U.S. stocks are rallying to the edge of their all-time high after easing oil prices helped calm Wall Street’s worries that inflation could get even worse. The S&P 500 jumped 1.5% Monday and is just 0.1% below its record set earlier this summer. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 649 points, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 2.2%. Brent crude's price fell 5% after President Donald Trump said he would hold off on ordering new strikes against Iran. That helped Treasury yields to fall in the bond market. Stocks of airlines and other companies with big fuel bills rallied.
Investors looking to get a jump on White House announcements will be able to buy sneak peeks starting Saturday as a Trump family company starts selling special, fast access to the president's posts on social media. The new business targeting special computerized trading firms raises ethics questions about whether it constitutes insider trading and how far should a president be allowed to use his public office to help his private business. A prolific poster, Donald Trump has sent stocks soaring and plunging with his online musings and threats. The White House had no comment, and the company dismissed the ethics issue, saying Democratic critics just don't like free markets.
President Donald Trump has for months pressured the Federal Reserve to slash interest rates, claiming it would be “Rocket Fuel!” for growth. But he seems to be losing his battle. Since the war in Iran began, borrowing money has become more expensive, meaning fewer families can afford mortgages or auto loans. The 10-year U.S. Treasury note’s interest rate shot up above 4.7% on Friday, surpassing the level the president inherited when he returned to the White House last year. Markets currently expect Fed officials to vote to raise rates further in September in order to reduce inflationary pressures. That's a concern for Republicans heading into the November midterm elections.
U.S. stocks rose to the finish of a wild July as Amazon leaped, Apple sank and rising oil prices worsened worries about inflation. The S&P 500 climbed 0.7% Friday after veering between gains and losses through the day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 1%. Amazon soared after delivering a stronger profit for the spring than analysts expected, suggesting its big AI investments may be paying off. Apple dropped after giving a lackluster forecast for upcoming revenue growth. Treasury yields climbed as worries built in the bond market about inflation potentially remaining high.
An employee walks past near the screen showing the SK Hynix stock price at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, July 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Apple posted a solid fiscal third quarter on Thursday, climbing past Wall Street’s expectations thanks to strong sales of the iPhone and MacBook computers. Apple raised the prices of its Macs and iPads last month, citing a memory-chip shortage brought on by the artificial intelligence boom. The company had called the demand spike an “unprecedented challenge” for the consumer electronics industry. While it hasn’t yet raised iPhone prices, analysts and consumers expect that to happen later this year.
A monster day for Microsoft following signals that its big spending on AI is translating into profits led a powerful rebound on Wall Street, while AI stocks regained some of their sharp recent losses. The S&P 500 rallied 1.7% Thursday and more than recovered its drop from the prior day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.2%, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 2.8%. Microsoft delivered a bigger profit than analysts expected, which helped offset Meta Platforms's drop after it raised its forecast for AI investments. Longer-term Treasury yields held relatively steady a day after soaring on worries about inflation. Oil prices eased.
Jersey Mike's Subs' CEO Charlie Morrison waits for his company's IPO on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, July 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Jersey Mike's Subs' chairman of the board of directors Peter Cancro, left, and Eli Manning, right, pose with a ceremonial bell before the planned IPO of Jersey Mike's Subs on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, July 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, July 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)