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Canadian Money Brief – June 1, 2026: Markets Kick Off June on a High Note

  Markets Kick Off June on a High Note A strong finish to May carries momentum into the first trading session of June, with tech leading the charge and a major Berkshire deal grabbing headlines. At a Glance — Friday May 29 Close (Most Recent Confirmed) Index / Asset Level Change S&P/TSX Composite 34,769 +0.73% S&P 500 7,580 +0.22% Dow Jones 51,032 +0.72% Nasdaq Composite 26,973 +0.20% CAD/USD 0.7249 –0.06% WTI Crude Oil US$87.36/bbl –1.73% Gold US$4,574/oz –0.42% Sources: Yahoo Finance, Trading Economics. Closing data as of May 29, 2026. June 1 intraday data referenced in body. May Goes Out on a High North American markets wrapped up May in fine form. All three major U.S. indexes — the S&P 500, the Dow, and the Nasdaq — finished Friday at record closing highs, capping a month that saw the tech-heavy Nasdaq surge roughly 8% and the S&P 500 gain around 5%. The TSX also had a solid run, closing above the 34,700 mark on Friday, supported by a rebound in financials and ...

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Wall Street Rallies Despite Fed's Tapering Plans

 


Stocks rose on Friday, extending their gains for the week, as investors shrugged off the hawkish tone of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's testimony to Congress. Powell signaled that the Fed is ready to start tapering its bond purchases as soon as November, and that interest rate hikes could follow sooner than expected. However, he also acknowledged that the economic recovery is still facing headwinds from the delta variant of the coronavirus and supply chain disruptions.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.7%, or 238 points, to close at 35,677. The S&P 500 gained 0.8%, or 34 points, to end at 4,544. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.9%, or 139 points, to finish at 15,212. All three major indexes posted weekly gains of more than 1%.

The dollar weakened against a basket of major currencies, as traders reduced their bets on a faster pace of monetary tightening. The dollar index fell 0.3% to 93.38. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note edged lower to 1.45%, after hitting a three-month high of 1.54% on Thursday.

Wall Street analysts said that Powell's comments were largely priced in by the market, and that investors are focusing on the strong earnings outlook and the prospects of more fiscal stimulus from Washington. They also noted that the Fed's tapering plans are contingent on the economic data, which could change depending on the evolution of the pandemic and inflation.

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