Good evening and welcome to Markets Desk, your close of business briefing.
Equities staged a broad rally Monday as easing tensions in the Middle East gave investors the green light to buy. The S&P five hundred closed up nearly one and a half percent, the Dow added one point three two percent, and the Nasdaq one hundred led the charge with a gain of one point seven eight percent, reflecting renewed appetite for risk across the board.
Carrying that momentum into after-hours trade, Palantir delivered a stunning second quarter, reporting revenue of one point nine four billion dollars against expectations of one point eight zero one billion — a ninety-three percent jump year over year. The AI software firm also issued strong forward guidance, sending shares surging thirteen percent after the bell and reinforcing the narrative that enterprise AI spending remains a powerful and durable growth engine.
Stepping back to the broader market picture, contrarian sentiment indicators are quietly flashing bullish. Stock market timers recently rushed toward the exits in significant numbers, and historically that kind of capitulation among short-term traders has given bull markets room to extend further, suggesting the current rally may have more structural support than the headlines imply.
That's the tape. Markets Desk, signing off the floor.
