Markets News, July 6, 2026: Major Indexes End Monday Higher as AI-Tied Stocks Rebound; Dow Closes at Record After Crossing 53000 for First Time

Major stock indexes started the week higher, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average setting intraday and closing records, as AI-tied shares led the charge.

The tech-focused Nasdaq Composite, benchmark S&P 500, and blue-chip Dow ended Monday 1.1%, 0.7%, and 0.3% higher, respectively, with the Dow surpassing 53000 for the first time. Major indexes finished mixed Thursday, their final session ahead of the Independence Day holiday, as tech stocks came under pressure. They each gained about 2% for the week.

AI-tied stocks rose to begin the week after dropping Thursday, with Western Digital (WDC), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), and Qualcomm (QCOM) advancing roughly 7%, 6.5%, and 6%, respectively. The Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM) gained 6.5% following a 9% drop, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) was almost 3% higher after a 6% decline.

Six of the Magnificent Seven mega-cap tech stocks were higher Monday, led by Tesla’s (TSLA) nearly 7% rise. The exception was Microsoft (MSFT), shares of which declined 1% on news it was laying off thousands of workers in its Xbox division.

Oil prices ticked lower after OPEC+ said it would raise output targets by 188,000 barrels a day starting next month. West Texas Intermediate futures, the U.S. benchmark, were down fractionally at $68.65 per barrel at 4 p.m. ET, while global benchmark Brent crude futures settled down 0.2% at $71.99 per barrel.

The 10-year Treasury yield, which influences interest rates on a variety of consumer loans including mortgages, was around 4.47%, down from Thursday’s close of 4.49%.

Bitcoin was around $63,800, up from overnight lows below $61,300. The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the value of the greenback against a basket of foreign currencies, was little changed at at 100.88. Gold futures rose 1.1% to $4,170 an ounce.

JULY 6, 2026 AT 07:05 PM GMT

Solstice Advanced Materials Stock Sinks on $14.5B Element Solutions Acquisition

Solstice Advanced Materials chief executive David Sewell said an acquisition of Element Solutions would help the combined firm “be very well-positioned to benefit from generational tailwinds in high-growth end markets.” Its investors disagree.

Shares of Solstice Advanced Materials (SOLS), which spun off from Honeywell last October, sank 15% Monday afternoon after the Morris Plains, N.J.-based firm said it had agreed to acquire Element Solutions (ESI) for $14.5 billion including debt.

The cash-and-stock deal “represents a significant acceleration of Solstice’s strategy to build an industry-leading advanced materials platform with increased exposure to high-growth electronics, AI infrastructure and other attractive end markets,” it said.

Upon closing, which is expected in the first half of 2027, Element shareholders would own approximately 44% of the combined company, which would operate as Solstice.

“Together, we expect Element and Solstice to be extremely well positioned to deliver on our customers’ growing requirements for signal integrity, thermal management, reliability and performance,” said Sewell, who would serve as President and CEO of the combined firm.

Despite today’s pullback, Solstice shares are up some 40% this year. Element shares slipped 2.5% but are up 70% in 2026.

JULY 6, 2026 AT 06:15 PM GMT

Strategy’s Bitcoin Sales—and Its Stock—Have Picked Up Speed

Bitcoin’s big whale is unloading.

Strategy (MSTR), the enterprise software company turned digital asset treasury, sold 3,588 bitcoin in the past week to raise some $215 million under its “BTC Monetization” program, the company said, far more than its other recent sale of just 32 bitcoin in early June.1 Though the company has long touted the value of bitcoin, its current goal is to generate cash—$1.25 billion of it—to fund its preferred stock dividends as well as repurchase those securities and its common shares.

Investors have generally cheered the company’s plans to sell. The stock rose last week, and it was recently up about 1% in Monday afternoon trading, climbing off June year-to-date lows. Its “Stretch” preferred stock is up about 2% so far Monday to around $90, inching back to its $100-per-share par price.

