US stock markets significantly declined on Friday. The Dow, calculated at the end of trading in New York, was recorded at 43,428 points, a decrease of 1.7 percent compared to the previous trading day.
Minutes earlier, the broader S&P 500 was calculated at around 6,015 points, a 1.7 percent decrease and the technology-based Nasdaq calculated the Nasdaq 100 at around 21,614 points, a 2.1 percent decrease.
Investors showed concern on Friday over the consumer sentiment in the US, which has significantly deteriorated compared to the previous month. According to a University of Michigan survey, it has fallen by nearly 10 percent compared to January – in all age, income and wealth groups. Moreover, the inflation expectations for the coming year have increased significantly. The surveyed consumers had expected an inflation rate of 3.3 percent in January, but this rose to 4.3 percent in February, the highest level since November 2023, according to the University of Michigan.
The European common currency was weaker on Friday evening: one euro cost 1.0460 US dollars and one dollar was equivalent to 0.9560 euros.
The gold price slightly decreased, with 2,935 US dollars paid for one fine ounce in the evening (-0.1 percent), equivalent to a price of 90.23 euros per gram.
Crude oil, on the other hand, sank sharply: a barrel of the North Sea’s Brent type cost around 22:00 German time on Friday evening at 74.28 US dollars, a decrease of 220 cents or 2.9 percent compared to the close of the previous trading day.