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European Stocks Close Higher; EU Moves to Scrap Duties on Many US Goods

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European stock markets closed higher Wednesday with the Swiss Market Index gaining 0.8%, France's CAC 40 climbing 0.4%, the FTSE 100 advancing 0.2%, and the Stoxx Europe 600 and Germany's DAX 40 each little changed.

The governments of the EU cleared legislation to remove import duties on several US goods, Reuters reported. The legislation still needs to be approved by the European Parliament.

In corporate news, Albert Manifold, who was removed as BP's chairman amid governance and oversight concerns, rejected the company's account and said his dismissal came without explanation, Bloomberg reported.

Shares of BP fell 3% in London.

AstraZeneca said the US Food and Drug Administration delayed the decision deadline for its new drug application regarding a combination breast cancer treatment to evaluate additional information.

Shares of the British pharmaceutical company rose 0.2% in London.

TotalEnergies is facing a dispute with Mozambique over about $2 billion in costs tied to delays at its liquefied natural gas project in the country, Bloomberg reported.

Shares of the French oil and gas major fell 3.5% in Paris.

Manchester United reported fiscal Q3 adjusted earnings of 0.0295 British pounds ($0.04) per share, swinging from a loss of 0.0319 pounds a year earlier. Revenue rose to 189.5 million pounds from 160.5 million pounds. The company raised its full-year revenue outlook.

Shares of the English soccer club surged 11% in London.

Banco Santander launched a cash tender offer to repurchase up to $850 million of its outstanding 4.75% perpetual preferred tier 1 securities.

Shares of Banco Santander rose 1.7% in Madrid.

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Asia Markets

Technology Catapults S&P 500, Nasdaq to Fresh All-Time Highs

US equity indexes were mixed, as technology helped push the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite to new peaks amid declining government bond yields and divergent crude oil futures.The Nasdaq jumped 1.2% to 26,656.18, with the S&P 500 up 0.6% to 7,519.12 at the close on Tuesday. Both the gauges hit fresh all-time highs earlier in the day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, however, slipped 0.2% to 50,461.68.Most US Treasury yields fell, with the 10-year down 8.1 basis points to 4.49% and the two-year down 8.7 basis points to 4.04%.Micron Technology's (MU) market capitalization touched $1 trillion for the first time after several bullish analyst reports. The chipmaker's shares soared 19% after midday, the top performer on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq.Among stocks with a market capitalization of more than $200 billion, nine in the top 10 are semiconductor companies, and the remaining one is a manufacturer of computer hardware, according to data compiled by Finviz.The US is touting progress toward a peace deal with Iran to end the nearly three-month war, even amid fresh hostilities and uncertainty over the vital Strait of Hormuz, Bloomberg reported Tuesday. Security in the crucial energy waterway remained unclear Tuesday after the two sides exchanged strikes overnight, and the US Central Command pushed back reports suggesting the military was helping escort vessels.Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, was in Doha for talks with Qatar's prime minister on a potential deal, an official briefed on the visit told Reuters. Qalibaf returned to Iran after seeking agreement on the release of around $24 billion of frozen Iranian funds as part of the memorandum of understanding, the news report cited Iranian media.West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures dropped 2.9% to $93.70, while Brent crude futures jumped 3.5% to $99.67.While precise timing remains elusive, in the event of an Iran peace agreement, two to four weeks is a reasonable starting point for clearing the Gulf backlog and restoring shipping patterns, Vikas Dwivedi, global energy strategist at Macquarie Group, said in a note."Trust in a durable peace and unencumbered (tolls, mines, harassment) transit will be key in this process," Dwivedi said. "From here, we believe flows could ramp back towards full levels after another 2-4 weeks."In economic news, the Conference Board's measure of consumer confidence fell to 93.1 in May from 93.8 in April, still above the 92.0 expected in a Bloomberg-compiled survey."Consumer confidence edged downward in May as the inflationary impacts of the war in the Middle East intensified," said Dana Peterson, Chief Economist at The Conference Board."Consumer appraisals of current business conditions and the current labor market were moderately less positive compared to last month," Peterson said. "This was somewhat offset by modest improvements in consumers' expectations for business conditions and the labor market six months from now."The Case-Shiller National Home Price Index rose by 0.7% in March, before seasonal adjustments, following a 0.3% increase in February. National home prices were up 0.7% year-over-year, down from 0.8% in February.In precious metals, gold futures slipped 0.3% to $4,506.8, while silver futures jumped 1.4% to $77.28.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$MU
Asia Markets

Technology Helps S&P 500, Nasdaq Break Records; Micron Technology Touches $1 Trillion in Market Capitalization

