U.S. stocks ended mostly lower on Friday as investors assessed the ongoing conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Iran, with the United States considering whether to get involved. However, the Dow ended in positive territory.
How Did The Benchmarks Perform?
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) rose 0.1% or 35.16 points, to finish at 42,206.82 points.
The S&P 500 declined 0.2% or 13.03 points to end at 5,967.84 points, to record its third straight day of losses. Materials and tech stocks were the worst performers, while consumer staples and energy stocks were the biggest gainers.
The Materials Select Sector SPDR (XLB) lost 0.7%, while the Technology Select Sector SPDR (XLK) fell 0.4%. The Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) gained 1%, while the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) added 0.7%. Six of the 11 sectors of the benchmark index ended in positive territory.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq slid 0.5%, or 98.86 points, to close at 19,447.41 points.
The fear-gauge CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) was down 6.99% to 20.62. Decliners outnumbered advancers on the NYSE by a 1.1-to-1 ratio. On Nasdaq, a 1.4-to-1 ratio favored declining issues. A total of 20.91 billion shares were traded on Friday, higher than the last 20-session average of 18.06 billion.
Investors Monitor Middle East Crisis
The Middle East crisis remained in focus on Friday as tensions escalated between Iran and Israel, with the United States contemplating whether to join. President Donald Trump weighed whether to get directly involved in the conflict and strike Iran.
Trump had earlier called for the “complete surrender” from Iran, but Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said it was “threatening and ridiculous.” Israel has been targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities and a week into the attack, they claim to have hit multiple military targets.
Chip Stocks Take a Hit
Semiconductor stocks took a hit on Friday following a report that the United States might revoke waivers for some chipmakers. Shares of NVIDIA Corporation NVDA ended 1.1% lower. Also, shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited TSM declined 1.9%. NVIDIA has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Hopes About Rate Cuts Rise
The S&P 500 started the day on a high after Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said in an interview that the central bank could start its rate cuts as early as July. Waller’s remarks came after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell earlier said that central bank was in no hurry to cut interest rates and would like to see how Trump’s tariffs will impact the economy.
Trump has been extremely critical of Powell and slammed him once again on Thursday saying that a delay in rate cut is costing the U.S. economy “hundreds of billions of dollars.”
No major economic data was released on Friday.
Weekly Roundup
For the week, the Dow ended 0.02% higher. The Nasdaq ended up 0.2% higher while the S&P 500 lost 0.2% for the week.
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA): Free Stock Analysis Report Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (TSM): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
Zacks Investment Research
