{"id":64027,"date":"2026-06-30T18:38:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T22:38:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-wrap-us-stocks-cap-best-quarter-in-six-years-as-alcoa-inks-4-1b-deal\/64027\/"},"modified":"2026-06-30T18:38:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T22:38:16","slug":"global-markets-wrap-us-stocks-cap-best-quarter-in-six-years-as-alcoa-inks-4-1b-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-wrap-us-stocks-cap-best-quarter-in-six-years-as-alcoa-inks-4-1b-deal\/64027\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Markets Wrap: US Stocks Cap Best Quarter in Six Years as Alcoa Inks $4.1B Deal"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>US stocks concluded their strongest quarter in six years<\/strong>, with the <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/indices\/sp500\/today\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"snp500 today\">S&amp;P 500<\/a> (<a href=\"\/stock\/SPX\">SPX<\/a>) surging <strong>14%<\/strong> over the last three months, driven by an artificial intelligence investment boom.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Alcoa (<a href=\"\/stock\/AA\">AA<\/a>) announced a definitive $4.1 billion agreement<\/strong> to acquire bauxite, alumina, and aluminum assets from South32 (<a href=\"\/stock\/S32\">S32<\/a>), aiming for <strong>$900 million<\/strong> in synergies.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Nike (<a href=\"\/stock\/NKE\">NKE<\/a>) shares faced volatility<\/strong> after reporting a <strong>1%<\/strong> year-over-year revenue decline to <strong>$10.97 billion<\/strong>, despite a profit beat fueled by a one-time <strong>52-cent per share<\/strong> tariff refund.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Central banks signaled caution<\/strong> as BoE Governor Andrew Bailey stated there is <strong>&quot;no rush&quot;<\/strong> to raise rates despite oil-driven inflation risks, while the IMF urged New Zealand to lift rates toward a <strong>neutral level<\/strong> this year.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Apple (<a href=\"\/stock\/AAPL\">AAPL<\/a>) CEO Tim Cook held &quot;constructive&quot; talks<\/strong> with EU regulators regarding the rollout of <strong>&quot;Siri AI,&quot;<\/strong> seeking to resolve a standoff over the Digital Markets Act (DMA).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Equities and Corporate Developments<\/h2>\n<p>US equity markets powered through a turbulent period to log their <strong>best quarterly performance since 2020<\/strong>. The S&amp;P 500 (<a href=\"\/stock\/SPX\">SPX<\/a>) gained <strong>14%<\/strong> since April, bolstered by resilient corporate earnings and a massive wave of capital flowing into <strong>AI-related technology<\/strong>. Analysts at State Street Global Markets noted that investors continue to view tech as a &quot;reliable earnings-growth story,&quot; even as the broader market prepares for a potentially more difficult second half of the year.<\/p>\n<p>Alcoa (<a href=\"\/stock\/AA\">AA<\/a>) made a major strategic move in the materials sector, agreeing to buy South32&#39;s (<a href=\"\/stock\/S32\">S32<\/a>) mining and processing assets for <strong>$4.1 billion<\/strong> in cash and stock. The deal includes an upfront payment of <strong>$3.1 billion<\/strong> in cash and <strong>17 million<\/strong> newly issued shares. The acquisition targets high-quality assets in Australia, Brazil, and South Africa, and is expected to be <strong>immediately accretive<\/strong> to Alcoa&#39;s earnings per share and free cash flow.<\/p>\n<p>Nike (<a href=\"\/stock\/NKE\">NKE<\/a>) reported mixed fiscal fourth-quarter results, with revenue of <strong>$10.97 billion<\/strong> slightly exceeding analyst estimates but still reflecting a <strong>1% decline<\/strong> from the previous year. While earnings of <strong>72 cents per share<\/strong> crushed the <strong>12-cent<\/strong> consensus, the beat was largely attributed to a <strong>52-cent benefit<\/strong> from a Supreme Court-mandated tariff refund. CEO Elliott Hill acknowledged persistent &quot;top-line headwinds&quot; as the company continues its multi-year turnaround effort.<\/p>\n<h2>Central Banking and Macroeconomics<\/h2>\n<p>Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey signaled a patient approach to monetary policy during an interview in Sintra, Portugal. Bailey noted that while <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/energy\/crude-oil\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"12\" title=\"Crude oil\">oil prices<\/a> could push UK inflation to <strong>3.2%<\/strong> later this year, the central bank sees <strong>no immediate need<\/strong> to hike the Bank Rate from <strong>3.75%<\/strong>. He emphasized that financial markets have already priced in a degree of tightening, giving the BoE &quot;time to judge&quot; the impact of energy price pass-through.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued a more hawkish recommendation for New Zealand. In a staff report, the IMF suggested the <strong>Reserve Bank of New Zealand<\/strong> should raise interest rates toward a <strong>neutral level<\/strong> this year to mitigate inflation risks. The report highlighted that New Zealand&#39;s recovery has been delayed by global uncertainty and energy shocks, with inflation expected to remain above the target band until late 2026.<\/p>\n<h2>Technology and Regulatory Outlook<\/h2>\n<p>Apple (<a href=\"\/stock\/AAPL\">AAPL<\/a>) is attempting to bridge the gap with European regulators over its new artificial intelligence features. CEO Tim Cook&#39;s &quot;constructive&quot; talks with the EU tech chief come after the company previously stated it would <strong>not launch Siri AI<\/strong> in the European Union due to regulatory concerns stemming from the <strong>Digital Markets Act (DMA)<\/strong>. The EU has maintained that the DMA does not prohibit new products, and both sides are now working toward a solution that balances user privacy with fair competition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways US stocks concluded their strongest quarter in six years, with the S&amp;P 500 (SPX) surging 14% over the 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