Finance

Crude oil futures experienced a slight downward correction toward the end of the week, easing recent inflationary concerns. West Texas Intermediate dropped to $91.20 a barrel, while Brent crude slipped to $104 following an announcement regarding a supply arrangement between the U.S. and Russia. The reduction in energy costs provided relief to broader financial markets after a week of heightened geopolitical volatility.

Long-term U.S. government bond yields edged down slightly but remained deeply elevated as markets continued pricing in high interest rates. The 10-year Treasury yield hovered just below 5.25%, retreating from a 24-year high of nearly 5.37% reached earlier in the week. Fixed-income trading is pausing for an upcoming holiday closure, though equities will remain open.

Precious metals experienced renewed buying momentum, with gold futures surging 1.5% to settle around $4,220 an ounce. The commodity's gains were supported by a marginal pullback in the U.S. dollar index alongside easing crude energy benchmarks. Investors are continuously evaluating gold's long-term trajectory against restrictive monetary policy updates from the Federal Reserve.