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S&P 500, Nasdaq, Dow Futures Ease After Another Record Close As AI Momentum Cushions Iran's Expanding Strikes: MRVL, AVGO, MSFT, PANW In Focus
North America
Yahoo Finance•6/3/2026

S&P 500, Nasdaq, Dow Futures Ease After Another Record Close As AI Momentum Cushions Iran's Expanding Strikes: MRVL, AVGO, MSFT, PANW In Focus

U.S. stock futures edged lower in the overnight session on Tuesday after markets closed at yet another record high, supported by the ongoing boom in artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, tensions in the Middle East continue as the U.S. reportedly struck Iran, even as U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that conversations with Tehran are ongoing. The Dow futures fell 0.08%, the S&P 500 futures declined 0.04%, and the Nasdaq 100 futures traded 0.10% lower as of 9.07 p.m ET. The iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) was down 0.05% amid ‘neutral’ sentiment at the time of writing. On Tuesday, all three U.S. benchmark indexes closed higher. The S&P 500 closed above 7,600 for the first time, while the Dow Jones index added more than 200 points to close 0.45% higher. The Nasdaq Composite was up 0.03% at close. U.S. stock markets climbed on Tuesday as growing optimism in the AI sector offset ongoing tensions in the Middle East and uncertainty over the war between Washington and Tehran. Chip companies and AI infrastructure players posted sharp gains, helping extend the momentum that has carried markets higher this year, with the S&P 500 ending in the green for the ninth straight week. “The momentum has been incredibly strong. It’s for a lot of good reasons, and a lot of optimism, as well as really strong demand around the AI investment cycles. But still we are moving into a period, sort of moving past the earning season, which has been a tremendously positive catalyst for the markets,” Meghan Shue, head of investment strategy at Wilmington Trust, told CNBC in an interview. Meanwhile, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that the U.S. and Iran deal negotiations are ongoing, dismissing reports of strained relations between the two countries. “The conversations between us have been going on continuously, including four days ago, three days ago, two days ago, one day ago, and today,” he said. “Where they lead, one never knows, but as I told Iran, ‘It’s time, one way or another, for you to make a Deal. You’ve been doing this for 47 years, and it cannot be allowed to go on any longer!’” he added. On the other hand, the United States military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) has reportedly carried out “self-defense” strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island after reports of attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain. While Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that it had targeted American headquarters in Bahrain and a regional U.S. airbase, CENTCOM denied the claims, calling them false. In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM said, “All Iranian attacks on American forces failed. US forces remain vigilant and ready to defend against unwarranted Iranian aggression.” On Wednesday, investors will closely watch for the May ADP National Employment Report, along with fresh housing and manufacturing data. Markets will also look to the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book for insights into current economic conditions and regional business activity.

S&P 500, Nasdaq, Dow Futures Ease After Another Record Close As AI Momentum Cushions Iran's Expanding Strikes: MRVL, AVGO, MSFT, PANW In FocusRead More →
Instagram AI chatbot tricked by hackers to give access to others' accounts
Europe
BBC Business•6/2/2026

Instagram AI chatbot tricked by hackers to give access to others' accounts

Instagram says it has resolved an issue which saw hackers trick its AI support tool into giving them access to other users' accounts. According to claims shown in screenshots and videos shared on social media, Instagram's AI chatbot allowed users to "hijack" accounts in recent days. Hackers could reportedly change passwords for other accounts by faking their location and then asking the AI to change the emails associated with them. "This issue has been resolved and we are securing impacted accounts," Meta spokesperson Andy Stone told users in a statement on X. In a response to another post on X, Stone said claims the vulnerability was used to hack into accounts of world leaders were "totally false". Tech news outlet 404media reported that posts about the vulnerability coincided "with a series of high-profile Instagram account takeovers" including a verified account used by Barack Obama when he was in the White House. The former US president's account reportedly posted pro-Iran content before it was recovered. It is unclear how many Instagram accounts were affected by the apparent exploit. But among those claiming to have been impacted were security researcher and former Meta employee, Jane Manchun Wong. Wong, who previously worked at Meta as a security engineer, said in a post on X her Instagram password "got changed without my knowledge and I was getting different password reset attempts throughout yesterday". The incident comes amid concerns about the impact of increasingly capable and common AI systems on people's data and security. Videos shared on social media purported to show how Instagram hacks could take place.

