On Monday, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 closed at fresh records, adding 0.1% and 0.5%, respectively, as optimism over strong corporate earnings outweighed ongoing trade tensions. The Dow, on the other hand, finished 18 points lower. Gains in megacap tech names like Alphabet, Amazon and Meta helped propel the rally, with Alphabet rising 2% ahead of its earnings report on Wednesday. Verizon also surged 4.2% after a strong quarterly report, fueling hopes for continued earnings momentum. So far, over 85% of S&P 500 companies that have reported have beaten expectations, with Big Tech expected to drive most of the quarter’s projected 6-7% earnings growth. Investor sentiment remained upbeat despite tariff uncertainty, with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick reiterating August 1 as the “hard deadline” for compliance, though talks may continue beyond that. Meanwhile, the EU is exploring potential countermeasures if no trade deal is reached, adding geopolitical pressure.