U.S. stock markets closed on a positive note Friday following another tumultuous day of trading that saw significant fluctuations. The S&P 500 closed higher by 0.6% after oscillating between gains and losses, aptly rounding off a week characterized by intense volatility. Investors had been uneasy due to concerns over the U.S. economy and the uncertainty surrounding potential tariff actions by President Donald Trump.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 0.5%, while the Nasdaq Composite rose by 0.7%. The movements in the stock indexes were mirrored by similar swings in Treasury yields. Initially, the yields decreased, reacting to a jobs report that was slightly below expectations. However, they rose again after statements from the Federal Reserve’s chair suggested the economy is robust enough to hold steady for now without immediate adjustments to interest rates.
At the close of trading on Friday, the market saw the S&P 500 gain 31.68 points, closing at 5,770.20. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 222.64 points to 42,801.72. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite experienced a rise of 126.97 points, landing at 18,196.22. Smaller companies, represented by the Russell 2000 index, rose 8.93 points to close at 2,075.48.
Despite the uptick seen on Friday, the week as a whole painted a less rosy picture. Over the week, the S&P 500 retreated by 184.30 points or 3.1%. The Dow saw a decrease of 1,039.19 points or 2.4%, while the Nasdaq dropped by 651.06 points, marking a 3.5% decline. The Russell 2000 index suffered a 4% decrease, shedding 87.59 points.
Looking at the year-to-date figures, the picture is varied. The S&P 500 has fallen by 111.43 points or 1.9%. Contrary to this, the Dow records a slight gain of 257.50 points, representing a 0.6% rise. The Nasdaq continues to show a decline, having fallen by 1,114.57 points or 5.8%, while the Russell 2000 has decreased by 154.68 points, equating to a drop of 6.9%.