| Name | Daily Close | Daily Change | Daily Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dow | 41,985.35 | 32.03 | 0.08% |
| S&P 500 | 5,667.56 | 4.67 | 0.08% |
| Nasdaq | 17,784.05 | 92.43 | 0.52% |
| VIX | 19.28 | -0.52 | -2.63% |
| Gold | 3,028.20 | 6.8 | 0.23% |
| Oil | 68.3 | 0.02 | 0.03% |
US MARKET
Major U.S. indices pared their losses to closed in the positive territory on Friday, as President Trump suggested some “flexibility” on tariffs, while several megacap stocks made a recovery. The session was expected to be volatile due to a “quadruple witching” event, where stock options, index futures, index options, and single-stock futures all expired. The S&P 500 edged higher by 0.1%, the Dow Jones added 31 points, and the Nasdaq gained 0.5%.
While Trump mentioned “flexibility” in his tariff stance, he also emphasized that tariffs would be reciprocal, with countries imposing charges on the U.S. facing similar measures in return. However, market pressure persisted due to disappointing earnings forecasts. FedEx plunged 6.4% after cutting its earnings outlook amid industrial weakness, while Nike dropped 5.5% on lower sales projections. On the week, the S&P 500 slightly higher, hardly broke 4-weekly losses, the Dow added 0.7% and the Nasdaq ended mostly muted.
LOCAL MARKET
The S&P/ASX 200 Index edged up 0.17% to close at 7,932 on Friday, extending gains from the previous session, with heavyweight retailers leading the advance. Woolworths and Coles surged 6.3% and 4.9%, respectively, after Australian regulators identified them as among the most profitable supermarkets globally. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) also noted that both companies have benefited from wider profit margins despite rapidly rising shelf prices.
Meanwhile, other key sectors, including mining, energy, and financial stocks, struggled for momentum amid a lack of fresh market catalysts. Still, the benchmark index gained 1.83% this week, breaking a four-week losing streak. Market sentiment was supported by the US Federal Reserve’s signal of two interest rate cuts this year, along with Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s reassurances that tariff-driven inflation is likely “transitory”.