Wall Street Ends the Week on Uneven Ground

Stocks closed mixed on Friday, with the Dow dropping 285 points, the tech-heavy Nasdaq posting a modest gain, and the S&P 500 finishing flat. For the week, all three major benchmarks marked their second-straight weekly losses. Investors remained focused on developments tied to President Trump’s decision to shelve European tariffs and outline a “framework” for future talks with NATO. Looking ahead, this weekend's winter storm could affect natural gas production. 

Continue reading for more on today's market, including:

• A quick recap of a busy holiday-shortened week on Wall Street. 
• Why this software stock looks like a good pick for options bulls. 
• Plus, NVDA's major chip order; COF hit with bear notes; and more on INTC's earnings beat.

5 Things to Know Today

1. Bytedance finalized a deal creating a majority American-owned TikTok to avoid a nationwide ban.(Reuters)
2. President Trump disinvited Canadian Prime Mike Carney from his peace board. (The New York Times)
3. Nvidia stock jumped on a $30 billion chip order.
4. Capital One is acquiring startup Brex for $5.15 billion.
5. Intel stock struggles to meet chip demand. 

Gold, Silver Hit Record Highs

Oil prices jumped Friday after President Donald Trump intensified pressure on Iran with new sanctions on oil-shipping vessels and signaled increased military presence in the region. March-dated West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained $1.80, or 3%, to $61.16 per barrel on the day, adding 3.2% for the week. 

Gold also surged, notching another record and inching closer to $5,000 an ounce as investors flocked to safe-haven assets amid rising geopolitical tensions and growing bets on U.S. rate cuts. February-dated gold futures tacked on 1.3% to settle at $4,978.60 per ounce, rising over 8% for the week. Meanwhile, silver prices rose above $100 for the first time ever.