NEW YORK, New York – Uncertainty over trade tariffs kept invetsors and tradersv at bay on Friday with the major indices finishing mixed.

“It’s an awkward time,” Jay Hatfield, CEO of Infrastructure Capital Management told CNBC Friday. “If you’re an investor, you want to bet on good earnings, not good tweets about tariffs.”

Key U.S. Indexes

The Standard and Poor’s 500 (^GSPC) closed essentially flat at 5,911.69, dipping just 0.48 points or 0.01 percent in light trading volume.

The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) bucked the trend, gaining 54.34 points or 0.13 percent to finish at 42,270.07, marking its third consecutive day of gains.

Tech stocks weighed on the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC), which declined 62.11 points or 0.32 percent to settle at 19,113.77 as some megacap technology names saw profit-taking after recent rallies. Nvidia for example shed $4.06 or 2.92 percent to close at $135.13. Trump Media on the other hand racked up a 0.50c or 2.40 percent gain to close out the day at $21.33.

Market Volumes

Trading volumes were moderate across U.S. exchanges, with the NYSE seeing 736.835 million shares traded in Dow components, while Nasdaq volume topped 6.44 billion shares. The TSX recorded 466.584 million shares traded.

Looking Ahead

Market participants will be closely watching:

• The Federal Reserve’s policy decision on Wednesday

• May nonfarm payrolls report due Friday

• Earnings reports from major retailers— Reporting by Financial News Network

Market Snapshot
• S&P 500: 5,911.69 (-0.01%)
• Dow Jones: 42,270.07 (+0.13%)
• Nasdaq: 19,113.77 (-0.32%)

Global Forex Markets Wrap Up Friday with Mixed Movements

The foreign exchange market saw mixed trading on Friday as the U.S. dollar weakened against some major currencies while holding steady against others.

Key Currency Pairs

The Euro (EUR/USD) dipped slightly to 1.13507, down 0.00151 or 0.13 percent, as traders weighed recent economic data from the Eurozone.

The U.S. dollar (USD/JPY) softened against the Japanese yen, falling 0.20 yen or 0.14 percent to 143.96, reflecting cautious sentiment in Asian markets.

A sharper decline was seen in the Canadian dollar (USD/CAD), with the pair dropping 0.59 percent to 1.3725, as oil price fluctuations influenced the commodity-linked currency.

The British pound (GBP/USD) edged lower to 1.3465, losing 0.15 percent, while the Swiss franc (USD/CHF) saw minimal movement, slipping just 0.01 percent to 0.8227.

Commodity Currencies Show Resilience

The Australian dollar (AUD/USD) held steady at 0.6441, showing no change, as traders awaited further cues from China’s economic outlook.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand dollar (NZD/USD) gained ground, rising 0.15 percent to 0.5970, supported by improved risk appetite in Pacific markets.

Market Outlook

Analysts attributed the dollar’s mixed performance to shifting expectations around global interest rate policies and economic growth trends. With key central bank meetings ahead, forex traders remain cautious, anticipating potential volatility in the coming week.

Global Markets Wrap Up Friday with Mixed Results

Global stock markets ended the week on a mixed note, with some indices posting gains while others retreated amid shifting investor sentiment.

Canadian Market Update

North of the U.S. border, the S&P/TSX Composite (^GSPTSE) edged lower by 35.51 points or 0.14 percent to close at 26,175.05, with materials and energy sectors underperforming amid fluctuating commodity prices.

UK and Europe

The FTSE 100 (^FTSE) in London led gains, closing at 8,772.38, up 55.93 points or 0.64 percent for the day. Germany’s DAX (^GDAXI) also edged higher, finishing at 23,997.48, a rise of 64.25 points or 0.27 percent.

However, France’s CAC 40 (^FCHI) dipped 27.83 points or 0.36 percent to 7,751.89, while the EURO STOXX 50 (^STOXX50E) slipped 4.51 points or 0.08 percent to 5,366.59. The Euronext 100 (^N100) declined 5.95 points or 0.38 percent to 1,579.22. Belgium’s BEL 20 (^BFX) saw a modest gain, adding 4.61 points or 0.10 percent to 4,502.08.

Asia and Pacific

Asian markets were mostly lower, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (^HSI) dropping 283.61 points or 1.20 percent to 23,289.77. Singapore’s STI Index (^STI) fell 22.23 points or 0.57 percent to 3,894.61.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 (^AXJO) rose 24.90 points or 0.30 percent to 8,434.70, while the All Ordinaries (^AORD) gained 22.50 points or 0.26 percent to 8,660.30.

India’s S&P BSE Sensex (^BSESN) slipped 182.02 points or 0.22 percent to 81,451.01, and Indonesia’s IDX Composite (^JKSE) lost 23.15 points or 0.32 percent to 7,175.82. Malaysia’s FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (^KLSE) declined 10.63 points or 0.70 percent to 1,508.35.

New Zealand’s S&P/NZX 50 (^NZ50) was a standout performer, jumping 137.58 points or 1.12 percent to 12,418.89.

Other Key Markets

South Korea’s KOSPI (^KS11) fell 22.97 points or 0.84 percent to 2,697.67, while Taiwan’s TWSE (^TWII) dipped slightly by 10.42 points or 0.05 percent to 21,347.30.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 (^N225) saw a sharp decline, dropping 467.88 points or 1.22 percent to 37,965.10. Meanwhile, South Africa’s Top 40 USD Net TRI Index (^JN0U.JO) tumbled 104.07 points or 1.98 percent to 5,152.40.

China’s SSE Composite (000001.SS) closed at 3,347.49, down 15.96 points or 0.47 percent.

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Photo credit: Big News Network news agency