Finance

The U.S. Treasury Department announced a plan to boost its liquidity efforts by doubling long-term government debt buybacks from $2 billion to at least $4 billion per operation. Despite this intervention intended to lower borrowing costs, long-term bond yields briefly dipped before resuming their upward trend, with the 30-year Treasury yield hovering near 5.23%. Investors remain anxious regarding the national debt, which recently crossed the $40 trillion milestone.

Walmart Inc. served as a primary drag on the Dow Jones Industrial Average after its stock plunged more than 9%. The retail giant reported its smallest quarterly sales gain in over six years, highlighting a distinct shift toward cautious consumer spending among Americans. The disappointing financial update triggered broader losses across the consumer staples and discretionary sectors.

Bitcoin climbed past $75,000 to reach its highest trading levels since May, sparking a wider digital asset rally that saw Ether gain over 24% on the week. The sudden upward momentum triggered massive short-squeezes, liquidating over $3 billion in short positions across the crypto market. The rally was heavily driven by institutional ETF inflows and renewed optimism following a White House meeting regarding the stagnant Digital Asset Market Clarity Act.