MORNING UPDATE — June 1, 2026 NordFX Market Briefing

🌏 Asian Markets — Today Asia-Pacific opened June on a mixed note. Japan’s Nikkei 225 added a modest +0.17%, building on Friday’s strong +2.53% session that closed at 66,329. South Korea’s Kospi surged +1.31% to a fresh record high, with Samsung Electronics hitting an all-time high on strong AI chip demand. Australia’s ASX 200 slipped -0.21%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained +0.73%, while mainland China’s CSI 300 edged down -0.32%. The mood is cautious-optimistic: AI enthusiasm lifts tech, but the unresolved US-Iran ceasefire keeps markets on edge.

🇺🇸 Wall Street — Friday Close (May 29) US indices capped a record-breaking May, powered by the AI rally and ceasefire hopes: 📈 Dow Jones +0.72% → 51,032 (first-ever close above 51,000) 📈 S&P 500 +0.22% → 7,580 (9th straight winning week — longest streak since 2023) 📈 Nasdaq +0.20% → 26,973 🤖 Dell Technologies +33% on blowout AI-driven earnings — best day on record.

🛢️ Oil Brent closed Friday at ~$91/bbl (-1.7%), WTI at ~$87/bbl — both posting their steepest monthly declines since 2020 (-16% to -17%) as a tentative US-Iran ceasefire extension fuelled selling. This Monday morning WTI is rebounding toward $90 and Brent toward $93, as weekend negotiations yielded no finalized deal. Trump reaffirmed Iran must fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz — the world’s most critical oil chokepoint.

💛 Gold Spot gold is trading at ~$4,542/oz this morning, broadly flat on the day. The metal ended May ~0.8% lower month-on-month, pressured by the hottest US inflation in nearly three years (PCE +3.8% YoY) and expectations the Fed will hold rates well into 2027. Ceasefire optimism has cooled safe-haven demand, but stagflation fears are keeping a floor under prices.

💱 Forex The USD Index sits near 99, close to two-week lows, and ended May about 1% higher. EUR/USD ~1.17, USD/JPY ~159.3. Markets await the US NFP report later this week for fresh Fed signals.

₿ Crypto Bitcoin is trading near $73,400, essentially flat over the weekend. Risk appetite remains selective — tech stocks and AI attract inflows, while crypto consolidates in a holding pattern tied to geopolitical developments.

🔍 Key Focus This Week 👉 US-Iran ceasefire/deal developments — Strait of Hormuz still effectively closed 👉 US Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP) — key for Fed rate path 👉 Fed policy outlook: markets pricing zero cuts in 2026, ~46% odds of a hike by December

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🌅 MORNING UPDATE — June 1, 2026 NordFX Market Briefing was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.