Brydris

Stocks Are Close to Breaking Records Again

U.S. stock markets have been drifting near all-time highs, and investors are feeling cautiously hopeful. The S&P 500 (one of the main indexes that shows how top U.S. companies are doing) rose slightly, and the Nasdaq went up 0.7%, while the Dow Jones stayed mostly flat.

Big companies like Nvidia (+1.7%) and Meta (+3.6%) helped push the market higher, and Dollar General surprised investors by jumping 14% after releasing better-than-expected earnings.


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Big Winners and Losers

Lyra Therapeutics had one of the biggest wins on Wall Street, with its stock soaring 311% after good news from a clinical trial. That’s the kind of growth that makes headlines!

Meanwhile, steelmakers like Nucor and Steel Dynamics jumped over 10% after President Trump announced he’s doubling steel tariffs to 50%—a move to protect American factories.

But it’s not good news for everyone. Automakers like Ford and General Motors dropped nearly 4% because higher steel prices mean it costs more to make cars.


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Trump’s Trade Moves Are Shaking Things Up

President Donald Trump has been making bold moves on tariffs—extra taxes on goods traded between countries. The goal? To bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. and protect industries like steel.

But this has also created a lot of uncertainty. One minute there’s a deal, the next minute there are new restrictions. And that’s got many businesses nervous.

Recently, the U.S. extended exemptions on some Chinese products (like solar panel equipment), giving companies three more months without those extra taxes. But at the same time, tensions are rising over AI chip exports, student visa rules, and software sales.


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The U.S. and China: Friends or Foes?

Even though there was an earlier “pause” in the tariff war between the U.S. and China, things are heating up again. Trump accused China of not holding up their end of the deal, and now there’s more talk of raising tariffs.

China fired back, criticizing U.S. moves that hurt Chinese tech and education. Yet, investors are still hoping for a peaceful trade agreement, especially between the world’s two biggest economies.


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What’s Going On Around the World?

Stock markets outside the U.S. also saw action:

Hong Kong rose 1.1%

China was up 0.3%

Japan’s Nikkei gained 0.6%

Australia climbed 0.7%

Taiwan jumped 1.4%

South Korea was closed due to a surprise presidential election after the removal of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who now faces serious charges for attempting martial law.



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Rising Oil Prices and the Cost of Borrowing

Oil prices are on the rise again, thanks to Ukraine’s attacks in Russia, which are making it riskier to move oil and gas. That means prices at the pump could go up too:

U.S. oil (crude): $63.14 per barrel

Brent oil (international): $65.19 per barrel


Meanwhile, interest rates on government bonds (basically, the cost for the government to borrow money) are climbing. The 10-year Treasury yield is now at 4.44%, up from just 4.01% two months ago. Why does that matter? Higher rates = more expensive loans = slower economy.


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Good News: Jobs Are Still Strong

Even with all the tariff drama, the U.S. job market looks solid. There are still a lot of job openings, and layoffs are low. A more detailed report is coming on Friday that will show how many jobs were added or lost in May.


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What’s Next?

The stock market is full of ups and downs right now. Between tariffs, tech tension, and presidential politics, there’s a lot happening—but also a lot of unknowns.

For now, investors are keeping a close eye on:

New trade talks between the U.S. and China

Upcoming job reports

Whether oil prices keep climbing

What Trump will do next on tariffs and taxes



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In Simple Terms:

If the stock market were a roller coaster, we’d be heading up a hill—but no one’s sure what’s on the other side.