Leading banks earnings are surging in the second quarter, as financials continue their torrid pace. Nothing has hampered their success, not the Middle East Conflict, skyrocketing oil or creeping inflation, banks in general have performed exceptionally well. As Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase said: “It’s going gung ho.” There’s a lot of exuberance out there.” The outspoken ‘Dean of Banking’ suggested “that banks could out perform with a 10% and 11% increase in markets with investment banking revenue.”
Brent Crude fell 19% in May, with pump prices heading down to the $4 a gallon range. Indexes surged Friday, as falling oil propelled the Indexes to more record highs. Investors and traders thrived on renewed optimism, as resolution of the U.S./Iranian war seemed nearer at hand. The Dow Jones Jones Industrial Average gained 363 points, cresting 51000 for the first time while both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite followed, also marking new record highs. The market was ‘hungry’ for positive war news, and it reacted, with technology, AI, and semiconductor stocks in demand as heavier volumes flowed throughout the day. Dell soared 33% Friday on exceptional year over year earnings. First quarter sales were up a whopping 88%, driven primarily “for demand of AI products.”
Monday’s open was unremarkable…Optimism turned sour as Iran’s regime waffled on previously agreed upon steps in war negotiations. With many ‘factions of leadership’ complete agreement on serious issues is seemingly hard to find. Also increasing offense by the Israeli military against the Hezbollah sector amidst a shaky ceasefire, has complicated U.S./Iranian negotiations as Iran demands a permanent ceasefire and a truce before they will agree to terms. Oil again reacted, charging upward as fears permeated the marketplace of a prolonged war. West Texas Crude jumped to $92.00 a barrel, up 5.8%, effectively forcing higher pump prices. Benchmark Brent Crude was up 4.2% to $95.00 a barrel. “The actual willingness of both the [U.S., and Iran] to negotiate with each other, it just seems questionable. It introduces uncertainty,” said Scott Kimball, chief investment officer at Loop Capital Asset Management. After last week’s enthusiasm about prospects for resolution, the ‘gallon burst’ sent investors back into ‘back-up-mode.’ Still the day finished slightly up with the Dow Jones adding 46 points. Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq were just above flatline, up 0.3% and 0.4%. And… all three indexes finished at new record highs. Bond yields edged higher with the 10-year Treasury note paying 4.475% up from Friday’s 4.452% according to FactSet. Artificial Intelligence, with newly announced developments, continued to drive the market Tuesday, as the S&P 500 streaked to its 9th straight day of gains. “It’s all about tech. It’s thankless to own the other sectors now,” said Jay Hatfield, chief executive officer and portfolio manager at Infrastructure Capital Advisors. The indexes were mixed as the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 229 points, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq were slightly above flatline. Along with AI stocks, chip makers were in demand as semiconductors stocks boosted the PHLX [Semiconductor Index] up an unbelievable 90% in 2026.
Bitcoin continued to fall Wednesday, down $3,410 to $63,117.98. A big trading company sold 32 tokens, shaking the entire cryptocurrency market, upending the firm’s promise not to sell any ever. The key coin’s value has plummeted 25% this year, and appears to be struggling to maintain buyers. The coin hit $126.000 in October of 2025, falling intermittently since. The Dow Jones dropped 621 points Wednesday, while the S&P 500 backtracked 0.07%, breaking 9 days of gains. The financial and healthcare sectors were active Thursday driving the market higher as the Dow Jones streaked up 875 points to finish at 51561.
RUMBLINGS ON THE STREET
Alex Guiliano, chief investment officer at Resonate Wealth Partners, WSJ – “We find ourselves really in a spot right now where you have easing tensions, you have strong corporate earnings, you have optimism around the AI story and growth all at the same time.”
Jamie Dimon, CEO JPMorgan Chase, WSJ “I view the market as exuberant, and I’ve seen this before. Of course exuberance can go on a long time.”
James Lydotes, chief investment officer of equities at Voya Investment Management, WSJ – “I do think that there is a case to be made for a structurally higher oil price, just based on a higher risk premium.”
Charlie Scharf, CEO, Well Fargo, WSJ – “Things are still extremely extremely strong. It’s really hard to find pockets of weakness in the actual results, put aside surveys of how people are feeling for a second.” [Referring to consumers]
