Market Summary Week of June 1, 2026

Wall Street ended the week with broad gains, record-setting index performances, and a notable shift toward broader market participation beyond tech and AI shares. The Dow, the S&P 500, the NASDAQ, and the Global Dow each finished the week higher. The S&P 500 extended an eight-week winning streak, while the Dow recorded new highs. Markets swung throughout last week as news alternated between progress and tension in the U.S.-Iran ceasefire negotiations. Reports of a potential ceasefire helped ease oil-supply fears, influencing sharp moves in oil prices and Treasury yields.

Stock Market Indexes

Chart reflects price changes, not total return. Because it does not include dividends or splits, it should not be used to benchmark performance of specific investments.

Last Week's Economic News

• According to the second estimate, gross domestic product accelerated at an annualized rate of 1.6% in the first quarter of 2026. In the fourth quarter of 2025, GDP increased 0.5%. Personal consumption expenditures (PCE), a measure of consumer spending and the primary driver of GDP, rose 1.4% in the first quarter, a decrease from the 1.9% rise in the fourth quarter.

• Personal income was virtually flat in April after advancing 0.5% in March. Disposable personal income (personal income less personal current taxes) decreased 0.1%. Personal consumption expenditures increased 0.5%. The PCE price index, a measure of inflation, rose 0.4% in April after increasing 0.7% in March. Core prices (excluding food and energy) increased 0.2% in April. Since April 2025, the PCE price index rose 3.8%, which was the largest 12-month gain since the index rose 4.0% for the year ended May 2023. Core prices advanced 3.3% since April 2025.

• New orders for manufactured durable goods in April, up two consecutive months, increased $25.5 billion, or 7.9%, to $346.0 billion. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 1.1%. Excluding defense, new orders increased 8.1%. Transportation equipment, also up two consecutive months, led the overall increase, rising 21.5%.

• The international trade in goods deficit was $82.4 billion in April, down $2.9 billion, or 3.4%, from March. Exports of goods for April were $219.7 billion, $8.5 billion, or 4.0%, more than March exports. Imports of goods for April were $302.1 billion, $5.6 billion, or 1.9%, more than March imports.

• Sales of new single-family houses in April 2026 were 6.2% below the March 2026 rate and 11.3% under the April 2025 estimate. Inventory of new single-family homes for sale in April represented a supply of 9.4 months at the current sales rate. The median sales price of new houses sold in April was $422,500, which was 8.0% above the March price of $391,100 and 2.2% higher than the April 2025 price of $413,600. The average sales price of new houses sold in April was $508,800. This was 0.7% above the March price of $505,200 but 1.1% below the April 2025 price of $514,300.

• For the week ended May 23, there were 215,000 new claims for unemployment insurance, an increase of 5,000 from the previous week's level, which was revised up by 1,000. According to the Department of Labor, the advance rate for insured unemployment claims for the week ended May 16 was 1.2%, unchanged from the prior week's rate. The advance number of those receiving unemployment insurance benefits during the week ended May 16 was 1,786,000, an increase of 15,000 from the previous week's level, which was revised down by 11,000. States and territories with the highest insured unemployment rates for the week ended May 9 were New Jersey (2.1%), Washington (2.1%), California (2.0%), Massachusetts (1.9%), Rhode Island (1.8%), Oregon (1.7%), Nevada (1.6%), New York (1.6%), Puerto Rico (1.6%), and Illinois (1.5%). The largest increases in initial claims for unemployment insurance for the week ended May 16 were in Ohio (+941), Missouri (+641), Pennsylvania (+433), Massachusetts (+323), and Connecticut (+245), while the largest decreases were in Florida (-1,940), California (-1,398), Michigan (-660), Georgia (-611), and Kentucky (-594).
• The national average retail price for regular gasoline was $4.475 per gallon on May 25, $0.015 per gallon below the prior week's price but $1.315 per gallon higher than a year ago. Also, as of May 25, the East Coast price decreased $0.001 to $4.304 per gallon; the Midwest price dipped $0.047 to $4.352 per gallon; the Gulf Coast price rose $0.038 to $3.989 per gallon; the Rocky Mountain price decreased $0.030 to $4.557 per gallon; and the West Coast price declined $0.036 to $5.569 per gallon.

Eye on the Week Ahead

The jobs report for May is out this week. While job growth slowed during the first quarter of the year, it has picked up somewhat over the past few months.

Data sources: Economic: Based on data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (unemployment, inflation); U.S. Department of Commerce (GDP, corporate profits, retail sales, housing); S&P/Case-Shiller 20-City Composite Index (home prices); Institute for Supply Management (manufacturing/services). Performance: Based on data reported in WSJ Market Data Center (indexes); U.S. Treasury (Treasury yields); U.S. Energy Information Administration/Bloomberg.com Market Data (oil spot price, WTI, Cushing, OK); www.goldprice.org (spot gold/silver); Oanda/FX Street (currency exchange rates).

News items are based on reports from multiple commonly available international news sources (i.e., wire services) and are independently verified when necessary with secondary sources such as government agencies, corporate press releases, or trade organizations. All information is based on sources deemed reliable, but no warranty or guarantee is made as to its accuracy or completeness. Neither the information nor any opinion expressed herein constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any securities, and should not be relied on as financial advice. Forecasts are based on current conditions, subject to change, and may not come to pass. U.S. Treasury securities are guaranteed by the federal government as to the timely payment of principal and interest. The principal value of Treasury securities and other bonds fluctuates with market conditions. Bonds are subject to inflation, interest-rate, and credit risks. As interest rates rise, bond prices typically fall. A bond sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. All investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal, and there can be no guarantee that any investing strategy will be successful.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is a price-weighted index composed of 30 widely traded blue-chip U.S. common stocks. The S&P 500 is a market-cap weighted index composed of the common stocks of 500 largest, publicly traded companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy. The NASDAQ Composite Index is a market-value weighted index of all common stocks listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange. The Russell 2000 is a market-cap weighted index composed of 2,000 U.S. small-cap common stocks. The Global Dow is an equally weighted index of 150 widely traded blue-chip common stocks worldwide. The U.S. Dollar Index is a geometrically weighted index of the value of the U.S. dollar relative to six foreign currencies. Market indexes listed are unmanaged and are not available for direct investment.