Finance

The 10-year Treasury yield moderated slightly to 4.56% on Friday, providing much-needed relief to equity markets after touching recent highs. Analysts had previously warned that yields climbing toward the 4.7% range put significant pressure on all asset classes, though the current stabilization helped fuel the late-week rally in stocks.

While technology and hardware firms like Dell and HP saw double-digit stock gains following strong earnings, major retailers such as Walmart and Target warned that inflation is increasingly impacting their bottom lines. This divergence suggests a bifurcated economy where AI-driven tech continues to flourish while consumer-facing sectors struggle with higher fuel costs and tightening household budgets.

Bitcoin remained relatively stable near $75,700 as investors monitored potential breakthroughs in U.S. digital asset legislation. The market's sentiment has improved as the Fear & Greed Index hit a three-month high, supported by the advancing Digital Asset Market Clarity Act in the Senate which aims to formalize rules for securities and commodities.