U.S. stocks finished higher on Friday, supported by solid gains in the technology, industrials, and healthcare sectors, which helped lift overall market sentiment.
By the close on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.38%, while the S&P 500 climbed 0.89%. The NASDAQ Composite outperformed, rising 1.31%.
Dow Jones leaders and laggards
The strongest performers on the Dow were NVIDIA Corporation, which surged 3.93% to close at 180.99, followed by Boeing Co, up 2.79% at 214.08. Goldman Sachs Group Inc also ended higher, gaining 1.96% to finish at 893.48.
On the downside, Nike Inc plunged 10.55% to 58.71, marking the session’s weakest Dow performance. Home Depot Inc fell 2.78% to 345.11, while Verizon Communications Inc slipped 1.46% to 39.82.
S&P 500 movers
Within the S&P 500, Carnival Corporation jumped 9.81% to 31.12. Moderna Inc gained 9.21% to 33.80, while Micron Technology Inc advanced 6.99% to close at 265.92, setting a new all-time high.
The biggest decliner was Lamb Weston Holdings Inc, which sank 25.89% to 43.97, touching five-year lows. Nike again featured among the weakest names, while Lowe’s Companies Inc dropped 2.93% to 240.46.
NASDAQ sees sharp moves
The NASDAQ Composite recorded extreme volatility among smaller-cap names. Luminar Technologies skyrocketed 170.55% to 0.60, while Mint Incorporation Ltd jumped 75.45% to 0.48. Autozi Internet Technology rose 64.47% to 2.50.
On the downside, Nisun International Enterprise Development Group plunged 46.67% to 1.76, hitting five-year lows. Mangoceuticals Inc fell 45.57% to all-time lows at 0.71, while Pulmatrix Inc dropped 36.46% to 2.37, marking a 52-week low.
Market breadth and volatility
Advancing stocks slightly outnumbered decliners on the NYSE, with 1,441 stocks rising and 1,313 falling. On the NASDAQ, 1,854 stocks gained while 1,515 declined.
Market volatility eased notably, with the CBOE Volatility Index falling 11.62% to 14.91.
Commodities and currencies
In commodities, February gold futures edged up 0.10% to $4,368.70 per ounce. Crude oil prices were also higher, with February WTI crude rising 0.95% to $56.53 per barrel, while Brent crude gained 1.14% to trade at $60.50.
In currency markets, the euro was little changed against the dollar at 1.17, while the Japanese yen weakened, pushing USD/JPY up 1.44% to 157.74. The U.S. Dollar Index futures added 0.27% to 98.35.
