World shares are mixed as Tokyo's Nikkei 225 follows Wall Street to an all-time high

Global stock markets opened with mixed activity on June 2, 2026, after Japan’s Nikkei 225 index surged to a record 68,402.13, marking a 2.5% gain. The rally was led by AI-related stocks, with Tokyo Electron rising 13.4% and Advantest up 5.1%. Meanwhile, European markets underperformed, with Germany’s DAX dropping 0.8% to 24,930.74 and France’s CAC 40 falling 0.4% to 8,173.51, while Britain’s FTSE 100 declined 0.3%. U.S. futures initially dipped slightly, with the S&P 500 down 0.1% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average losing 0.2%, though all three major U.S. indices closed at record highs. The S&P 500 rose 0.1% to 7,609.78, the Dow Jones climbed 0.4% to 51,307.79, and the Nasdaq edged up marginally to 27,093.90. The gains were driven by AI-linked companies, including Hewlett Packard Enterprise, which soared 19.5% after reporting earnings exceeding expectations, and Marvell Technology, which jumped 32.5% following Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s suggestion it could become the next trillion-dollar company. Asia’s trading session saw varied performance, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng falling 1.6% to 25,633.21 and India’s Sensex dropping 0.9%, while Taiwan’s Taiex rose 2% and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 advanced 0.7%. South Korea’s markets remained closed for a holiday. Oil prices climbed over $2 a barrel, with Brent crude reaching $98.63 and U.S. benchmark crude at $96.55, as hopes for a U.S.-Iran deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz persist. Analysts noted investor reluctance to buy protection despite global risks, with Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management commenting on the market’s resilience. The S&P 500’s nine-week winning streak, its longest since 2023, has raised expectations of a potential slowdown. Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar weakened slightly against the yen, slipping to 159.86 yen, while the euro remained stable near $1.1631.