Finance

Technology shares drove market gains this week, primarily fueled by Apple's announcement of a historic $100 billion share buyback and record iPhone sales. Investor enthusiasm for artificial intelligence capital spending also benefited enterprise software firms like Atlassian, which raised its outlook and boosted peer stocks such as Salesforce and ServiceNow.

Energy markets have seen significant fluctuations as Brent Crude prices settled near $110 per barrel following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Although geopolitical jitters eased slightly by the end of the week due to fresh peace proposals, the ongoing conflict continues to pressure global equity sentiment and fuel concerns about sustained inflation.

Fresh data indicates the U.S. economy grew at a 2.0% annual rate in the first quarter of 2026, a sharp increase from the 0.5% growth seen at the end of 2025. While business investment and consumer spending remain robust, payroll growth has begun to decelerate as companies adjust to ongoing market volatility and higher costs of capital.