U.S. Consumer Confidence Ticks Up in June, Nasdaq Seals Best Quarter in Years

Americans' attitudes toward the economy improved slightly in June, with the Conference Board's consumer confidence index rising 0.6 points to 91.2, though still below market forecasts and its year-ago reading. Meanwhile, U.S. stock markets are closing an exceptionally successful first half of the year, with the Nasdaq 100 rising over 25% in the second quarter, marking its best quarterly performance since Q2 2020. Despite a mixed opening for Wall Street stocks on Tuesday, the broad-based S&P 500 has gained nearly 9% in the first half of 2026, driven by confidence in the AI boom.