US equity indexes traded mixed, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq hitting new all-time highs as technology topped charts and government bond yields slid sharply lower.Crude oil futures were mixed after midday Tuesday as efforts continued to end the war against Iran.The Nasdaq Composite jumped 0.9% to 26,572.8, with the S&P 500 up 0.5% to 7,511.2, kicking off the holiday-shortened week on a strong note. Both the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 hit fresh all-time highs earlier in the session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, however, fell 0.3% to 50,423.4.Industrials and materials were among the top three gainers intraday. Energy and consumer staples led the decliners.Micron Technology's (MU) market capitalization touched $1 trillion for the first time after several bullish analyst reports. Shares traded about 18% higher after midday, making them the top performers on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq.Among stocks with a market capitalization of more than $200 billion, eight in the top 10 are semiconductor companies, and the remaining two are manufacturers of computer hardware, according to data compiled by Finviz.Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it has a "legitimate" right to respond to any "violation" of the ceasefire after the US military carried out what it called "self-defense strikes" targeting Iranian missile launch sites and boats around the Strait of Hormuz, CNN reported Tuesday.The strikes came hours after Iranian negotiators met with Qatari mediators in Doha for talks in coordination with the US, the news report said. The US and Iran are working toward a memorandum of understanding, but disputes over language concerning Iran's nuclear program and sanctions have held up a deal, the news report added.US Treasury yields fell, with the 10-year down 6.8 basis points to 4.5% and the two-year lower by 5.9 basis points to 4.07%.West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures dropped 2.7% to $93.97, while Brent crude futures jumped 3.7% to $99.85.In economic news, the Conference Board's measure of consumer confidence fell to 93.1 in May from 93.8 in April, still above the 92.0 expected in a Bloomberg-compiled survey."Consumer confidence edged downward in May as the inflationary impacts of the war in the Middle East intensified," said Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board."Consumer appraisals of current business conditions and the current labor market were moderately less positive compared to last month," Peterson said. "This was somewhat offset by modest improvements in consumers' expectations for business conditions and the labor market six months from now."The Dallas Fed's monthly manufacturing index rebounded to 0.4 in May from minus 2.3 in April, compared with expectations for a smaller increase to 0.0.The Case-Shiller National Home Price Index rose by 0.7% in March, before seasonal adjustments, following a 0.3% increase in February. National home prices were up 0.7% year-over-year, down from 0.8% in February.Further in company news, AutoZone (AZO) reported mixed fiscal Q3 results on Tuesday, with earnings topping market estimates and revenue falling short. Shares sank 12%, the worst performer on the S&P 500.In precious metals, gold futures slipped 0.2% to $4,509.5, while silver futures climbed 0.4% to $76.52.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$AZO$MU
Asia Markets

Exchange-Traded Funds Rise, US Equities Mixed After Midday

Broad Market IndicatorsBroad-market exchange-traded funds IWM and IVV were higher. Actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) gained 1.4%.US equity indexes were mixed after midday Tuesday, with technology leading sector charts amid declining government bond yields and mixed crude oil futures, while efforts continued to end the war against Iran.EnergyIShares US Energy ETF (IYE) and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) each lost about 1.5%.TechnologyThe State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) was 2.2% higher; iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) added 1.9%, and iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was up 2%.The State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) gained 4%, and iShares Semiconductor (SOXX) was up 4.9%.FinancialThe State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF) fell 0.2%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) declined 0.4%, and its bearish counterpart, Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ), climbed up 0.3%.CommoditiesCrude oil fell 2.6%, and the United States Oil Fund (USO) slipped 2.1%. Natural gas rose 1%, and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was up 1%.Gold on Comex dipped 0.4%, and the State Street SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) shed 0.1%. Silver rose 0.4%, and iShares Silver Trust (SLV) added 0.7%.ConsumerThe State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) eased 1.2%. The Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) lost 1.3%, and iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK) was down 1.2%.The State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) shed 0.2%. VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) fell 1.5%, and the State Street SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) rose 0.1%.HealthcareThe State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV) eased 0.6%, iShares US Healthcare (IYH) fell 0.4%, and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) was down 0.4%. IShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) rose 0.4%.IndustrialThe State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) added 1.2%. Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) and iShares US Industrials (IYJ) were also higher.CryptocurrencyIn midday activity, bitcoin (BTC-USD) fell 1%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, ProShares Bitcoin ETF (BITO) rose 0.8%, ProShares Ether ETF (EETH) was up 0.5%, and ProShares Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) was 1.2% higher.

Dow Jones^EEM^EXI^FAS^FAZ^GLD^IBB^IGM^IGV^IPK^IVV^IWMNasdaq Composite^IYE^IYH^IYJ^IYK^IYW^PMR^QQQ^RTH^SOXXS&P 500^SPY^UNG^USO^VDC^VHT^VIS^XLE^XLF^XLI^XLK^XLP^XLV^XRT^XSD$BETH$BITO$EETH