---

Stocks surged midweek with tech giant Nvidia momentarily reaching a groundbreaking $4-trillion market valuation — marking a historic first for a publicly listed company. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq recorded solid gains, buoyed by optimism around innovation and resilient investor sentiment.

Meanwhile, U.S.–EU trade negotiations edged forward as President Trump sent final tariff notices to seven smaller trading partners, hinting at new exemptions for European counterparts. However, tensions remained high following Tuesday’s announcement of steep new tariffs on imported copper and pharmaceuticals, sparking market volatility and lifting U.S. copper prices sharply.

Bitcoin broke records, crossing $112,000, fueled by growing institutional interest and elevated risk appetite. The Federal Reserve’s June meeting minutes showed only minimal support for a rate cut this month, though inflation concerns linger due to the administration’s tariff strategy.

🔹 Index Highlights:

• Dow Jones: +217.54 pts (0.49%) at 44,458.30
• S&P 500: +37.74 pts (0.61%) at 6,263.26
• Nasdaq: +192.87 pts (0.95%) at 20,611.34
• MSCI Global Index: +0.54% at 924.30
• STOXX 600 (Europe): +0.78%

🔸 Currency & Commodities:

• Euro: slipped 0.09% to $1.171
• USD Index: down 6% since April
• NZ Dollar: edged up 0.03% following RBNZ rate hold
• Brent Crude: settled at $70.19/barrel
• WTI Crude: closed at $68.38/barrel
• US 10-Year Treasury Yield: dipped to 4.34%

As the August 1 tariff deadline looms for 14 nations, markets brace for further policy pivots, yet many investors remain focused on long-term growth rather than geopolitical noise.