Finance

The 10-year Treasury yield fluctuated near 5.18%, hovering close to its highest level since 2007. Bond markets have faced aggressive selling pressure throughout the week due to rising government debt loads, sticky inflation data, and resilient domestic business activity metrics. Investors also weighed comments from Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr, who indicated that further policy interest rate hikes may be necessary to steer inflation back to the central bank's target.

Crude oil benchmarks fell significantly on Friday, with U.S. West Texas Intermediate decreasing over 1.5% to settle around $92 to $93 per barrel. The decline followed reports that U.S. and Iranian negotiators are holding talks regarding the potential reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a pivotal maritime corridor for global fuel transit. Despite the relief, energy markets remain highly sensitive due to persistent Middle East geopolitics and ongoing supply disruptions.

Akamai Technologies saw its shares surge over 3% following the announcement of an $11.6 billion, seven-year cloud services agreement with artificial intelligence developer Anthropic. Analysts noted that the massive infrastructure outlays required for artificial intelligence applications remain highly insulated from broader economic interest rate pressures. Strong institutional spending in the sector continues to serve as an underlying anchor for major corporate earnings trends.