Wall Street ended February on a positive note as U.S. stock markets experienced a rally. The S&P 500 surged by 1.6% on Friday, which helped lessen its overall loss for the month. This improvement positioned it as the worst month since December, rather than April. The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 1.4%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed by 1.6%.
Notably, Nvidia made a strong rebound, recovering much of its sharp decline from the previous day, contributing to the market’s upward momentum. Meanwhile, Treasury yields decreased following a report indicating a slight decrease in inflation last month along with a reduction in consumer spending. Concerns over tariffs caused a drop in Asian stock indices.
Friday’s trading session saw the S&P 500 rise by 92.93 points, reaching 5,954.50, a 1.6% increase. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 601.41 points, closing at 43,840.91, reflecting a 1.4% growth. Similarly, the Nasdaq composite saw a rise of 302.86 points, settling at 18,847.28, marking a 1.6% increase. Additionally, the Russell 2000 index, which represents smaller companies, also went up by 23.41 points, finishing at 2,163.07, an improvement of 1.1%.
For the weekly overview, the S&P 500 experienced a decline by 58.63 points, equating to a 1% drop. Conversely, the Dow saw an increase of 412.89 points, reflecting a 1% rise. The Nasdaq, however, suffered a more significant decrease of 676.73 points, amounting to a 3.5% fall. The Russell 2000 also slipped, losing 32.28 points or 1.5%.
Analyzing the yearly performance, the S&P 500 has seen an upward movement of 72.87 points, translating to a 1.2% rise. The Dow has experienced a notable increase of 1,296.69 points, which is a 3% growth. On the other hand, the Nasdaq has declined by 463.51 points, resulting in a 2.4% drop. The Russell 2000 similarly has decreased by 67.09 points, reflecting a 3% loss.