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Berkshire's bet on Taylor Morrison suggests the housing market may have bottomed
North America
CNBC•6/1/2026

Berkshire's bet on Taylor Morrison suggests the housing market may have bottomed

The announcement of a megadeal between Berkshire Hathaway and top 10, publicly traded homebuilder Taylor Morrison Home came as a surprise to most in the industry. The consensus, however, is that it makes perfect sense and may signal optimism in a currently beleaguered housing market. Berkshire Hathaway agreed Sunday to acquire the nation's sixth-largest publicly traded builder in a $6.8 billion deal. The offer represents a 24% premium to the homebuilder's closing price on May 29 and values the company at about $8.5 billion, including debt. It comes at a time when the U.S. housing market is struggling under higher and volatile mortgage rates as well as elevated costs for construction and weaker consumer confidence. The war with Iran has also dealt a blow to the housing market. Taylor Morrison put out a somewhat aggressive, multiyear growth plan just about 15 months ago. "We've certainly seen some shifts in the market, so the targets we put out, we stand behind. The timing certainly might have been at risk," said Sheryl Palmer, CEO of Taylor Morrison, in an interview with CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" on Monday. "I think one of the things we're so excited about is homebuilding runs in five-, seven-, 10-year cycles. Berkshire thinks in probably seven-, 10-[year] and longer cycles. That alignment is very rare." It's that longer-term horizon that most analysts say is why the time is right for a deal. "What it says is that very sophisticated buyers think the valuations have bottomed," said Margaret Whelan, founder and CEO of Whelan Advisory, which specializes in homebuilder M&A. "I assume sophisticated buyers would wait and buy later or pay less if they thought the market was still going down." Stock values anticipate fundamental turns, Whelan explained, "so that means that the housing market itself is probably starting to bottom here soon, which is good, because I don't think anyone really knew that when we don't know what's going on with the rates." John Burns, founder and CEO of John Burns Research and Consulting, noted the outlook for the housing market over the next few years isn't bright, and stocks have been punished as a result. "But long-term thinkers like Berkshire Hathaway and the Japanese companies are seeing that as a platform to buy great companies for the long term, and it's really that simple," Burns said. CNBC's Property Play with Diana Olick covers new and evolving opportunities for the real estate investor, delivered weekly to your inbox. U.S. homebuilders have recently been the target of Japanese buyers. Sumitomo Forestry just closed on a $4.5 billion deal to purchase Tri Pointe Homes. All told, Japanese companies now own 33 homebuilders that operate in the U.S.

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Three quarters of workers not on track for 'moderate' pension income, report suggests
Europe
BBC Business•6/2/2026

Three quarters of workers not on track for 'moderate' pension income, report suggests

Too many people face a "cliff-edge drop in income" when they retire, with more than three quarters not on course to save enough for a "moderate" lifestyle, a pensions trade body has warned. A new report by Pensions UK suggested what it termed a moderate lifestyle cost £32,700 for one person and £45,400 for two - but estimated just 23% of the working population were on course to reach such a level. Rising bills have pushed up the cost of retirement, it said, adding to calls for action to boost retirement savings. According to the report, a minimum retirement lifestyle costs around £13,900 annually for a one-person household and £22,500 for two people. Meanwhile, a comfortable lifestyle in retirement is estimated to cost £45,400 for a single person and £62,700 for a couple. Pensions UK said only 9% of workers were in line to get to that level. The trade body estimates the level of income needed to have a minimum, moderate or comfortable standard of living as a pensioner each year. The calculations are developed and maintained independently by the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University. They are intended as a guide for those planning their retirement savings. The minimum standard is calculated to include money for a couple's weekly groceries, a week's holiday in the UK, eating out about once a month and some affordable leisure activities about twice a week. Some 82% of the working population would reach the minimum standard, the report said. "Far fewer will go beyond that. That is out of step with what people expect for their future. Without action, too many risk facing a cliff-edge drop in income when they stop work," said Zoe Alexander, from Pensions UK. The incomes needed had increased compared with a year ago, primarily as a result of the rising cost of food and socialising, the report said. The increases were broadly in line with rising prices, as measured by inflation, though housing costs are excluded.

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Ulta shares pop as beauty retailer beats Wall Street expectations and hikes earnings outlook
North America
CNBC•6/2/2026

Ulta shares pop as beauty retailer beats Wall Street expectations and hikes earnings outlook

Ulta Beauty on Tuesday reported quarterly results that beat on the top and bottom lines and hiked its earnings outlook as the retailer saw a strong start to its fiscal year. For the three-month period ended May 2, Ulta saw net sales increase roughly 11% compared to the year-ago period. It reported comparable sales rose 5.3%, compared to StreetAccount estimates of up 4.6%. Ulta reaffirmed its full-year same-store sales and revenue projections, but raised its full-year EPS guidance to between $28.36 and $28.80. Its previous outlook was earnings per share between $28.05 and $28.55. "Fiscal 2026 is off to a strong start driven by broad-based growth across all channels and major categories," CEO Kecia Steelman said in a statement. "Our results demonstrate the strengths of our model, focused execution of our talented associates and the effectiveness of our strategy in an uncertain macroeconomic landscape." On a call with analysts on Tuesday, Steelman said the launch of Ulta's TikTok Shop, with a focus on Ulta-specific products, during the quarter contributed to its success. The company also launched more than 20 new brands during the quarter, including Selena Gomez's popular makeup brand, Rare Beauty. The company said its strongest category for the quarter was fragrances, increasing from 11% to 12% of total revenue. The earnings come as consumer confidence takes a dip amid soaring gas prices and rising inflation, leading to a pullback in discretionary spending. "We are operating from a position of strength in this environment and have multiple levers to satisfy guests' value needs," Steelman said on the call. Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis.

