US stocks end in green, S&P 500 nears record high

US stocks closed Thursday in the positive territory, with the broader market index ending near record highs, as investors monitored developments related to trade and monetary policy, along with easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.94%, or 404 points, to close at 43,386.

The S&P 500 finished 0.80%, or 48 points, higher at 6,141 – near the record level hit on Feb. 19 at 6,147 points. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.97%, or 194 points, to 20,167.

In Europe, the STOXX Europe 600 index gained 0.10% to 537, driven by mining stocks.

Germany’s DAX rose by 0.65% to 23,649, while France’s CAC 40 was steady at 7,557. The UK’s FTSE 100 advanced 0.20% to 8,735.

In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 1.65% to 39,584, its highest close since Jan. 24, while the broader Topix index added nearly 0.80% to end at 2,804 points.

In the energy market, Brent crude futures for August delivery rose slightly by 0.10%, or 5 cents, to $67.73 a barrel.

WTI crude futures for August delivery increased by 0.49%, or 32 cents, to $65.24 a barrel.

As for gold, August futures for the yellow metal rose 0.14%, or $4.90, to $3,348 per ounce at settlement.

Economic data released today showed that the US economy contracted by 0.50% in Q1, compared to 0.20% in the second estimate.

The White House announced today that President Donald Trump may extend the deadline for applying reciprocal tariffs on countries, which was previously set for July 9.