US equity indices opened modestly higher while European bourses traded lower and Asian benchmarks closed mixed. Cryptocurrency prices declined across the board and oil futures rose more than 2%.
✦S&P 500 rose 0.13% and NASDAQ 100 gained 0.48% at the open.
✦Nikkei 225 closed up 2.50% while Hang Seng ended 1.56% lower.
✦Bitcoin fell 2.93% and Ethereum declined 5.11%; total crypto market cap dropped 2.71%.
✦Brent crude rose 2.25% and WTI crude gained 2.46%; gold slipped 0.67%.
✦VIX at 16.2 and Crypto Fear & Greed Index at 11 indicate normal volatility and extreme fear.
News
Economy
US labor market data released on June 2 showed job openings rising to 7.6 million in April. April CPI increased 0.6 percent month-over-month and 3.8 percent year-over-year. Major central banks including the Fed, ECB, and BOE maintained steady policy rates amid ongoing inflation and employment trends.
US job openings increased to 7.6 million in April, up 731,000 from the prior month, per the JOLTS report released June 2.
April CPI rose 0.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis, with the 12-month rate at 3.8 percent, up from 3.3 percent in March.
The federal funds effective rate stood at 3.63 percent in May; ECB and BOE policy rates remained unchanged at 2.00 percent and 3.75 percent, respectively.
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Stocks
US stock indexes closed June 2 at fresh records for the fifth straight session, posting modest gains as AI-related developments offset Mideast tensions and higher oil prices. Asian markets declined overnight while European equities softened in their session. Pre-market futures on June 3 were little changed ahead of additional earnings reports.
S&P 500 closed up 0.13% to 7,609.78 and Nasdaq up 0.03% to 27,093.90 on June 2, with the Dow also higher; indexes hit new records for the fifth consecutive session.
NVIDIA rose 6.3% after unveiling new AI chips, Salesforce climbed nearly 10%, and IBM gained over 7%, while Alphabet fell 3.9% on plans to raise $80 billion; Anthropic filed for an IPO.
Victoria’s Secret shares soared after beating estimates on both top and bottom lines; Nikkei fell around 1.6% and Kospi dropped roughly 1.7% overnight amid higher oil prices and geopolitical concerns.
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Politics
US trade policy developments dominated recent headlines with a new proposal for broad tariffs. Ongoing bilateral negotiations related to the USMCA review continue between the US and Mexico. Primary elections occurred in several states on June 2.
The US Trade Representative proposed extra tariffs of at least 10% on imports from 60 economies under Section 301, citing forced labor concerns; public hearings are scheduled to begin July 7.
Delegations from the United States and Mexico held the first in a series of bilateral trade negotiations focused on the upcoming Joint Review of the USMCA, covering economic security, rules of origin, and agricultural products.
Six states—California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota—held primary elections on June 2, 2026.