Finance

Technology stocks continued to lead the market higher, spearheaded by a record-breaking 32.8% surge in shares of Dell Technologies following exceptional earnings results and a raised outlook. This performance underscored the persistent strength of the AI infrastructure trade, which also lifted other semiconductor and cloud-based companies.

Reports of a potential diplomatic breakthrough and peace agreement between the United States and Iran significantly eased market tensions late in the week. This optimism contributed to a decline in Brent crude oil prices and a drop in the CBOE Volatility Index, which hit its lowest levels since before recent regional conflicts began.

Regulated cryptocurrency trading in the U.S. expanded as firms like Coinbase and Kalshi introduced the first onshore perpetual futures for domestic investors. While institutional interest saw a temporary lull with nine consecutive days of Bitcoin ETF outflows, Bitcoin remained relatively stable near $73,300 to close the month.