The S&P 500 fell 0.4%, the Nasdaq slipped 0.4%, and the Dow Jones dropped 1.1% on Friday, pulling all three benchmarks into negative territory for February. A hotter-than-expected inflation report, combined with a pullback in technology stocks, weighed on markets. The data suggested that companies are passing tariff-related costs on to consumers, complicating the Federal Reserve’s path toward potential rate cuts.
Sentiment was further hit by major layoffs at Block and weaker-than-expected guidance from CoreWeave, whose shares sank 18.6%. Nvidia extended its recent decline with a 4.1% loss amid mounting doubts about the durability of AI-related capital spending by large technology companies.
Not all tech names struggled: Dell surged 21.8% on the back of record demand for its AI servers and the announcement of a substantial share repurchase program. In contrast, financial heavyweights such as Apollo and Jefferies fell between 8.6% and 9.3% amid growing concerns about potential contagion in private credit markets.
Despite the volatility, February saw a record $233.3 billion in corporate share buyback authorizations, helping provide a measure of support for some large-cap stocks.
