The U.S. stock markets were lower on Friday. At New York’s closing, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at 45,558 points, down 0.3 % from the previous day. A few minutes earlier, the broader S&P 500 had fallen about 0.6 % to roughly 6,632 points, and the Nasdaq 100 was also down 0.6 % at about 24,380 points.
Market activity on Friday was shaped not only by the Iran conflict but also by new economic data. The latest releases show that the U.S. economy’s annual growth rate for 2025 will be only half as strong as previously projected. In January, the core private‑consumption index-excluding food and energy prices-rose as expected, climbing 3.1 %. This leaves the Federal Reserve’s dual mandate of price stability and maximum employment in a difficult position, as the Fed cannot now clearly adjust policy to meet both goals simultaneously.
A U.S. federal judge halted investigations into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Friday. The judge said there were indications that Powell had been pressured by a subpoena to vote for lower rates or resign.
Consumers are not yet feeling the economic boom promised by President Donald Trump when he introduced his tariffs. Preliminary data from the University of Michigan shows that consumer sentiment in March hit the lowest level of the year. Companies could now seek to recover roughly $166 billion from the U.S. government following the Supreme Court’s ruling against Trump’s tariffs. New documents from the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency indicate that a four‑step process is being established to review these claims.
On the currency front, the euro weakened on Friday evening. One euro exchanged for 1.1417 USD, while one dollar traded at 0.8759 EUR.
Gold prices fell sharply, closing at $5,015 per fine ounce-a decline of 1.6 %. This translates to about 141.22 EUR per gram.
Oil prices surged. At approximately 9:00 p.m. German time on Friday, Brent crude reached $103.40 per barrel, up 2.9 % from its previous close.