The tech-heavy Nasdaq inched up 30.23 points (0.1%) 22,900.59 while the S&P 500 edged down 3.38 points (0.1%) to 6,734.11.
Major indexes ended the week with a mixed showing: the Nasdaq slipped 0.5%, the S&P 500 edged up 0.1% and the Dow gained 0.3%. Early weakness in tech persisted, driven by valuation worries, though names like Nvidia, Palantir and Tesla eventually bounced back.
Dip-buyers stepped in but overall enthusiasm stayed muted as rate-cut hopes faded. Fed officials’ remarks and uncertainty from the government shutdown have shaken confidence, with odds of a quarter-point cut dropping sharply from last week.
airline stocks extended Thursday's slump, dragging the NYSE Arca Airline Index down by 2.0%. retail stocks were notably weak , as reflected by the 1.1% loss posted by the Dow Jones U.S. Retail Index. Energy stocks moved sharply higher along with the price of crude oil, driving the NYSE Arca Oil Index up by 2.0% and the Philadelphia Oil Service Index up by 1.7%. Computer hardware and software stocks too saw some strength, regaining ground after helping lead the markets lower in the previous session.
Asia-Pacific stocks moved mostly lower. Japan's Nikkei 225 Index tumbled by 1.8% while China's Shanghai Composite Index slid by 1.0%. The major European markets moved downwards while the U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index slumped by 1.1%, the French CAC 40 Index and the German DAX Index fell by 0.8% and 0.7%.
In the bond market, treasuries came under pressure over the course of the session after seeing initial strength. Subsequently, the yield on the benchmark ten-year note, which moves opposite of its price, climbed 3.6 bps to 4.14% after hitting a low of 4.06%.