NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks surged to new all-time highs on Friday after the latest CPI reading showed inflation slowing slightly to 3 percent. For the month in September, the gaue rose 0.30 percent.

"The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in September, after rising 0.4 percent in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said in a statement Friday. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 3.0 percent before seasonal adjustment."

"There was little in today's benign CPI report to ‘spook' the Fed and we continue to expect further easing at next week's Fed meeting," Lindsay Rosner, head of multi sector fixed income investing at Goldman Sachs Asset Management told CNBC Friday. "A December rate cut also remains likely with the current data drought providing the Fed with little reason to deviate from the path set out in the dot plot," Lindsay said.

The tech-heavy NASDAQ Composite led the charge, posting a substantial gain of 263.07 points, or 1.15 percent, to close at 23,204.87. The rally demonstrated robust confidence in the technology sector, which drove the index to a new closing high.

The broader STandard and Poor's 500 also recorded a significant advance, climbing 53.29 points, or 0.79 percent, to finish the session at 6,791.73. The benchmark index touched an intraday high of 6,807.11, reflecting broad-based buying pressure.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average joined the rally, surging 472.51 points, or 1.01 percent, to settle at 47,207.12, a record high. The blue-chip index's performance, which also saw it reach a new high during the day, underscored strength in industrial and other traditional sectors.

The synchronized gains on Wall Street  capped a week of bullish sentiment, driven by encouraging economic data and strong corporate earnings. The record-breaking performances suggest investors are betting on continued economic growth despite lingering concerns about inflation.

U.S. Dollar Shows Broad Strength, Pound and Kiwi Dollar Dip

The U.S. dollar posted broad-based gains in Friday's trading session, firming against a basket of major currencies as market sentiment solidified ahead of the weekend.

The greenback advanced notably against the Japanese yen, with USD/JPY rising 0.20 percent to reach 152.86, maintaining its stance near multi-decade highs. The dollar also climbed against the Canadian dollar, as USD/CAD increased 0.06 percent to 1.40001. Similarly, USD/CHF edged higher, gaining 0.08 percent to trade at 0.7955.

The euro softened against the resurgent dollar, with EUR/USD ticking up a marginal 0.09 percent to 1.1628, a move that still reflected underlying dollar strength.

The British pound was one of the session's notable decliners. GBP/USD fell 0.15 percent to 1.3305 as the dollar's momentum outweighed domestic factors.

In the Pacific, the Australian dollar ended the day flat against the greenback, with AUD/USD holding steady at 0.6510, showing zero change. Its New Zealand counterpart, the kiwi dollar, experienced a slight decline, with NZD/USD dipping 0.03 percent to 0.5747.

The day's movements underscored a consistent bid for the US dollar, driven by evolving expectations for interest rate differentials and a cautious global risk mood. Traders will be watching for any intervention cues, particularly in the USD/JPY pair, as the new trading week approaches.

UK's FTSE Climbs While EU Bourses Mixed; Asian Markets Surge

Global stock markets delivered a mixed but largely positive performance in Friday's session, with strong gains in Northeast Asia and steady advances in Europe overshadowing weakness in parts of Southeast Asia and the subcontinent.

UK and European Bourses See Broad-Based Gains Friday

Canada's main benchmark finished in positive territory. The S&P/TSX Composite index rose 163.42 points, or 0.54 percent, closing at 30,349.70.

UK and European indices finished the week on a firm footing. The UK's FTSE 100 was the standout, climbing 67.05 points or 0.70 percent to close at 9,645.62. Germany's DAX advanced 32.10 points or 0.13 percent to settle at 24,239.89, while the broader EURO STOXX 50 rose 6.17 points or 0.11 percent to finish at 5,674.50.

France's CAC 40 was a notable exception, ending the day virtually flat at 8,225.63, down a negligible 0.15 points. The Euronext 100 eked out a minor gain of 0.34 points (0.02 percent) to close at 1,714.55, and Belgium's BEL 20 dipped 8.69 points or 0.17 percent to 4,994.29.

Asia-Pacific: A Day of Dramatic Divergence

Trading in the Asia-Pacific region was a tale of two halves. Japan's Nikkei 225 soared, posting a substantial gain of 658.04 points or 1.35 percent to close at 49,299.65. South Korea's KOSPI was the session's top performer, skyrocketing 96.03 points or 2.50 percent to 3,941.59. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index also strengthened, adding 192.17 points or 0.74 percent to end at 26,160.15.

More modest gains were seen in Singapore, where the STI Index rose 5.94 points (0.13 percent) to 4,422.21, and in New Zealand, where the S&P/NZX 50 climbed 14.49 points (0.11 percent) to 13,391.59. Malaysia's KLSE advanced 5.27 points or 0.33 percent to 1,613.27.

However, the momentum was not universal. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 13.80 points or 0.15 percent to 9,019.00, and the broader All Ordinaries index dropped 11.90 points (0.13 percent) to 9,317.20.

India's S&P BSE SENSEX experienced a sharper decline, falling 344.52 points or 0.41 percent to 84,211.88. Taiwan's TWSE Index retreated 116.65 points or 0.42 percent to close at 27,532.26, while Indonesia's IDX Composite edged down 2.63 points (0.03 percent) to 8,271.72.

Middle East markets were mostly closed Friday an d will reopen on Sunday.

Related stories:

Thursday 23 October 2025 | Wall Street Advances as Tech Shares Lead Gains | Big News Network.com 

Wednesday 22 October 2025 | Setback on Wall Street as Dow Jones drops 334 points | BigNews Network.com

Tuesday 21 October 2025 | U.S. stock markets stop for breath, global equities surge | Big News Network 

Monday 20 October 2025 | Dow Jones surges 516 points in positive start to week | Big News Network.com