On June 29, 2026, traders work at the New York Stock Exchange.
new york stock exchange
U.S. futures fell early on Wednesday as markets looked set to start the new month in the red after posting strong gains in the first half of the year.
Futures linked to the Dow Jones Industrial Average It was down 170 points, or 0.33%, by 2:19 a.m. ET. S&P500 futures Reduced by 0.29%, Nasdaq 100 futures It fell by 0.34%.
The average of the three major stocks rose during the previous day’s trading, capping off a strong first half of 2026. Dow Added 136.46 points (0.26%). of S&P500 Technology-focused companies rose 0.79%. Nasdaq Composite It rose by 1.52%.
In the first half of 2026, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 8.9%, marking its best first-half performance since 2021. During the same period, the market-wide S&P 500 index rose 9.6% and the Nasdaq rose 12.8%. small cap stocks russell 2000 It soared nearly 22%, marking its best first-half performance since 1991.
A surge in semiconductor and AI-related stocks is driving the stock market, with Tuesday’s rally contributing to the rally in semiconductor stocks. In fact, record chip prices increased total market capitalization by $2 trillion. micron, intel and advanced micro device In the second quarter of 2026.
Looking ahead to the second half of the year, Bespoke Investment Group co-founder Paul Hickey said he still liked the sector, but it might be getting a little too hot.
“Long-term, we still like the semifinals, but we’re not going to be aggressive here. This bull market is an AI-driven bull market, and that’s the theme. If this bull market continues, it’s going to be led by tech and probably the semifinals, but they don’t have to win consistently, and we can’t fall into that pattern forever.” “So, I think they’ve been extended a little bit in that regard. So maybe we can get a breather here.”
On Wednesday, the Japanese yen fell to a 40-year low against the dollar.
The yen fell to 162.28 yen to the dollar, widening losses from the previous session as traders remained wary of possible intervention by Japanese authorities, according to LSEG data.
Asian markets ended mixed on Wednesday, with Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average closing 0.59% higher at 70,474.96, while South Korea’s Kospi fell 2.04% to 8,303.41.
Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.64% to 8,722.90, while the mainland’s CSI 300 fell 0.41% to 4,958.98.
European stock markets started the new month in negative territory. pan-continent Stocks 600 The stock fell 0.19% shortly after 8 a.m. ET (3 a.m. ET), with most regional sectors and major stock exchanges in the red.
On Wednesday, Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh will speak at the European Central Bank Forum on Central Banking in Sintra, Portugal. Since taking office, Mr. Warsh has begun to rebuild the U.S. central bank by introducing a new task force that will comprehensively review the Fed’s current strategy, which defines modern monetary policy. Traders also expect the central bank to raise interest rates as the fight against inflation continues.
Regarding economic data to be released on Wednesday, traders will focus on the latest June ADP employment survey, along with the final June ISM Manufacturing and Global Manufacturing PMIs.
