U.S. Stocks Close Friday with Mixed Results
The Dow Jones industrial average shed 0.56%, or 269.23 points, closing at 47,916.57, while the S&P 500 slipped 0.11%, or 7.77 points, to settle at 6,816.89. The Nasdaq bucked the trend, gaining 0.35%, or 80.48 points, to finish at 22,902.89. The Volatility Index (VIX) — widely known as the market's "fear index" — eased 1.08% to 19.28 as of 2015 GMT.
Investor focus remained locked on the fragile Middle East ceasefire, with Israel's continued strikes on Lebanon and Iran's allegations of ceasefire violations shifting market attention toward the first round of diplomatic talks scheduled for Saturday in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Adding to the uncertainty, US President Donald Trump issued a stark warning, stating that should negotiations collapse, the US had loaded their ships "with the best munitions, the best weapons ever made," and warning, "If we cannot reach an agreement, we will use them, and we will use them very effectively." In a separate social media post, Trump accused Iran of exploiting international waterways for "short term extortion."
On the energy front, Brent crude futures declined 1.7% to $94.3 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) dropped 2.3% to $95.6 per barrel as of 2050 GMT. Despite the pullback, prices held above pre-war levels, underpinned by persistent concerns over access to the Strait of Hormuz.
Macroeconomic data compounded investor anxiety. The US Consumer Price Index (CPI) climbed 0.9% month-over-month and 3.3% year-over-year in March — its steepest monthly rise since June 2022 — driven largely by surging energy costs. Meanwhile, the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index tumbled to an all-time low of 47.6 in April, falling well short of market forecasts.
Short-term inflation expectations among consumers jumped from 3.8% to 4.8% in April, the highest reading since August 2025, while US factory orders held flat in February at $619.6 billion.
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