U.S. Stock Market Closes Positively in May 2025, Led by Tech and Energy Gains

On May 30, 2025, the US stock market closed on a positive note. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.3 percent, or 117.03 points, to close at 42,215.73, with twenty-two of its thirty components ending in positive territory. The S&P 500 rose 0.4 percent, or 23.62 points, to close at 5,912.17, with ten out of the eleven broad sectors of the benchmark index closing in the green. The Nasdaq Composite gained 0.4 percent, or 74.93 points, to close at 19,175.87.Key factors driving the market's direction included a federal appeals court's decision to temporarily reinstate President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs, which boosted investor morale. Strong earnings from a semiconductor giant, notably Nvidia, also contributed to the positive sentiment.In terms of sector performance, the Real Estate Select Sector SPDR, the Energy Select Sector SPDR, and the Utilities Select Sector SPDR were among the top gainers, advancing 0.9 percent, 0.8 percent, and 0.7 percent respectively. Conversely, the Communication Services Select Sector SPDR declined by 0.8 percent.The fear-gauge CBOE Volatility Index decreased by 0.7 percent to 19.18, indicating reduced volatility. A total of 18.65 billion shares were traded on Thursday, higher than the last twenty-session average of 17.7 billion. Advancers outnumbered decliners by a 2.26-to-1 ratio on the New York Stock Exchange, while on the Nasdaq, advancing issues led by a 1.48-to-1 ratio.Looking ahead, US stock futures are pointing slightly lower as investors await key inflation data, specifically the release of the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) report, which is expected to show a decline in inflation for the second straight month. Additionally, investors are watching developments on tariffs and digesting recent earnings reports, such as Costco Wholesale's fiscal third-quarter results which narrowly beat analysts' estimates.Important upcoming events include further negotiations on tariffs, particularly with China, where Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noted that talks have become "a bit stalled." Dell Technologies also reported "unprecedented demand" for its AI servers, which could be a significant market catalyst. Pre-market futures indicate a slightly lower open for major US indexes, with S&P 500 futures down 0.1 percent and Nasdaq futures also down 0.1 percent, while Dow Jones Industrial Average futures are little changed.This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI