Finance

In contrast to the tech-heavy indexes, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by approximately 0.2% on Friday, closing at 49,230.71. The index was weighed down by poor performance in the financial and healthcare sectors, ending its previous three-week winning streak.

U.S. Treasury yields saw a slight decline on Friday, with the 10-year note yield settling near 4.31%. This movement followed the Justice Department's decision to drop a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, clearing a path for the Senate to potentially confirm Kevin Warsh as his successor.

Crude oil prices remained elevated, with Brent trading above $105 per barrel due to the ongoing naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. While gold rose slightly on Friday to approximately $4,726 per ounce, it recorded its first weekly loss in five weeks as high energy prices fueled broader inflation concerns.

Bitcoin traded near $78,100 on Friday, marking a weekly gain of nearly 6% despite broader geopolitical uncertainty. The cryptocurrency has significantly outperformed gold and traditional equities over the last three weeks, attracting roughly $1 billion in inflows as investors seek alternative assets amid the U.S.-Iran conflict.

Major retail brokerages like Robinhood and Webull implemented a significant regulatory shift this week after the SEC approved the removal of the $25,000 pattern day trader equity minimum. This barrier has been replaced with real-time, intraday risk-based margin rules, allowing smaller accounts greater access to active trading strategies.