Today: 30 June 2026
Nasdaq edges up after-hours as more stocks join in, AI seen facing tighter price scrutiny

Nasdaq edges up after-hours as more stocks join in, AI seen facing tighter price scrutiny

New York, June 30, 2026, 16:05 EDT

  • Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.54%, S&P 500 was up 0.87%, and the Dow finished 0.32% higher after the bell, according to Reuters/LSEG data.
  • U.S. stocks with gains outnumbered losers 4,143 to 3,745, and the difference between the S&P 500 and its equal-weighted counterpart is now about 3 percentage points, down from 14 points earlier this year.
  • Earnings are up next. Five companies including Microsoft Corp , Alphabet Inc , and Amazon.com Inc are projected to spend around $730 billion this year. S&P 500 profits are expected to climb over 26%.

U.S. stocks closed up Tuesday, with the Nasdaq out front as buying broadened out beyond just AI leaders. That shift in breadth drew attention after the close. Fund managers looked for any sign the second-half rally could keep going with lofty valuations and a Fed still leaning hawkish.

The main indexes closed up, Reuters/LSEG data showed. The Nasdaq was up more than four times as much as the Dow on a point-adjusted basis.

IndexCloseChangePercent
Dow Jones Industrial Average52,347.59up 164.85up 0.32%
S&P 5007,505.06gained 64.63gained 0.87%
Nasdaq Composite26,218.37added 398.23rose 1.54%

The market wasn’t only led by a few big stocks. MarketWatch data had 4,143 U.S. stocks advancing while 3,745 fell. Reuters said in another valuation check that the gap between the S&P 500 and its equal-weight version narrowed to about 3 percentage points, down from 14 points at the start of 2026.

Breadth and risk gaugeLatest readingWhy it matters
U.S. advancers vs decliners4,143 vs 3,745More stocks rose than fell, so gains ran wider than the major indexes
S&P 500 vs equal-weight S&P 500 gapAbout 3 pct pointsMarket is less top-heavy now than it was in early 2026
Earlier 2026 gapAbout 14 pct pointsThe earlier rally was much more focused on just a few stocks
AAII bull-bear spread8.8%Sentiment stayed above norm but didn’t move to extremes

“We’ve had a great first half of the year,” said Oliver Pursche, senior vice president and advisor at Wealthspire Advisors, calling corporate earnings “strong.” David Morrison, senior market analyst at Trade Nation, said, “Investors can’t see an end in sight to this bull run.” Reuters

Price is the worry. Bank of America Corp’s Bubble Risk Indicator read 0.91 for the PHLX Semiconductor Sector and 0.82 for tech, Reuters reported. The S&P 500 price-to-sales ratio came in at 3.22, much higher than its 1.84 long-run average. The index was trading at 20.2 times 12-month earnings, not as high as in the dot-com era but still high, which means there’s less room for weak results.

Valuation markerLatest readingComparison
BofA Bubble Risk Indicator, semiconductors0.91Close to danger zone
BofA Bubble Risk Indicator, technology0.82Still high
S&P 500 price-to-sales3.22Average is 1.84 long term
S&P 500 forward P/E20.2xDot-com top was 25.2x

Oliver Shale, head of research at Ruffer, said “all measures of asymmetry and risk are flashing amber.” J.J. Kinahan, IG North America CEO, said AI buyers “still have to prove” the spending makes sense. Reuters

That’s why Wall Street is watching the AI capital spending line as closely as index moves. Reuters, citing JPMorgan Chase & Co data, said five companies including Microsoft, Alphabet and Amazon are on track to spend about $730 billion this year. Nicolas Janvier at Columbia Threadneedle Investments said this kind of spending is already “priced in to the market.” David Bianco, chief investment officer for the Americas at DWS, said earnings are now the test: “there can’t be any excuses.” Reuters

Labor data was mixed. Job openings increased by 9,000 to 7.594 million in May, above the 7.30 million forecast in the Reuters poll and the highest since May 2024. Hiring dropped by 45,000 to 5.170 million. Matthew Martin, senior U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, said the labor market is showing “signs of stabilization.” Reuters

U.S. macro checkLatestPrior / forecast
May job openings7.594 mlnReuters poll was 7.30 mln
May hiring5.170 mlnDown 45,000
Consumer confidence91.2May revised 90.6
Jobs “hard to get”22.5%19.8% last month

Consumer confidence edged up 0.6 point to 91.2 in June, the Conference Board reported. Its present situation index slipped. “Little change in the labor market” is expected in the next six months, chief economist Dana Peterson said. The Conference Board

Oil lost ground as Brent crude finished 0.3% down at $72.92 a barrel, closing out the quarter 38% lower, Reuters said. Traders are still betting on at least one Fed hike by late 2026, LSEG data showed, according to Reuters.

NVIDIA Corp climbed roughly 2% in late trading. Microsoft is still down almost 18% for the month and Oracle Corp has dropped about 35% in June, per AP data. Nike Inc was set to report after the close, with investors watching for a read on consumers before the holiday week brings jobs numbers.

U.S. stock markets will be closed Friday, July 3, for Independence Day, according to exchange holiday calendars. The June payrolls report comes out Thursday. Reuters reported economists see 110,000 jobs added and a 4.3% unemployment rate.

Leokadia Głogulska is a financial and technology journalist at TS2.tech, covering stocks, artificial intelligence, space technology and global market developments. She graduated from Wrocław University of Economics and Business and previously worked in financial analysis before moving into business journalism. Her reporting focuses on helping readers understand the market trends, companies and technologies shaping the global economy.

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