US stock markets end successful week with upswing

The US stock markets experienced their strongest week in two months, closing with a significant gain. The S&P 500 rose 1% on Friday, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.8%. Particularly noteworthy was the increase of the Nasdaq Composite, which climbed 1.5%. A key driver of the market was SLB, an oilfield services provider, which announced plans to return more capital to its shareholders through dividends and share buybacks. Large technology companies also contributed to the market upswing, as hopes emerged that the US Federal Reserve might cut interest rates later this year. Government bond yields remained stable after steep declines at the beginning of the week, giving the stock markets an additional boost. In summary, the S&P 500 rose by 59.32 points to 5,996.66 on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 334.70 points to 43,487.83, and the Nasdaq Composite added 291.91 points to reach 19,630.20. The Russell 2000 Index, which includes smaller companies, also closed with a gain of 9.09 points at 2,275.88. On a weekly basis, the S&P 500 showed an increase of 2.9%, the Dow by 3.7%, the Nasdaq by 2.4%, and the Russell 2000 by 4%. On a year-to-date basis, the S&P 500 increased by 2%, the Dow by 2.2%, the Nasdaq by 1.7%, and the Russell 2000 by 2.1%.