S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit record highs as trade optimism and rate cut hopes boost market confidence

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed at new record highs, marking their strongest quarterly performance in over a year, driven by optimism surrounding trade deals with China and the UK and expectations of potential interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. Despite inflation concerns and geopolitical risks, investor sentiment remains buoyant heading into the second half of the year.