdaq was 1.20% higher. Very nice!

US markets ended lower yesterday after an online catfight broke out between Donald Trump and Elon Musk. US equities had rallied earlier in the day thanks mostly to a 90-minute call between Trump and Xi, which resulted in a plan to renew US-China trade talks, but those gains evaporated. We certainly live in interesting times.

In company news, Circle Internet Group surged after pulling off a successful IPO, raising nearly $1.1 billion. Elsewhere, Lululemon shares dropped a hefty 22.4% after the athleisure brand trimmed its full-year profit outlook and guided for softer sales this quarter.

In summary, the JSE All-share closed up 0.80%, but the S&P 500 fell 0.53%, and the Nasdaq gave up 0.83%.