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FTSE 100 Live: Stocks to open in red as oil climbs, B&M and Boohoo results out
North America
Yahoo Finance•6/3/2026

FTSE 100 Live: Stocks to open in red as oil climbs, B&M and Boohoo results out

The content on this Site is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a personal recommendation, an offer or solicitation to buy or sell securities, or any other regulated activity. It should not be relied upon as the basis for any investment decision. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. The value of investments can fall as well as rise. You may not recover the amount you invest, and in some cases you may be required to pay more. Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast, accessible, informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience. All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists. Proactive news team spans the world’s key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Perth. We are experts in medium and small-cap markets, we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies, commodities and broader investment stories. This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors. The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies. Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter. Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience. The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows. Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools, including generative AI. Nevertheless, all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation. B&M European Value Retail has reported a 38% fall in annual profits, coming from weak trading in the UK being exacerbated by what it admits are "execution issues". However, chief executive Tjeerd Jegen said the turnaround programme is beginning to show signs of progress. The FTSE 250-listed discount retailer posted adjusted profit before tax of £284 million for the 2026 financial year, down from £455 million a year earlier, while adjusted EBITDA fell 26% to £459 million.

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Puffin and bumblebee among 18 creatures shortlisted to feature on banknotes
Europe
BBC Business•6/2/2026

Puffin and bumblebee among 18 creatures shortlisted to feature on banknotes

Eighteen animals, birds and insects have been shortlisted to appear on future banknotes - and the public can have their say on which creatures feature. The wildlife beauty contest gives the colourful kingfisher and common frog an equal chance of a place on the next series of Bank of England notes. The replacement of historical characters, particularly Sir Winston Churchill, with British wildlife sent political leaders into a frenzy of condemnation earlier this year. But now people have a month to offer their views about which species of wildlife should be honoured on the £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes. The shortlist, chosen by a panel of wildlife experts, excluded household pets. People will be able to vote for up to six of their favourites from the shortlist. In a bid to prevent the otherwise inevitable Stoaty McStoatface jokes, those voting will not be able to nominate any alternatives. "I very much hope the public will enjoy engaging in our consultation to choose the animals to feature on our next series of banknotes," said Victoria Cleland, the Bank's chief cashier, whose signature appears on banknotes. "The shortlisted animals demonstrate the rich variety of wildlife we have to celebrate in the UK." The new banknotes will each feature one animal or bird, but the public will be able to select up to two of their favourites from each of three categories on the shortlist before the deadline of the end of 3 July. The mammals are: the bottlenose dolphin, the brown hare, the European hedgehog, the grey seal, the pine martin and the red fox. The second category of birds feature: the Atlantic puffin, the barn owl, the common kingfisher, the Eurasian curlew, the great spotted woodpecker, and the white-tailed eagle. The final section of amphibians, insects and fish, has: the Atlantic salmon, the basking shark, the buff-tailed bumblebee, the common frog, the Emperor dragonfly, and the marsh fritillary butterfly.

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Japan's Advantage Partners launches $1.8bn buyout fund
Asia-Pacific
Nikkei Asia•6/2/2026

Japan's Advantage Partners launches $1.8bn buyout fund

The fund established by Advantage Partners is one of the largest funds ever launched by a Japanese private equity firm. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Rie Ishii and Taizo Wada) TOKYO -- Japanese corporate acquisition firm Advantage Partners has launched a 300 billion yen (approximately $1.8 billion) buyout fund, Nikkei has learned. Advantage aims to use the fund, one of the largest from a Japanese private equity firm, to drive the restructuring of Japanese industries by spinning off non-core businesses from domestic companies and taking midsize companies private.

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Bangladesh faces further measles risk due to lack of vaccinations, travel
China / Asia
South China Morning Post•6/2/2026

Bangladesh faces further measles risk due to lack of vaccinations, travel

Biman MukherjiPublished: 10:10pm, 2 Jun 2026The measles outbreak in Bangladesh is one of its deadliest health crises in decades, as experts warned that the lack of measures to increase vaccinations and enhance immunisation across the country could lead to a further spike in cases.There were over 60,000 suspected cases of measles, and nearly 600 people have died from the disease since mid-March, according to media reports. The outbreak has been particularly severe among malnourished children and communities with limited access to health services. Local health officials have partnered with their UN counterparts to launch an emergency response to combat measles. However, gaps in vaccination coverage, with an interim administration in power until February, have raised concerns that the disease could spread further. Health experts say the surge is due to local authorities not prioritising the elimination of measles, with the highly contagious disease largely preventable through two vaccine doses as recommended by the World Health Organization. According to a report on the measles situation in Bangladesh by the WHO in April, the disease can affect individuals of all ages and is a leading cause of death among young children around the world. A usually “mild or moderately severe disease”, measles could, however, cause complications such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, blindness, and death, the WHO said.

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