Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on May 21, 2026 in New York City.
Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images
Hello, this is Leonie Kidd writing to you from London. Welcome to today’s edition of the Daily Open newspaper.
What a difference a church makes.
On Monday, the focus was on how stocks showed signs of a cooling bond market, with major stock indexes marginally higher as borrowing costs rose.
Fast forward to Friday, and Wall Street looks set to end the week in the green, back to record levels.
What you need to know today
It looks set to be a winning week for US stocks, despite trading volatility over the past few days among bond markets.
Futures are pointing to gains across Wall Street, which will send the S&P 500 in the green for the week, while the Dow Jones rose more than 270 points to close at a record high on Thursday.
Asia-Pacific markets are also trading higher as investors assess efforts to reach a peace deal between the US and Iran. However, oil prices they were also raised in a Reuters report suggesting that Iran wants to keep the country rich in uranium.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump on Thursday said he has postponed an upcoming ceremony to sign a much-anticipated executive order on the intelligence industry.
The event, scheduled for later Thursday afternoon, was delayed “because I didn’t like certain aspects of it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
In Europe, the lead era is coming to an end, with the luxury giant Richemont one of the last companies to report. The high-end fashion house, which includes brands Cartier and Chloé, posted a strong set of sales throughout the year and the launch of a new shopping program.
Even in the beauty space, he shares Estee Lauder Big gains are expected to be revealed on Friday, after the cosmetics giant said it was ending merger talks with Spanish rival Puig. The deal would have created a group worth about $40 billion.
Travel stocks remain subdued as long-term disruptions to aviation fuel chains continue to worry investors and travelers alike. China’s so-called “Big Three” airlines, Air China, China Eastern and China Southern Airlines have suffered more than their competitors due to the lack of protection against fuel price changes.
— Leonie Kidd
And finally…
Crypto bros, scalpers and Logan Paul: Inside the Pokémon world where cards sell for millions
From 2004 to 2020, Pokémon card values increased 282%, according to an index compiled by collectors, who own the card grading agency Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA). As of 2020, prices have increased by a staggering 1,350%, per index.
Prices have risen and surpassed traditional asset classes, attracting the attention of people looking to make quick money and a higher number of people looking for investment assets to protect or grow their wealth.
People who have made money from cryptocurrency are piling into the market, market watchers told CNBC, as prices hit unprecedented levels.
– Arjun Kharpal
