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As of Jun 18, 2026
For informational purposes only.
Today · Jun 18
If you felt a bit whiplashed today – “Didn’t the Fed just get tougher, so why are stocks ripping higher?” – that’s exactly the mood. Markets basically decided that cheaper oil and hot tech are more important, for now, than a grumpier new Fed chair.
US stocks bounced hard:
Under the surface this wasn’t a cautious drift higher; it was a classic “risk‑on” day. High‑beta stocks – the jumpy, story-driven names – beat the low‑volatility, steady ones by a wide margin. About 60% of stocks rose, and trading volume leaned heavily to the upside.
Two big forces sat in the background:
Cheaper oil easing inflation nerves
A provisional US–Iran deal has knocked oil down more than 30% from its May peak and pushed US gasoline back under $4. Energy stocks sank again, and the energy sector is now down about 10% over the past month. Lower fuel costs take some heat off inflation just as the headline inflation rate is running near 2.25% and trending lower.
A tech/AI stampede
Chip and AI‑linked names exploded higher. Intel jumped over 10%, Micron nearly 9%, and others like Marvell and AMD surged. The whole tech sector rose about 3%. This is the market saying, “We hear the Fed, but earnings and AI spending are too powerful to ignore.”