At the pace implied by Strategy’s reported bitcoin sales between June 29 and July 5, the company would get to its stated fund-raising goal in roughly 5 weeks. Assuming an average sale price of $60,000, the company would have to sell about 17,000 additional coins. (Bitcoin recently changed hands around $63,000.) Though such a sale would hardly dent its stockpile of more than 840,000 bitcoin, a deepening pessimism in crypto markets could make selling less fruitful. Strategy in its Monday filing said the company had lost over $8 billion on digital assets as of June 30, including $900,000 in realized losses and the rest on paper. The company did not immediately respond to an Investopedia query asking at what pace the company intended to sell its crypto in time for publication.

Read the full article here.

–Crystal Kim

JULY 6, 2026 AT 05:49 PM GMT

The AI Trade Is Off to a Hot Start This Week as Chip, Memory Stocks Surge

The AI trade is off to a strong start this week, with several chip and memory stocks among the biggest gainers in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq on Monday.

Chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) was leading S&P gainers, up 8% in recent trading. Several other hardware makers were also posting big gains, with Western Digital (WDC), Qualcomm (QCOM), ON Semiconductor (ON) and Microchip Technology (MCHP) each up at least 5%.

Major AI names including Nvidia (NVDA), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM), Broadcom (AVGO), Micron Technology (MU) and Intel (INTC) were also posting solid gains, while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) rose more than 3% and the Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM) surged 8%.

Chip stocks are recovering from a recent pullback, as analysts have remained bullish on the outlook for the AI trade despite the volatility that has plagued tech stocks.

Read the full article here.

–Aaron McDade

JULY 6, 2026 AT 05:14 PM GMT

Trump Accounts Began Trading Today. Are They Right For You?

Trump Accounts, the new tax-advantaged accounts for children, have just launched, but for parents who want to get a head start on saving for their kids’ future, there are plenty of other ways to save, too.

Determining which type of account is best for your child depends on what you want to achieve. Do you want to invest in their college education and receive certain tax benefits? Or would you prefer to invest in an account that offers more flexibility, even if it means missing out on any tax benefits?

Here’s a guide to figuring out where to stash your money if you’re interested in investing on behalf of your child.

Read the full article here.

–Trina Paul

JULY 6, 2026 AT 04:43 PM GMT

You Can Buy Jensen Huang’s Jacket—His Actual One—But It’ll Cost You

Always wanted a leather jacket just like Jensen’s? Now you can just own Jensen’s.

Granted, it’ll cost you: A black leather zip-front jacket worn and signed by Nvidia (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang will be auctioned by Sotheby’s between Tuesday and July 17, according to the auction house, which says it was worn by the chief at an event in Taipei in October 2023. The Tom Ford jacket, which sports pairs of buttoned and zippered pockets on the chest, is expected to sell for $40,000 to $60,000, the auction house said. The sale will benefit a nonprofit called the Edge Institute, according to Sotheby’s.

The designer of this particular model sells other leather jackets—while they aren’t cheap purchased new, they run for substantially less than $40,000—but they don’t come with the telltale autograph or pledge that it was worn by Huang.

The autograph on the jacket up for auction is in the inner lining.As Huang’s wealth and corporate influence have grown alongside Nvidia, his jackets have become calling cards of sorts. And they’ve even led some Nvidia watchers to wonder whether Huang’s wardrobe choices should be taken as subtle signals to investors: In January, an analyst asked Huang during a Q&A whether anything should be read into the amount of flash the CEO might be wearing at a given time. (Days earlier, during another speech, the executive had asked “Do you like my jacket?”)

Read the full article here.

–David Marino-Nachison

JULY 6, 2026 AT 04:00 PM GMT

TeraWulf Stock Jumps on 20-Year, $19 Billion Anthropic Contract

TeraWulf (WULF) chief executive Paul Prager said the firm’s lucrative new contract with AI giant Anthropic “validates our strategy.” Shareholders apparently agree.

