Fed Holds Rates Steady as Middle East Conflict Clouds Inflation Outlook 
Moody's Upgrades Argentina's Credit Rating Amid Economic Reforms 
Asian Currencies Hold Steady Amid Iran Conflict and Central Bank Decisions 
Australia's February Jobs Data Sends Mixed Signals on Rate Outlook 
Cleveland Fed President Warns of Ongoing Inflation Challenge 
U.S. Stocks vs. Bonds: Are Diverging Valuations Signaling a Shift? 
Tech Stocks Rally in Asia-Pacific as Dollar Remains Resilient 
Gold Prices Stabilize in Asian Trade Amid Rate Uncertainty and Iran War Concerns 
Japan's Parliament Backs Dovish BOJ Board Members, Raising Questions on Rate Hike Path 
South Korea to End Short-Selling Ban as Financial Market Uncertainty Persists 
Treasury Yields Dip as Dollar Gains Amid Fed Speculation 
Oil Prices Slide as U.S. Eyes Iranian Supply Relief Amid Middle East Tensions 
UK Markets Face Rising Volatility as Hedge Funds Target Pound and Gilts 
China Holds Benchmark Loan Prime Rate Steady for Tenth Consecutive Month 
U.S. Stock Futures Steady Amid Bank Earnings and Inflation Focus 
U.S. stocks closed lower on Friday as investor sentiment weakened following the White House’s announcement that President Donald Trump will implement new tariffs on Canadian, Mexican, and Chinese imports. The tariffs—25% on Canadian and Mexican goods and 10% on Chinese imports—will take effect on Saturday, adding to economic uncertainty.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 337.47 points (0.75%) to 44,544.66, the S&P 500 declined 30.64 points (0.50%) to 6,040.53, and the Nasdaq Composite lost 54.31 points (0.28%) to 19,627.44. Energy stocks led losses, with Chevron (NYSE:CVX) plunging 4.6% after weak earnings and Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) falling 2.5%.
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) ended down 0.7%, reversing earlier gains from upbeat earnings commentary. Tech stocks faced pressure earlier in the week after China’s DeepSeek unveiled a breakthrough in AI technology.
Despite Friday’s decline, indexes posted gains for January, with the Dow up 4.7%, the S&P 500 rising 2.7%, and the Nasdaq gaining 1.6%. However, for the week, the S&P 500 lost 1%, and the Nasdaq dropped 1.6%.
Economic data released Friday reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve will maintain interest rates for longer. Strong consumer spending and moderate inflation in December supported Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s stance that rate cuts are not imminent.
After the closing bell, Trump hinted at new tariffs related to oil and gas, set to be announced by Feb. 18. However, he provided no details on affected countries or specifics.
Declining stocks outpaced gainers on both the NYSE and Nasdaq, with U.S. exchange volume reaching 15.78 billion shares, slightly above the 20-day average.
