NEW YORK, New York - World stock markets closed with a split personality on Friday, as technology-heavy indexes posted solid gains while blue-chip Dow industrials stumbled. Investors digested a fresh batch of economic signals, leading to a mixed finish for major indices across the globe.
In New York, the NASDAQ Composite led the charge, closing at 25,114.44, a jump of 222.13 points, or 0.89 percent.
The tech sector's strength was mirrored by the broader Standard and Poor's 500, which finished at 7,230.12, gaining 21.11 points, or 0.29 percent.
However, the Dow Jones Industrial Average bucked the trend, falling 152.87 points to close at 49,499.27, a decline of 0.31 percent. Volatility, as measured by the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) , ticked up 0.10 points to 16.99, a rise of 0.59 percent.
Small-cap stocks saw a positive session, with the Russell 2000 Index adding 12.92 points to end at 2,812.82, up 0.46 percent. Broader New York exchanges were weaker, however. The NYSE Composite Index lost 103.50 points, closing at 23,041.15, a drop of 0.45 percent, while the NYSE American Composite Index suffered a steep decline of 248.03 points, or 2.70 percent, finishing at 8,924.23.
Across the Atlantic, European markets largely ended in the green. The DAX P in Germany was a standout performer, soaring 337.82 points to 24,292.38, an increase of 1.41 percent. France's CAC 40 rose 42.71 points to 8,114.84, up 0.53 percent. The broader EURO STOXX 50 I climbed 65.03 points to 5,881.51, a gain of 1.12 percent, while the Euronext 100 Index added 17.95 points to close at 1,799.82, rising 1.01 percent. Belgium's BEL 20 advanced 72.98 points to 5,352.67, a gain of 1.38 percent.
The Cboe UK 100 also finished higher, up 17.41 points to 1,034.43, a rise of 1.71 percent. However, London's FTSE 100 closed slightly lower, losing 14.89 points to end at 10,363.93, a modest decline of 0.14 percent.
In the Asia-Pacific, performance varied widely. Japan's Nikkei 225 added 228.20 points to close at 59,513.12, up 0.38 percent. Australia saw gains, with the S&P/ASX 200 rising 64.00 points to 8,729.80, a 0.74 percent increase, and the ALL ORDINARIES adding 67.10 points to 8,954.70, up 0.75 percent. New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 INDEX GROSS climbed 135.89 points to 13,039.20, or 1.05 percent. Singapore's STI Index advanced 51.72 points to 4,912.69, a gain of 1.06 percent.
However, Hong Kong's HANG SENG INDEX fell sharply, dropping 335.31 points to 25,776.53, a loss of 1.28 percent. South Korea's KOSPI Composite Index declined 92.03 points to 6,598.87, down 1.38 percent. Taiwan's TWSE Capitalization Weighted Stock Index slid 376.87 points to 38,926.63, a decrease of 0.96 percent. India's S&P BSE SENSEX lost 582.86 points to close at 76,913.50, falling 0.75 percent. In Indonesia, the IDX COMPOSITE dropped 144.42 points to 6,956.80, a decline of 2.03 percent. China's SSE Composite Index eked out a small gain, rising 4.65 points to 4,112.16, up just 0.11 percent. The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI was unchanged at 1,722.02, flat at 0.00 percent.
In the Americas outside the U.S., Brazil's IBOVESPA jumped 2,567.22 points to 187,317.64, a strong gain of 1.39 percent. Mexico's IPC MEXICO rose 761.03 points to 67,858.09, up 1.13 percent. Chile's S&P IPSA added 50.31 points to close at 10,908.30, a 0.46 percent increase. Canada's S&P/TSX Composite index slipped 73.15 points to 33,891.18, down 0.22 percent. Argentina's MERVAL fell 5,983.75 points to 2,832,851.00, a loss of 0.21 percent.
In the Middle East and Africa, Israel's TA-125 rose 57.44 points to 4,371.32, up 1.33 percent, while South Africa's Top 40 USD Net TRI Index gained 86.31 points to 6,902.09, an increase of 1.27 percent.
U.S. Dollar Extends Gains Friday as Yen, Euro, British Pound, Aussie, and Kiwi Slide
The U.S. dollar mainly posted gains against major currencies on Friday, gaining ground on the Japanese yen, euro, and British pound, while losing steam against the Swiss franc. Traders navigated a complex web of interest rate expectations and risk sentiment heading into the weekend.
The euro edged lower against the greenback. The EUR/USD pair finished at 1.1716, a modest decline of 0.001505 points, or 0.13 percent, from its previous level. The pair traded within a range of 1.1716 to 1.1785.
The British pound suffered the most notable loss among major currencies. GBP/USD closed at 1.3569, dropping 0.003525 points, which equates to a decline of 0.26 percent. Sterling moved between a low of 1.3569 and a high of 1.3657 during the session.
The U.S. dollar also strengthened against the Japanese yen. USD/JPY rose to 157.04, an increase of 0.4515 points, or 0.29 percent. The pair saw a wide trading band from 155.49 to 157.32, reflecting heightened volatility.
Against the Swiss franc, the dollar posted a modest gain. USD/CHF closed at 0.7818, up 0.000570 points, representing a gain of 0.07 percent. The pair fluctuated between 0.7770 and 0.7830.
The U.S. dollar also advanced against its Canadian counterpart. USD/CAD finished Friday at 1.3592, rising 0.001105 points, or 0.08 percent. Trading ranged from 1.3550 to 1.3593.
Commodity currencies were largely flat to lower. The Australian dollar slipped marginally, with AUD/USD settling at 0.7200, a decrease of just 0.000065 points, or 0.01 percent. The pair touched a low of 0.7183 and a high of 0.7227.
The New Zealand dollar also fell against the U.S. dollar. NZD/USD was last trading towards the rnf of the session at 0.5898, down 0.001160 points, a decline of 0.20 percent. Trading ranged from 0.5886 to 0.5925.
(This report incorporates quotes retrieved with the assistance of artificial intelligence).
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