US OPEN: Nasdaq Seals Best Quarter in Years
Date: 30 June 2026
Market Overview
The final session of the second quarter of 2026 has brought a sense of calm and consolidation to the New York trading floor. Major American indices are closing the first session of the week with futures contracts showing mixed movements. Despite recent sell-offs, the quarter is concluding as one of the best in recent years, with a quarterly return of approximately 25% and an 18% increase since the beginning of the year. The semiconductor, energy, and hardware sectors have notably outperformed.
Economic Data
Key economic indicators released today include the consumer confidence index and the JOLTS report. The consumer confidence index rose to 91.2 points in June, falling short of market expectations of 94.4 points. Conversely, the JOLTS report revealed a surprising increase in job vacancies, rising to 7.594 million in May, exceeding expectations of 7.296 million, indicating a robust labor market.
The US dollar has strengthened, particularly against the Japanese yen, which has reached its lowest level since 1986, with the USDJPY pair hitting 162.4.
Quarterly Performance Highlights
The American stock markets are set to close an exceptionally successful first half of the year, highlighted by a significant rebound in the second quarter. The S&P 500 index has risen about 14% since early April, marking its best quarterly performance in six years. The Nasdaq 100 has surged over 25%, representing its best quarterly result since Q2 2020, and the best performance since 2001, excluding pandemic rebounds.
The driving force behind this growth remains the investment boom in artificial intelligence (AI). Bloomberg Intelligence estimates that 44 companies linked to AI technology are expected to contribute nearly 60% of the S&P 500's profit growth in 2026, growing at a rate of over 40%, significantly outpacing the rest of the market.
Sector Performance
Hardware companies, particularly those involved in semiconductors and chips, have performed exceptionally well this year, including firms like SanDisk, Micron, Intel, and AMD. In contrast, software companies such as Workday and Adobe are struggling to keep pace with the AI revolution.
Market Movements
As the session begins, the US500 (S&P 500 contracts) is up 0.15%, while the US100 (Nasdaq 100 contracts) has increased by 0.75%. The US30 (Dow Jones contracts) is down approximately 0.07%, and the US2000 (Russell 2000 contracts) has decreased by 0.15%.
From a technical analysis perspective, the Nasdaq 100 has shown a powerful upward trend, with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) indicating overbought conditions. However, as long as the profit momentum from AI leaders continues, the overall trend remains bullish.
Corporate Highlights
In the Big Tech sector, mixed sentiments are observed among major players. Nvidia (NVDA) is up 1.4%, while Alphabet (GOOGL) is down 0.6%. Microsoft (MSFT) has gained 0.9%, although it is facing its worst month since December 2000. Tesla (TSLA) initially lost 1.5% but has since recovered most of its losses. Amazon (AMZN) is down 0.4%.
In the semiconductor sector, reports of investigations into Super Micro Computer in Taiwan have dampened sentiment. Meanwhile, AeroVironment (AVAV) shares surged over 20% after exceeding revenue forecasts. Solar technology companies Enphase Energy (ENPH) and SolarEdge (SEDG) also saw significant gains following news of potential import bans on foreign inverters. Conversely, Concentrix (CNXC) shares plummeted by 20% after a drastic reduction in financial forecasts.