S&P 500 Climbs at End of Best Quarter Since 2023: Markets Wrap

Treasury Secretary Bessent on Tax Bill, Next Fed Chair, Government Debt

Wall Street’s bulls drove stocks to all-time highs at the end of a solid quarter amid hopes the US is moving closer to reaching concrete deals with its top trading partners. Bets the Federal Reserve will resume rate cuts powered the best first-half stretch for Treasuries in five years. The dollarBloomberg Terminal saw its longest monthly slide since 2017.

Following a roughly 25% surge from its April lows, the S&P 500 notched its best quarter since December 2023. The US equity benchmark topped the 6,200 milestone on Monday, with technology shares leading the charge. Apple Inc. climbed the most among megacaps. Oracle Corp. jumped on a cloud-services deal worth $30 billion a year. Big banks gained after passing the Fed’s annual stress test, setting the stage for payouts.