Good morning and happy Friday — it’s June 21, and you’ve made it to the end of the week!
If that’s not enough to get you up and about this morning, today also happens to be the winter solstice, or the shortest day of the year. That means once we get through today, the daylight hours will start to get longer.
(And if you really need that boost of enthusiasm, technically today is the shortest working day of the year.)
But I digress — we’re here for markets and business news, after all! And let me tell you, there’s no shortage of it this morning.
After hitting another Wall Street milestone earlier this week, Nvidia has lost its claim to the throne as the world’s most valuable company.
Its share price dropped by 3% overnight, which allowed Microsoft to saunter its way back to the top of the metaphorical podium.
That said, it was a pretty lethargic session on Wall Street — the Nasdaq snapped its seven-session streak of record closing highs, and the S&P 500 closed lower despite hitting the 5,500-point mark for the first time ever.
Over in the UK and Europe, it was interest rates central.
The Bank of England kept rates on hold as did Norway’s central bank, while the Swiss National Bank cut rates for the second time this year.
And with the BoE hinting that rate cuts are getting closer, that’s put some life back into the UK markets.
OK, you know how it goes: get coffee, settle in, and let’s get this show on the road.