US stocks posted a weekly rise, breaking a four-week streak of declines, as investors reacted to mixed economic signals and comments from President Donald Trump regarding tariffs.
Despite inflation remaining above the US Federal Reserve’s 2% target, which led the Fed to leave interest rates unchanged last Wednesday, the market showed signs of recovery. Investor sentiment improved after President Trump’s comments indicated a potential softening of previously announced tariffs, set to begin in early April. Trump suggested there could be flexibility in implementing tariffs, easing concerns that they might be as burdensome as initially feared.
On Friday, the Standard & Poor’s 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed virtually unchanged but off their previous lows. The S&P 500 rose by 4.38 points, or 0.08%, to 5,667.27, marking a 0.5% weekly gain after four weeks of losses. The Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 92.43 points, or 0.52%, to 17,784.05, recording a modest weekly gain of 0.15%, also ending a four-week losing streak. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 35.98 points, or 0.09%, to 41,989.30, posting a stronger weekly gain of 1.2%.
The stock market’s positive performance came despite lingering economic uncertainty and the Fed’s cautious stance on interest rates, highlighting the market’s reaction to both domestic policy and broader global trade issues.