The initial jobless claims in the United States for the week ending on June 13th were 226,000, slightly higher than expected.

June 18: Semafor business reporter Rohan Goswami cited sources revealing Intel and Apple have been in discussions for months about potential U.S.-based chip manufacturing. The current state of those negotiations remains unclear. Intel executives were caught off guard by U.S. President Donald Trump’s social media post. Today, Trump posted on social media announcing: “Apple has agreed to work with Intel to design and manufacture its chips in the U.S. We’ve decided to support Intel in exchange for a 10% stake.”

On June 18, Trump declared: "Oil supplies are plentiful, the economy is booming, employment has hit an all-time high, and prices are dropping—you’re welcome!"

June 18: Per Bitget data, SPCX dipped briefly below $180 and is now trading at $181.11, with its intraday loss widening to 5.98%.

June 18: Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) sued U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) over Kalshi’s entry into perpetual futures trading.

June 18: According to Bitget market data, WTI crude oil fell below $73 per barrel, dropping 3.66% intraday and hitting its lowest point since March 5th.

On June 18, the U.S. stock market opened higher, driven by positive news including the remote signing of a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.77%, the S&P 500 gained 1.1%, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.56% at the open. Per Bitget market data, semiconductor stocks surged early: Intel jumped 8% following remarks from Trump about potential sector-specific stimulus. Marvell Technology added 4.7%, and Micron Technology climbed 6%. Optical communication stocks also posted solid gains, with AAOI up 3.43%, GLW advancing 5.18%, and COHR notching a 4.27% increase. Storage sector stocks led the upside, opening sharply higher: WDC surged 10.55%, STX climbed 7.22%, and SNDK added 6.28%. In contrast, SpaceX shares extended their recent downward trajectory, falling 2% in early trading.