US stocks closed higher on Thursday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq posting their largest monthly gains in years. The rally came despite ongoing oil supply shocks and geopolitical tensions, as strong corporate earnings gave investors enough confidence to push past those concerns. Economic data released alongside the gains pointed to continued healthy US growth, reinforcing the bullish mood. The industrials and technology sectors led the advance. Alphabet stood out with a record quarter for its cloud unit, a result that lifted sentiment across the tech space. Cloud revenue is a closely watched growth metric for Alphabet, and a record print signals strong enterprise demand. The breadth of the rally, spanning both cyclical sectors like industrials and high-growth areas like technology, suggests the market is pricing in a resilient economy rather than an imminent slowdown. Watch for whether earnings from other major companies sustain this momentum or reveal cracks in the wider corporate picture.
Indian startups raised $5.2 billion across 501 deals in H1 2026, down 9% in value but up 7% in deal count year-on-year, per the Inc42 Indian Tech Startup Funding Report. The drop is driven by fewer mega-rounds, while AI funding surged 317% and growth-stage deal activity hit a multi-year high.
The BSE Sensex fell 893 points and the Nifty 50 shed 279 points on June 30, 2026, wiping out roughly Rs 6 lakh crore in investor wealth in a single session. Both indices dropped 1.16%, closing at 76,200.68 and 23,824.10 respectively.
Kotak Mahindra Bank shares fell nearly 3% to Rs 397.6 after CEO Ashok Vaswani announced plans to exit the bank. Investor concern now centres on succession timing and whether the bank's ongoing digital and deposit-growth strategy will stay on track.
South Korea's Kospi dropped 3% at Monday's open while Japan's Nikkei fell 1%, as escalating US-Iran conflict triggered a broad risk-off move across Asian markets. South Korea's heavy reliance on Middle East oil imports makes it especially vulnerable to geopolitical shocks of this kind.
