Equity markets continued to march higher in June, seemingly unfazed by heightened Middle East tensions (which were short-lived) and the looming July 8 deadline for the administration’s pause on reciprocal tariffs. Despite an interim bout of volatility, it was a record-breaking month for the S&P 500 and the tech-heavy NASDAQ as both indices ended the month with new all-time highs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 4% for June.

Nine out of the 11 sectors delivered positive returns, with Consumer Staples and Real Estate lagging.

Signs of an economic slowdown continued to mount, fueled by weak housing data, further cooling in the labor market and an unexpected deceleration in consumer spending. Lower oil prices have put downward pressure on inflation in recent months; however, the impact from tariffs is still expected to affect prices in the months ahead. The risk of higher inflation has kept the Federal Reserve (Fed) in wait-and-see mode, with policymakers holding the benchmark interest rate steady at 4.25%-4.5% in June, as expected.

As we wait to see what the rest of the year has in store for us we have a few articles below that you may find interesting

Tariffs and Insurance: How will this Impact You?

https://www.kiplinger.com/personal-finance/car-insurance/see-how-much-auto-tariffs-raise-your-car-insurance-rates

Social Security and Its State

https://retire.ly/2025/06/30/president-trump-has-made-some-big-social-security-changes-but-so-far-he-hasnt-touched-this-key-issue/

Prime Day Deals

https://www.kiplinger.com/personal-finance/deals/amazon-prime-day-early-deals

When will Mortgage Rates go Down?

https://finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/mortgages/article/when-will-mortgage-rates-go-down-to-6-195022219.html

Federal Reserve Rate Decision and How It Affects You

https://finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/banking/article/fed-rate-decision-how-it-affects-your-bank-accounts-loans-credit-cards-and-investments-220526037.html

Most Popular Shows to Stream in July

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/heres-whats-worth-streaming-in-july-2025-on-netflix-hulu-max-disney-and-more-e91e8368?mod=personal-finance

Opinions expressed in the attached article are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Raymond James. All opinions are as of this date and are subject to change without notice. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index of 500 widely held stocks that is generally considered representative of the U.S. stock market. The NASDAQ composite is an unmanaged index of securities traded on the NASDAQ system. Investing involved risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of strategy selected. Prior to making an investment decision, please consult with your financial advisor about your individual situation.