On Friday, U.S. stock exchanges posted a robust rally. By the end of New York trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average broke the 50,000‑point barrier for the first time in history, closing at 50,115.67-a gain of 2.5 % from the previous day’s close. The broader S&P 500 finished at 6,932 points, up 2.0 %, while technology stocks in the Nasdaq composite pushed the Nasdaq 100 to 25,076, a 2.2 % increase.
Investors hailed the day as the strongest market session in more than half a year. Analysts highlighted bargain‑hunters who took advantage of recent price slide as a key driver. The rally was also buoyed by the recovery of Bitcoin, which climbed more than 10 % after its earlier crash, easing the nerves of some market participants.
In foreign‑exchange markets, the euro firmed. One euro was worth 1.1823 U.S. dollars, making the dollar trade at 0.8458 euros. Gold prices surged, with a troy ounce trading at $4,954-an uptick of 3.8 %-equivalent to 134.73 euros per gram. Branded oil also climbed; Brent crude was quoted at $67.94 per barrel, a rise of 39 cents, or 0.6 %, from the previous day’s close.