On Thursday, March 20, U.S. markets closed lower as investors digested fresh economic data, Federal Reserve policy signals, and growing tariff concerns amid ongoing volatility. Despite recent selling pressure from soft indicators and weakening sentiment, equities had advanced in three of the previous four sessions.
The Fed held interest rates steady, projected two cuts later this year, and flagged slower growth alongside elevated inflation while uncertainty around trade policy persists.
Economic data showed that the Q4 current account deficit narrowed to $303.9 billion. Jobless claims edged up to 223,000, slightly below expectations, and the Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index fell to 12.5 in March--down from 18.1 but ahead of forecasts.
Most S&P 500 sectors declined, led by losses in materials, consumer staples, and tech. Energy and utilities, however, bucked the trend, closing higher.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.03% to 41,953.32, the S&P 500 slipped 0.22% to 5,662.89, and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.33% to 17,691.63.
Asia Markets Today
- On Friday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed the session lower by 0.51% at 37,651.50, led by losses in the Shipbuilding, Manufacturing, and Services sectors.
- Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was up 0.17% and closed at 7,932.10.
- India’s Nifty 50 rose 0.73% to 23,359.15 and Nifty 500 was up 1.01% at 21,283.85.
- China’s Shanghai Composite declined 1.29% to 3,364.83, and the Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 slid 1.52% to 3,914.70.
- Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was down 2.19%, ending the session at 23,689.72.
- Chinese stocks fell as profit-taking hit stimulus and AI-driven gains, dragging major indexes lower. Broader Asian markets were mixed, with limited movement amid global economic caution and political uncertainty.
Eurozone at 05:45 AM ET
- The European STOXX 50 was down 0.82%.
- Germany’s DAX declined 1.08%.
- France’s CAC fell 0.72%.
- U.K.’s FTSE 100 index traded lower by 0.41%
Commodities at 05:45 AM ET
- Crude Oil WTI was trading lower by 0.19% at $67.94/bbl, and Brent was down 0.21% at $71.86/bbl.
- Natural Gas declined 1.41% to $3.920.
- Gold was trading lower by 0.25% at $3,036.39, Silver was down 1.31% to $33.545, and Copper slid 1.31% to $5.0458.
- Gold prices dipped as the dollar strengthened, and investors took profits after a series of record highs. Despite the pullback, bullion is on track for a third weekly gain amid safe-haven demand, trade war concerns, and rate-cut hopes.
U.S. Futures at 05:45 AM ET
Dow futures were down 0.33%, S&P 500 futures fell 0.34% and Nasdaq 100 futures declined 0.41%.
Forex at 05:45 AM ET
- The U.S. dollar index rose 0.21% to 104.04, the USD/JPY rose 0.38% to 149.36, and the USD/AUD gained 0.27% to 1.5908.
- The U.S. dollar strengthened on Friday, continuing its rebound after the Federal Reserve signaled no immediate plans to cut interest rates.
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