Finance

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite secured its third consecutive week of growth, rising 0.5% after strong Friday momentum pushed it near record highs. Conversely, both the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average and the benchmark S&P 500 closed the week in negative territory, registering losses of 1.3% and 0.3% respectively. Friday's market-wide gains were insufficient to fully rescue the two broader indexes from their weekly slumps.

Large technology firms are increasingly relying on off-balance sheet arrangements to fund their substantial capital expenditures on data centers and artificial intelligence. Amazon has reportedly utilized a special purpose vehicle to acquire and lease back thousands of advanced Nvidia Blackwell processors, allowing the company to sustain infrastructure deployment while protecting its credit metrics. This strategic development boosted share prices for both market leaders during broader equity gains.

Crude oil futures finished the week lower by 1.53% after G-7 and European nations reached a cooperative agreement to deploy 100 million barrels of diesel and crude from emergency strategic reserves. This macro supply adjustment helped alleviate energy supply constraints stemming from ongoing international conflicts. The shift in global commodity sentiment extended into precious metals, driving weekly declines of 1.41% for gold and 2.59% for silver.