The S&P 500 closed higher in volatile trading on Friday. But the index posted its worst week since September. This was amid a series of trade policy actions that unnerved investors.
The broad index rose 0.55% to 5,770.20. The Dow gained 0.7% to 18,196.22. The Nasdaq added 222.64 points, or 0.52%, to end at 42,801.72.
Friday saw volatile trading. The Dow fell more than 400 points at session lows before an afternoon rally. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq both fell more than 1% at their worst points during the trading day.
Despite Friday’s recovery, the S&P 500 notched a 3.1% loss for the week. This marked its worst week since September. The Dow fell 2.4% this week.
The Nasdaq Composite slid 3.5%. Investors shook off a weaker-than-expected jobs report released Friday. This raised concerns about economic softening and briefly sent Treasury yields lower.
Nonfarm payrolls rose by 150,000 in February. This was short of the consensus forecast for 170,000 from economists polled by Dow Jones. The unemployment rate ticked higher to 4.1%.
Stocks have experienced a roller-coaster ride this week. President Donald Trump’s tariff policies worried investors about future U.S. growth and inflation.
s&p 500 weekly performance overview
Trump announced that goods from Canada and Mexico covered by the North American trade agreement (USMCA) would be exempt from the announced duties until April 2. This move walked back much of the original plan for levies on these countries and China. “The market does not like uncertainty,” said Glen Smith, chief investment officer at GDS Wealth Management.
“While we expect the market to find its footing and recover from the tariff-driven selloff, investors should brace for continued choppiness until these uncertainties clear.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Friday that the economy could be starting to “roll a bit.” He attributed it to a transition from the policies of the previous administration. Bessent said any tariffs implemented would be a “one-time price adjustment.” They would not spark lasting inflation. Stocks finished Friday’s rocky trading session in the green following an afternoon rally.
The S&P 500 rose 0.5%, the Dow added 0.6%, and the Nasdaq jumped 0.7%. However, all three indexes ended the week with losses. Fuzzy Panda, a short-seller firm, sent a letter to the S&P 500 Index Committee.
It urged against including AppLovin in the index due to alleged fraudulent tactics in its ad business. Wall Street is seeking clarity on trade and growth after the latest sell-off. Investors are anticipated to assess ongoing economic data and policy updates to determine the market’s direction.
HPE shares tumbled nearly 13% after a weak earnings outlook. This led to the worst daily performance in almost five years. Revenue projections fell short of analysts’ expectations.
The company announced workforce reductions. Energy and utilities were the best-performing sectors. Energy advanced more than 2% on rising oil prices as President Trump threatened new sanctions on Russia.
The week’s slide in share prices was notably orderly. For example, the S&P 500 briefly fell 1.26% before rising 0.57% during trading on Friday.
