Finance

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite outperformed the broader market, advancing 1.2% and reaching an intraday record high. Sector momentum was fueled by robust corporate updates, including blowout quarterly earnings from Micron Technology, whose revenues quadrupled. Artificial intelligence and chip heavyweights such as Alphabet, Nvidia, and Broadcom experienced notable upswings, helping offset recent anxieties regarding elevated corporate borrowing costs.

Brent crude futures gained ground to trade above $103 per barrel, marking a substantial year-over-year increase of roughly $37. Energy markets remained highly sensitive to escalating diplomatic friction and potential conflict between the United States and Iran. Investors continue to monitor these international tensions closely, as elevated energy prices threaten to feed into broader structural inflation.

Digital assets experienced positive momentum ahead of and following the release of the monthly U.S. employment data. Bitcoin advanced over 1.6% from its opening price to trade above the $86,400 mark, moving away from its prior multi-day stagnation around $83,000. Ethereum mirrored this upward trajectory, rising to approximately $2,747 as capital rotated back into risk assets.