US Dollar Slips After PCE Inflation Data as Fed Rate Hike Expectations Stay Elevated 
US Dollar Slips After PCE Inflation Data Eases Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
Gold Falls Below $4,000 as Strong Dollar and Fed Rate Hike Expectations Weigh on Prices 
Bank Regulation Rollbacks in the U.S. and UK Could Increase Financial Risks, Study Warns 
Trump Requests $11 Billion More in Farm Aid as Rising Costs Pressure U.S. Farmers 
Wall Street Ends Lower as AI Stocks Drag Markets, Fed Rate Outlook Shifts 
Asian Markets Rally as Micron and Qualcomm AI Outlook Lifts Global Tech Stocks 
S&P Affirms Brazil’s BB Credit Rating with Stable Outlook Amid Fiscal Challenges 
Morgan Stanley Sees Chinese Auto Market Recovery Gaining Momentum in Late Summer 
South Korea’s KOSPI Plunges as Apple Price Hikes and OpenAI IPO Delay Shake AI Chip Stocks 
Wall Street Ends Mixed as Micron Surges, Apple Drops After Price Hikes 
Oil Prices Rebound as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Return After Ship Attack Near Oman 
Oil Prices Drop as Strait of Hormuz Shipping Recovers 
Oil Prices Drop as Middle East Supply Recovery Eases Market Concerns 
U.S. Dollar Reaches One-Year High as Tech Sell-Off and Fed Rate Hike Expectations Support Demand 
South Korea’s KOSPI Jumps Over 5% as Samsung, SK Hynix Rally on Micron Earnings Boost 
U.S. stocks ended nearly flat on Friday after a choppy trading session, as investors remained cautious ahead of a long holiday weekend and the early stages of fourth-quarter earnings season. Despite modest daily moves, all three major U.S. stock indexes recorded weekly losses, reflecting uncertainty around earnings, policy signals, and sector rotation.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 83.11 points, or 0.17%, to close at 49,359.33. The S&P 500 edged down 0.06% to 6,940.01, while the Nasdaq Composite also lost 0.06%, finishing at 23,515.39. For the week, the S&P 500 declined 0.38%, the Nasdaq fell 0.66%, and the Dow dropped 0.29%.
Healthcare stocks led sector declines on Friday, falling 0.8%, while semiconductor stocks outperformed. An index tracking chipmakers gained 1.2%, extending momentum from the prior session and highlighting ongoing strength in the technology supply chain. Financial stocks ended Friday slightly higher, but the sector posted its steepest weekly decline since October. Bank shares faced pressure amid concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed one-year cap on credit card interest rates at 10%, despite mostly solid earnings results from major U.S. banks.
Markets also reacted to comments from Trump suggesting he may retain economic adviser Kevin Hassett in his current role, easing speculation that Hassett could replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Investors viewed the remarks as a stabilizing signal for monetary policy expectations.
Trading volumes were elevated, with 18.77 billion shares changing hands, above the recent 20-day average. The Russell 2000 small-cap index continued to outperform, reaching another record closing high and gaining more than 2% for the week, as money rotated out of large-cap technology stocks into undervalued mid- and small-cap names.
Looking ahead, earnings season accelerates next week with reports from major companies including Netflix, Johnson & Johnson, and Intel. With markets closed Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and monthly options expiration behind them, investors expect continued volatility in the near term, particularly during what has historically been a choppy period for U.S. stocks in mid-January.
