Key Points
- The U.S. stock market saw significant gains: the Dow Jones rose 0.81%, the S&P 500 gained 0.90%, and the NASDAQ climbed 1.22%.
- Boeing Co., JPMorgan Chase & Co., and American Express Company stood out in the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
- Albemarle Corp., United Airlines Holdings Inc., and Deckers Outdoor Corp. were the top gainers on the S&P 500.
- On the NASDAQ Composite, top gainers were Biodexa Pharmaceuticals PLC DRC, Streamline Health Solutions Inc., and LakeShore Biopharma Co. Ltd.
U.S. stocks closed higher on Friday, driven by strong performances in the Consumer Services, Financials, and Technology sectors. The major indices all posted gains, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbing 0.81% or 341.16 to 42,352.75, reaching a new all-time high. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 gained 0.90% or 51.13 to 5,751.07, and the NASDAQ Composite surged 1.22% or 219.38 to 18,137.85 as investors capitalized on positive momentum in key sectors.
Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) was the standout performer in the Dow Jones, which rose 2.98% or 4.48 to close at $155.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) followed closely, adding 3.55% or 7.24 to $211.22. American Express Company (NYSE: AXP) also posted notable gains, climbing 3.02% or 8.08 to end at $275.97, marking an all-time high.
On the downside, Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) was the worst performer, dropping 0.78% or 3.22 to $408.36. Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) fell by 0.76% or 0.34 to $44.18, while Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) lost 0.73% or 1.24 to end the session at $168.88.
Among the top gainers on the S&P 500, Albemarle Corp. (NYSE: ALB) jumped 8.25% or 7.78 to $102.09 on strong market optimism. United Airlines Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: UAL) also rose 6.47% or 3.60 to hit $59.24, reaching a three-year high. Deckers Outdoor Corporation (NYSE: DECK) gained 6.39% or 10.02, closing at $166.81. Conversely, Extra Space Storage Inc. (NYSE: EXR) dropped 3.87% or 6.83% to end at $169.48, while Equifax Inc. (NYSE: EFX) lost 3.37% or 9.90 to close at $283.60.
On the NASDAQ Composite, Biodexa Pharmaceuticals PLC DRC (NASDAQ: BDRX) skyrocketed an astonishing 7.62% or 0.46 to close at $5.55, marking a dramatic shift after trading at five-year lows. Streamline Health Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: STRM) soared 14.29% or 0.43 to $2.57, while LakeShore Biopharma Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: LSB) surged 20.29% or 1.44 to $5.45.
However, Color Star Technology Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: ADD) plummeted 40.46% or 0.18 to $0.27, and Fangdd Network Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: DUO) dropped 32.89% or 1.24 to close at $2.53. iCoreConnect Inc. (NASDAQ: ICCT) also suffered, losing 31.55% or 0.19 to end at $0.41.
The market showed overall strength, with rising stocks outnumbering declining ones on the NYSE and NASDAQ. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), which measures market volatility, fell 6.25% or 1.28 to 19.21, signaling reduced market uncertainty.
Gold Futures fell 0.43% in commodities to $2,667.80 per troy ounce, while Crude Oil Futures rose 0.91% to $74.38 per barrel. Brent Crude Futures also gained 0.55% to trade at $78.05 per barrel.
