{"id":64023,"date":"2026-06-30T17:08:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T21:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/sp-500-caps-best-quarter-since-2020-as-ai-rally-powers-global-markets\/64023\/"},"modified":"2026-06-30T17:08:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T21:08:16","slug":"sp-500-caps-best-quarter-since-2020-as-ai-rally-powers-global-markets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/sp-500-caps-best-quarter-since-2020-as-ai-rally-powers-global-markets\/64023\/","title":{"rendered":"S&#038;P 500 Caps Best Quarter Since 2020 as AI Rally Powers Global Markets"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/indices\/sp500\/today\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"snp500 today\">S&amp;P 500<\/a> (<a href=\"\/stock\/SPY\">SPY<\/a>) closed its best quarter since 2020<\/strong>, rising <strong>0.8%<\/strong> on Tuesday to cap a three-month period that added more than <strong>$8 trillion<\/strong> in market value, driven largely by the ongoing artificial intelligence boom.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Nike (<a href=\"\/stock\/NKE\">NKE<\/a>) reported mixed Q4 results<\/strong>, with revenue slipping <strong>1.1% to $10.97 billion<\/strong>, though gross margins surged to <strong>49.2%<\/strong> due to a significant one-time tariff recovery benefit.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Shell (<a href=\"\/stock\/SHEL\">SHEL<\/a>) reached a $1.7 billion deal<\/strong> to sell its interests in the <strong>Na Kika<\/strong> and <strong>Coulomb<\/strong> assets in the Gulf of Mexico to Talos Energy (<a href=\"\/stock\/TALO\">TALO<\/a>) and Ridgewood Energy.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock\/NVDA\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"15\" title=\"stock: NVDA\">Nvidia<\/a> (<a href=\"\/stock\/NVDA\">NVDA<\/a>) shareholders approved a major governance shift<\/strong>, moving from a supermajority to a <strong>simple majority voting standard<\/strong> while re-electing all ten director nominees.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Papa John&#39;s (<a href=\"\/stock\/PZZA\">PZZA<\/a>) appointed Chris Collins as interim CFO<\/strong> following the immediate departure of Ravi Thanawala, who left to join another public company.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Global Markets: A &quot;Monster&quot; First Half<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>S&amp;P 500 (<a href=\"\/stock\/SPY\">SPY<\/a>)<\/strong> finished the second quarter of 2026 with its strongest performance in six years, fueled by a relentless rally in technology and semiconductor stocks. The <strong>Nasdaq 100 (<a href=\"\/stock\/QQQ\">QQQ<\/a>)<\/strong> jumped <strong>1.7%<\/strong> on Tuesday, ending the quarter with an <strong>18% gain<\/strong>, while the <strong>Philadelphia Semiconductor Index<\/strong> posted its best quarterly performance on record. <em>Analysts noted that while geopolitical tensions in the Middle East initially sparked volatility, a potential permanent U.S.-Iran peace deal has recently eased <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/energy\/crude-oil\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"12\" title=\"Crude oil\">oil prices<\/a> and boosted investor confidence.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Retail investors have remained a pillar of support for the current trend, consistently &quot;buying the dip&quot; during brief periods of volatility. Strong U.S. labor market data and resilient consumer spending have reinforced the narrative of a &quot;soft landing&quot; for the economy. However, some market participants warn that the speed of the <strong>AI-driven advance<\/strong> may lead to a short-term consolidation phase as the third quarter begins.<\/p>\n<h2>Corporate Highlights: Nike, Shell, and Nvidia<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Nike (<a href=\"\/stock\/NKE\">NKE<\/a>)<\/strong> shares faced scrutiny after the company reported a <strong>1.1% year-over-year decline<\/strong> in Q4 revenue. While the gross margin of <strong>49.2%<\/strong> appeared strong, it was heavily inflated by a <strong>900 basis point benefit<\/strong> from the recovery of International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs. <em>The company continues to struggle in Greater China, where EBIT fell 20% as the brand navigates a challenging macroeconomic environment in the region.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In the energy sector, <strong>Shell (<a href=\"\/stock\/SHEL\">SHEL<\/a>)<\/strong> is streamlining its portfolio by divesting Gulf of Mexico assets for <strong>$1.7 billion<\/strong>. The deal with <strong>Talos Energy (<a href=\"\/stock\/TALO\">TALO<\/a>)<\/strong> includes the <strong>Na Kika<\/strong> platform and <strong>Coulomb<\/strong> tieback, though <strong>BP (<a href=\"\/stock\/BP\">BP<\/a>)<\/strong> retains a 30-day preferential right to purchase the assets. Shell will maintain offtake rights and receive upside-linked payments through 2027, reflecting a strategic shift toward higher-margin production basins.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock\/NVDA\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"15\" title=\"stock: NVDA\">Nvidia<\/a> (<a href=\"\/stock\/NVDA\">NVDA<\/a>)<\/strong> continues to strengthen its corporate governance alongside its market dominance. During the 2026 annual meeting, shareholders backed the transition to a <strong>simple majority voting standard<\/strong>, a move often praised by institutional investors for increasing board accountability. The re-election of CEO Jensen Huang and nine other directors comes as the company&#39;s valuation remains near record highs, supported by &quot;insatiable&quot; demand for AI infrastructure.<\/p>\n<h2>Executive Transitions and Industrial Finance<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Papa John&#39;s (<a href=\"\/stock\/PZZA\">PZZA<\/a>)<\/strong> is undergoing a leadership transition as <strong>Ravi Thanawala<\/strong> departs for a CFO role at an undisclosed public company. <strong>Chris Collins<\/strong>, a 30-year finance veteran, steps in as interim CFO while the board conducts a permanent search. To ensure operational stability, <strong>Marc Richard<\/strong> has been tasked with overseeing all North American operations during this period.<\/p>\n<p>In the industrial sector, <strong>Worthington Steel (<a href=\"\/stock\/WS\">WS<\/a>)<\/strong> secured a new <strong>$550 million asset-based revolving credit facility<\/strong> with <strong>Wells Fargo (<a href=\"\/stock\/WFC\">WFC<\/a>)<\/strong>. The facility, which is expandable to <strong>$650 million<\/strong>, is intended to provide the company with enhanced liquidity and financial flexibility as it navigates the current manufacturing cycle.<\/p>\n<h2>Geopolitical Outlook: UK Defence Spending<\/h2>\n<p>The UK government, under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, published a <strong>10-year Defence Investment Plan<\/strong> aiming to reach <strong>2.7% of GDP<\/strong> by 2030. Despite the commitment, the plan faces a <strong>\u00a328 billion funding gap<\/strong> over the next four years, with <strong>\u00a34.7 billion<\/strong> currently remaining unfunded. <em>The investment focuses heavily on modernizing the UK&#39;s nuclear deterrent and expanding drone capabilities to address rising global volatility.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways The S&amp;P 500 (SPY) closed its best quarter since 2020, rising 0.8% on Tuesday to cap a three-month 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