On Friday, international gold and silver prices increased. For the week, the main gold futures contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose by 1.86% cumulatively, while the main silver futures contract gained 5.80%.
On the 8th, the three major U.S. stock indices collectively advanced, with the Nasdaq Composite Index climbing over 4% for the week. Before the U.S. market opened on Friday, data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that non-farm payrolls increased by 115,000 in April. Although this figure was significantly lower than the revised 185,000 in March, it exceeded market expectations. The stronger-than-expected jobs data boosted market sentiment. Coupled with the continued strength in AI chip and memory chip stocks—with Micron Technology up over 15%, SanDisk surging more than 16%, and NVIDIA gaining nearly 2%—technology stocks broadly advanced, leading all three major U.S. indices to close higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.02%, the S&P 500 increased 0.84%, and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.71%, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both hitting record highs. Driven by robust earnings reports from major technology companies, U.S. stocks have continued to rise in recent sessions. For the week, the Dow gained 0.22%, the S&P 500 advanced 2.33%, and the Nasdaq jumped 4.51%.
In individual stock news, U.S. cloud computing service provider CoreWeave reported its fiscal first-quarter 2026 results after the market closed on Thursday. Revenue for the quarter grew 112% year-over-year, surpassing market expectations, but the adjusted net loss widened. Due to CoreWeave's second-quarter outlook falling short of expectations and an increase in its full-year 2026 capital expenditure forecast, the company's stock closed down 11.40% on Friday.
On the 8th, the three major European stock indices collectively declined. European markets were affected by comments from the U.S. President, who stated that if the European Union does not fulfill the bilateral trade agreement with the United States by July 4th, tariffs on EU goods would be raised to a "higher" level. By Friday's close, the UK's FTSE 100 fell 0.43%, France's CAC 40 dropped 1.09%, and Germany's DAX decreased 1.32%.
In commodities, international oil prices rose on the 8th, but fell over 6% for the week. The market continued to monitor the latest developments in U.S.-Iran tensions. From the evening of the 7th to the early morning of the 8th, mutual attacks between U.S. and Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz raised concerns about escalating geopolitical risks, leading to a slight increase in oil prices. At the close, the June delivery light crude oil futures contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 0.64%, while the July delivery Brent crude oil futures contract in London increased 1.23%. For the week, expectations for a potential peaceful agreement between the U.S. and Iran continued to grow, potentially easing the disruption in crude oil supply. As a result, international oil prices retreated, with the main light crude oil futures contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange falling 6.40% cumulatively and the main Brent crude oil futures contract in London declining 6.36%.
In precious metals, international gold and silver prices increased on the 8th, with silver up over 5% for the week. Better-than-expected U.S. April employment data and a lower U.S. dollar index supported the rise. At the close, the June delivery gold futures price on the New York Mercantile Exchange was $4,730.70 per ounce, up 0.42%, while the July delivery silver futures price was $80.865 per ounce, up 0.85%. For the week, a retreat in the U.S. dollar index combined with continued gold purchases by central banks provided strong support for gold and silver prices. The main gold futures contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 1.86% cumulatively, and the main silver futures contract increased 5.80%.