[New York Stock Exchange] All Major Indices Close Higher on Tech Stock Rally

International Oil Prices End Lower

On June 30 (local time), the final trading day of the first half of this year, all three major U.S. stock indexes closed higher, driven by strong performances in technology stocks.

At the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended the session up 136.46 points (0.26%) at 52,319.20. The S&P 500, which focuses on large-cap stocks, rose 58.93 points (0.79%) to close at 7,499.36, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq surged 393.57 points (1.52%) to finish at 26,213.72.

Inside the New York Stock Exchange. New York, USA – Photo by Yoonjoo Hwang

The market advanced on the back of a sharp rally in the semiconductor sector. Nvidia climbed 2.63%, AMD jumped 7.68%, Intel gained 6.01%, and the VanEck Semiconductor Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) rose 3.78%, all finishing in positive territory.

During the first half of 2026, the Dow Jones Index is expected to post a gain of over 8%, marking its best first-half performance since 2021 (12.7%). The S&P 500 also rose more than 8% for the first half, while the Nasdaq surged over 11%.

Notably, both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq are poised to record their highest quarterly gains since the second quarter of 2020, jumping approximately 14% and 20%, respectively, in the second quarter alone. According to CNBC, the Dow Jones Index also advanced more than 12% during the same period, likely marking its best quarterly performance since the fourth quarter of 2022.

Market sentiment suggests that the bull market will continue as long as military tensions between the United States and Iran do not escalate. Tim Holland, Chief Investment Officer at Orion, commented, "The world remains focused on expanding investments in artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-related trading, which is a natural phenomenon."

However, he added, "Looking beneath the surface of the market, so far this year, and at least throughout June, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks. While interest rates are likely to remain somewhat elevated, which could be a headwind for growth stocks, it may serve as a tailwind for stocks that are more sensitive to economic cycles."

International oil prices ended lower. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for September delivery fell 1.8% from the previous session to settle at $69.50 per barrel. On the ICE Futures Exchange, Brent crude for August delivery closed at $72.92 per barrel, down 0.3% from the previous session.

Although the United States and Iran have each sent delegations to Doha, Qatar, it remains uncertain whether talks will materialize. Barron Lamar, an oil economist at the energy trading platform Index Retro, told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), "The market is beginning to accept the reality that all of these issues could be resolved soon," noting that a significant number of vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz are turning off their satellite tracking devices, which means that more oil may be transiting the strait than is actually recorded.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.