Shares of TeraWulf soared 11% in recent trading after the digital infrastructure firm signed a lease with the Claude maker “for a purpose-built AI infrastructure campus at the Justified Data site in Hawesville, Kentucky” worth $19 billion over 20 years.

“The Anthropic lease validates our strategy and establishes a long-duration revenue stream with one of the world’s leading AI companies,” Prager said. “The lease provides approximately $19 billion of contracted lease revenue over its initial term, creates a framework for future expansion, and demonstrates the value of our ability to source power, develop infrastructure, and secure long-term customer commitments.”

TeraWulf previously had focused primarily on bitcoin mining before pivoting into providing AI and high-performance computing data-center infrastructure.

Including today’s sharp gains, shares of TeraWulf have more than doubled this year.

JULY 6, 2026 AT 03:20 PM GMT

OPEC+ Announces Plan to Increase Oil Production

Oil prices are slightly lower this morning after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) announced Sunday that several of its member nations are increasing oil production.

OPEC said the seven OPEC+ countries—Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman—have agreed to increase production by about 188,000 barrels per day starting next month.

The news could be seen as an indication that the oil production cartel sees the oil market returning to normal soon, as the U.S. and Iran are still working on a long-term agreement that would permanently reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the key oil shipping passageway that has been largely closed for the last several months due to the Iran war.

West Texas Intermediate futures, the U.S. benchmark, and global benchmark Brent crude futures were down less than 0.1% at $68.65 and $72.10 per barrel, respectively.

–Aaron McDade

JULY 6, 2026 AT 03:00 PM GMT

O’Reilly Automotive Sinks Further on Report of Interest in Genuine Parts’ Auto-Parts Business

Upon further review, O’Reilly Automotive shareholders seemingly have no desire for the company to acquire Genuine Parts’ auto-parts business.

Shares of O’Reilly Automotive (ORLY) sank 6.5% to lead S&P 500 and Nasdaq decliners Monday morning. They closed down 2.6% last Thursday, the final day of the holiday-shortened trading week, following a Bloomberg report that the Springfield, Mo.-based firm had made a cash bid worth at least $10 billion for Genuine Parts’ auto-parts arm.

Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg said that “a potential sale of the unit could be announced by the end of the summer,” and that Genuine Parts still could retain the unit or pursue a spinoff without O’Reilly.

Genuine Parts (GPC) stock fell 3.5% after soaring 13% following the report just before Thursday’s close.

Including today’s moves, O’Reilly shares have lost nearly 8% of their value this year, while those of Genuine Parts are up 4%.

JULY 6, 2026 AT 01:52 PM GMT

Trump Rings NYSE, Nasdaq Opening Bells From Oval Office as Trump Accounts Debut

President Donald Trump rang the opening bells for the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq from the Oval Office on Monday to celebrate the trading debut of his namesake Trump Accounts.

It was the first occasion of a jointly rung opening bell from the White House Oval Office, Nasdaq said.

Described by NYSE as “giving American families a new way to grow their children’s stake in the nation’s economic future,” Trump Accounts are tax-advantaged investment accounts for children under 18 with a Social Security number. Babies born between 2025 and 2028 qualify for $1,000 in government-funded seed money.

JULY 6, 2026 AT 01:06 PM GMT

SpaceX Is About to Join the Nasdaq 100. Here’s How Much the Stock Is Expected to Move This Week

SpaceX is set to join the Nasdaq 100 tomorrow. Could that give the stock a fresh boost?

The newly public space, connectivity, and AI firm will join the tech-centric index ahead of the opening bell Tuesday, just weeks after its record-shattering IPO. It’s generally seen as a good thing when stocks join major indexes, since funds that track those measures have to buy shares. Several money managers have recently created or plan to launch their own Nasdaq 100-tracking funds, piggybacking on the popular “QQQ.”

