On Friday, U.S. equities slipped. At the close of the New York session the Dow Jones Industrial Average was at 45,558, down 0.3 % from the previous day. A few minutes earlier the broader S&P 500 had slipped to roughly 6,632, a decline of 0.6 %, while the Nasdaq 100 stood near 24,380, also down 0.6 %.
Market activity was influenced by fresh economic data and the continuing conflict in Iran. Newly released figures show that U.S. GDP projected for the end of 2025 will be only half as strong as originally anticipated. However, the core private‑consumption index-which excludes food and energy-rised 3.1 % in January, in line with expectations. These numbers underscore the Federal Reserve’s ongoing challenge of steering the economy toward its twin objectives of price stability and maximum employment without clear directional changes.
A federal judge in the United States halted investigations into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The judge indicated that there were signs Powell might have been co‑erced into supporting lower rates or stepping down.
Consumers are not yet feeling the economic rebound that former President Donald Trump promised through the use of tariffs. Preliminary data from the University of Michigan reveal March consumer sentiment at the lowest point of the year. Following the Supreme Court’s ruling against Trump’s tariffs, companies could seek to reclaim approximately $166 billion from the U.S. government. New U.S. Customs and Border Protection documents show a four‑stage process is being established to review such refunds.
The euro weakened in the evening: one euro was worth 1.1417 U.S. dollars and one dollar was equivalent to 0.8759 euros.
Gold fell sharply; the price per fine ounce was $5,015, down 1.6 %, which translates to €141.22 per gram.
In contrast, oil prices saw a significant rise. Crude from the North Sea, Brent, traded at $103.40 per barrel at around 9:00 p.m. German time on Friday-an increase of 2.9 % over the previous day’s close.
