U.S. equities opened modestly higher on Monday as investors tracked developments in the Middle East, with all three major indexes posting early gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 13.2 points, or 0.03%, at the open, while the S&P 500 climbed 10.8 points, or 0.15%, and the Nasdaq Composite led with a 49.0-point gain, or 0.21%. The moves were measured rather than directional, reflecting cautious positioning rather than a clear risk-on shift. Geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East typically introduces volatility into energy markets and safe-haven assets, and equity traders appear to be threading carefully until the situation clarifies. The Nasdaq's relative outperformance at the open suggests technology names absorbed early buying interest. Whether the early gains hold will depend on how the geopolitical picture develops through the session and whether energy prices or Treasury yields respond to any new information.
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.
