S&P 500 scales fresh record high at the opening

Most major US stock indexes rose at the opening of Wednesday's session, with the S&P 500 hitting a new all-time high following the announcement of a trade deal between the United States and Japan.

US President Donald Trump announced a trade agreement with Japan that includes reciprocal tariffs of 15% on exports between the two countries. He also confirmed that Washington is seeking a trade deal with the European Union, with the current mutual tariff suspension set to expire in early August.

Later today, specifically after the close of the session, both Tesla and Alphabet are scheduled to report their second-quarter earnings for 2025.

As of 15:15 GMT, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 0.4% (173 points) to 44,675 points. The broader S&P 500 index climbed 0.2% (13 points) to 6,323 points, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite edged up by less than 0.1% (3 points) to 20,896 points.