Investing.com - Here are the top five things you need to know in financial markets on Tuesday, June 5:
1. U.S. stocks set to continue the climb
U.S. futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street as bullish sentiment in tech stocks continued to bolster risk appetite. At 6:02AM ET (10:02GMT), the blue-chip Dow futures gained 57 points, or 0.23%, S&P 500 futures rose 6 points, or 0.21%, while the Nasdaq 100 futures traded up 25 points, or 0.35%.
Elsewhere, European stock markets were mostly higher nearing midday trade despite data showing another slowdown in business activity in the euro zone last month. IHS Markit's composite purchasing managers' index (PMI), seen as a good overall indicator of euro zone growth, fell to an 18-month low of 54.1 in May from April 's 55.1, still above the 50 mark separating growth from contraction.
A notable exception was in London where the FTSE 100 fell 0.3% as investors worried over the cost to taxpayers from its bailout of Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) after the government reduced its stake. The UK sold 925 million shares at a price of 271 pence, compared to the purchase price of 500 pence, resulting in a loss of around £2 billion ($2.7 billion). Further spooking investors, the UK’s service sector activity accelerated to its fastest pace in three months. While good news on the economic front, the data raised concerns that the Bank of England could raise rates at its August meeting.
Earlier, Asian shares closed higher as the tech-inspired rally on Wall Street boosted sentiment.
2. Eyes on the $1 trillion mark for Apple’s market cap
Shares of Apple closed at record highs as its annual developer conference, WWDC, got underway on Monday.
The conference, which continues through June 8, attracts attention from both the tech and finance world as Apple often reveals new tools and features. That was the case on Monday as the tech giant revealed its new operating system iOS 12, a new augmented reality toolkit and a series of apps to help curb use on iPhone and iPads.
The tech giant said the new software update would speed up newer and older iPhones models. This comes a few months after Apple was heavily criticized as some alleged the tech giant's update purposely slowed the performance of older iPhones to encourage users to upgrade.
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) closed at $191.83, up 0.84%, which saw its market cap move within about 5% of the $1 trillion mark. Shares in pre-market trade on Tuesday gained around 0.5%.
3. ISM non-manufacturing PMI to capture attention on the data front
Service sector activity in the U.S. will focus investor attention on Tuesday as the Institute of Supply Management releases its non-manufacturing purchasing managers' index at 10:00AM ET (14:00GMT). Growth is expected to accelerate to 57.9 for May, from the previous reading of 56.8.
A reading above 50 indicates expansion in the services sector, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity.
Also on the docket at the same time, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics survey to measure job vacancies for April could garner added investor attention following last week's blowout jobs report.
The U.S. Labor Department's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTs) expected to show job openings in March fell to about 6.490 million.
The dollar was little changed against major rivals ahead of the data, taking a breather after six straight weeks of steady gains.
4. Trade negotiations and North Korea remain in focus
Though stocks were broadly higher on Tuesday, concerns over trade negotiations remained in focus as U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross left China with no advances over tariffs and President Donald Trump prepared to head to Canada to a gathering of the G7 leaders in Quebec on Friday. The meeting of the group's finance ministers and central bank governors over the weekend saw the U.S. heavily criticized for Trump's tariff policies.
Relations with North Korea were also on watch as the White House said late Monday that Trump’s first meeting with the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would take place at 9:00 AM Singapore time on June 12.
Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders stressed that the U.S.' position had not changed. "We have sanctions on, they’re very powerful and we would not take those sanctions off unless North Korea denuclearized,” she stated.
5. Oil heads lower ahead of weekly inventory data
Oil prices continued to decline, though U.S. crude's losses were minimal, in early morning trade on Tuesday as an increase in U.S. crude production and concerns that OPEC could increase output continued to dampen sentiment and investors looked ahead to the latest U.S. stockpile data.
A fresh batch of crude oil inventory data from the American Petroleum Institute (API) is due Tuesday after data last week showed a build in weekly crude U.S. crude stockpiles.
The American Petroleum Institute reported last Wednesday crude oil stockpiles rose by 1 million barrels. That was in sharp contrast to the Energy Information Administration report showing crude supplies fell by 3.6 million barrels.
The official government report will be released on Wednesday amid expectations for a draw of 2.5 million barrels.
U.S. crude oil futures slipped 0.03% to $64.73 at 6:04AM ET (10:04GMT), while Brent oil fell 0.86% to $74.68.