Finance

Despite a sharp pullback to end the week, the S&P 500 managed to secure its seventh consecutive weekly advance, ending with a modest 0.1% gain. While the tech-heavy Nasdaq and the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average finished the week slightly lower, the broader market remains supported by robust AI-driven enthusiasm and solid corporate earnings.

Precious metals and industrial commodities faced significant volatility as hotter-than-expected CPI and PPI data fueled stagflation fears. Gold and silver prices slumped as the surging U.S. dollar and rising bond yields increased the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets, while copper prices eased due to concerns over demand destruction from higher energy costs.

Energy stocks emerged as a rare bright spot in the market, with the sector surging over 2% recently as crude oil prices remained elevated above $100 per barrel. Ongoing tensions in the Persian Gulf and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have created supply fears, leading many investors to rotate into energy assets as a hedge against geopolitical risk.