The major averages closed higher on Monday, with the S&P 500 (+0.3%), Nasdaq Composite (+0.4%), and DJIA (+0.1%) all setting fresh record highs during the session as investors navigated a sharp jump in oil prices and another round of AI-driven technology leadership.

Early trading was shaped by a surge in crude oil following reports that Iran had stopped messaging the U.S. in protest of Israel's strikes in Lebanon. Oil prices remained elevated throughout the session, although they pared their worst levels after President Trump stated on Truth Social that discussions with Iran were continuing "at a rapid pace." WTI crude oil futures ultimately settled up $4.77 (+5.5%) at $92.19 per barrel.

Despite the gains in the major averages, market participation was relatively narrow. The information technology sector (+2.5%) was the clear leader and provided much of the market's upside support. NVIDIA (NVDA 224.36, +13.22, +6.26%) and Microsoft (MSFT 460.52, +10.28, +2.28%) remained focal points after announcing a partnership to develop a secure Windows platform for on-device AI agents, while Dell (DELL 466.02, +45.11, +10.72%) also benefited from the news.

Elsewhere in the sector software stocks extended their recent momentum as well, with the iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF (IGV) jumping 5.9%.

Outside of technology and energy (+1.9%) sectors, the tone was less encouraging. Rising energy prices pressured several oil- and rate-sensitive areas of the market, limiting participation beneath the surface. The consumer discretionary (-2.6%) and utilities (-3.1%) sectors finished sharply lower, with nine total S&P 500 sectors posting a loss.

Broader market measures generally lagged the major averages despite the record highs, with the Russell 2000 (-0.5%) and S&P Mid Cap 400 (-0.1%) retreating modestly.

Corporate news contributed to several notable individual stock moves. MGM Resorts (MGM 50.69, +7.02, +16.08%) surged after confirming it received an acquisition proposal from IAC, while Taylor Morrison Home (TMHC 71.55, +13.05, +22.31%) rallied following Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s (BRK-B 470.28, -4.21, -0.89%) agreement to acquire the homebuilder in an $8.5 billion all-cash transaction.

Separately, FedEx (FDX 338.49, -73.26, -17.79%) completed the spin-off of FedEx Freight (FDXF 149.53, -10.84, -6.76%), which began trading as an independent public company.

In conclusion, record highs across the major averages masked another session of narrow leadership, as enthusiasm surrounding AI-related technology stocks proved strong enough to overcome the headwinds created by higher oil prices and lingering geopolitical uncertainty.

U.S. Treasuries started June with losses in most tenors, though the market put up a fight, finishing the session closer to the day's opening levels than session lows. The 2-year note yield settled up four basis points to 4.05%, and the 10-year note yield settled up two basis points to 4.48%. 

Reviewing today's data:

• May S&P Global U.S. Manufacturing PMI - Final 55.1 (May Prelim was 55.3)
• April Construction Spending: 0.4% vs Briefing.com consensus of 0.3%; March was revised to 0.2% from 0.6%
  • The key takeaway from the report is that it included a sharp downward revision to growth rate from March (0.2%), resulting in a weak report overall. New single-family construction spending increased a solid 1.4% in April but was still down 2.9% year-over-year.
• May ISM Manufacturing Index 54.0% vs Briefing.com consensus of 53.1%; April was 52.7
  • The key takeaway from the report is that it continued showing some stagflationary elements for the second consecutive month, as employment remained in contraction-though at a slower rate-while the prices index only dipped slightly from its sharpest increase since early 2022.