Today's War Room Trading Recap

📈 U.S. Markets: Modest Gains Cap a Strong Week

U.S. stocks closed slightly higher, extending a week of solid gains driven by easing trade tensions and cooling inflation.

• S&P 500: +0.09%

• Dow Jones Industrial Average: +0.02%

• Nasdaq Composite: +0.08%

The S&P 500 turned positive for the year, recovering from earlier losses. The information technology sector led the week’s performance, with a notable 8% gain, driven by strong results from major tech companies.

🧾 Economic Indicators: Mixed Signals

• Consumer Sentiment: The University of Michigan’s index fell to 50.8 in May from 52.2 in April, indicating growing consumer concerns.

• Inflation Expectations: One-year inflation expectations rose to 7.3% from 6.5%, reflecting apprehensions about potential price increases.

🔍 Notable Movers

• Alphabet (GOOGL): +2.4%, contributing to tech sector gains.

• UnitedHealth (UNH): +1.4%, rebounding after previous declines.

• Applied Materials (AMAT): -6.6%, following a revenue miss.

• Charter Communications (CHTR): +3%, after announcing a $21.9 billion acquisition of Cox Communications.

🌐 Global Markets: Mixed Performance

• India: The NSE Nifty50 fell 0.17% to 25,019.80, and the BSE Sensex dropped around 200 points, influenced by profit-taking in IT stocks and uncertainties surrounding India-U.S. trade relations.

• Europe: The FTSE 100 gained 0.59%, closing at 8,684.56, with SSE PLC shares rising 1.66%.

🏁 Weekly Summary

Despite a flat finish on Friday, U.S. markets posted strong weekly gains, buoyed by a temporary pause in U.S.-China tariffs and signs of moderating inflation. The S&P 500 is now approximately 4% below its all-time high, reflecting renewed investor optimism.