SpaceX (SPCX) stock has been volatile in its first weeks of trading, finishing last week at $162— above its opening price of $150 but down more than 20% from the highs it reached in its first days on the market. Current options pricing suggests traders are anticipating SpaceX stock to swing up to 8% in either direction by the end of the week. A move of that size from Thursday’s close could push the stock as high as $175, or see it fall as low as $148, the latter which would be a new closing low. (The shares were rising premarket Monday.)

Banks have started to launch coverage of the company, with analysts from Wedbush and KeyBanc recently assigning the stock “outperform” and neutral ratings, respectively. Wedbush last week gave the stock a $190 price target.

Read the full article here.

–Aaron McDade

JULY 6, 2026 AT 12:45 PM GMT

Strategy Stock Volatile After Last Week’s Gains

Shares of Strategy (MSTR) are bouncing around Monday following a big jump last week that came after the software company announced plans to sell some of its bitcoin stash.

The company, which is the largest corporate holder of bitcoin, had seen its stock tumble alongside bitcoin prices over the last year, recently hitting a new two-year low.

That slide raised concerns about how it would manage to keep paying dividends on its preferred shares, until last week’s announcement that it would sell about $1.25 billion worth of the cryptocurrency helped address investor concerns.

Shares rose in three of the four trading sessions last week, and ended the week up 22% from where they started it.

The stock was down 2% in recent trading after surging in earlier premarket action.

–Aaron McDade

JULY 6, 2026 AT 12:24 PM GMT

The 30-Year Story of American Household Wealth: A Big Drop, Then a Bigger Climb

The past three decades have been anything but smooth sailing for American family wealth. The typical household is worth far more than it was in the early 1990s, but the path there included one of the biggest financial shocks in modern U.S. history—and a recovery that did not lift every group equally.

Some families are worth more than ever before. But others have yet to return to the high point they reached years ago.

Before the Great Recession knocked household wealth off course, the typical American family had spent years getting wealthier.

Median net worth across all American households rose from $102,980 in 1992 to $173,150 by 2007, according to the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF).

The gains were powered by a mix of broad economic growth, booming home prices, and greater stock ownership. Homeownership rose from 64% of families in 1992 to a peak of 69% in 2004. Stock ownership rose even more, from 37% of families in 1992 to 53% by 2007, driven in part by more people saving for their own retirements through workplace plans such as 401(k)s.

Read the full article here.

–Sabrina Karl

JULY 6, 2026 AT 11:30 AM GMT

What to Expect in Markets This Week: SpaceX Joins Nasdaq 100 Index; Second-Quarter Results Start to Arrive

This week will be bookended with new beginnings: SpaceX is set to join the Nasdaq 100 index, and another quarterly earnings season will begin with results from Pepsi and Delta.

Elon Musk’s space exploration, communication and AI company is slated to join the Nasdaq 100—a selection of companies that doubles as a shorthand for tech stocks—before the opening bell on Tuesday. Inclusion in the Nasdaq 100 will broaden the reach of SpaceX, given that a number of funds are set up to mirror major indexes. SpaceX is already a member of the Russell 1000 and some S&P Dow Jones Indices, though not the S&P 500.

SpaceX shares’ early days have been marked by volatility. Its shares finished last week at $162, up from where they first opened on June 12; it has risen past $225, briefly making SpaceX more valuable than Amazon, and dipped as low as $147. Analysts don’t expect the stock to become more stable in the near future.

Investors will get a look at how uncertainty—and volatile oil prices—have impacted consumers, with PepsiCo and Delta Airlines set to report their latest quarterly results this week. Pepsi announced price cuts this winter as food companies said geopolitical tensions and inflation were prompting consumers to bypass full-price items. Delta described demand as “really great” in March, though the carrier cut capacity and raised prices as the war wore on.

Read the full article here.

–Sarina Trangle

JULY 6, 2026 AT 10:51 AM GMT

AI-Tied Stocks Power Futures Higher After Holiday Weekend

Futures contracts tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average pointed up 0.1%.

S&P 500 futures were 0.5% higher.

Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 1.1%.

Read the original article on Investopedia