U.S. stocks experienced a decline on Friday as market participants evaluated the Federal Reserve's latest policy announcement amidst ongoing trade tensions and fears of an economic downturn. The S&P 500 decreased by 1.1%, despite efforts to end a four-week losing streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by nearly 400 points, or 1%, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.3%.
Earlier in the week, the Federal Reserve decided to maintain current interest rates but reiterated its forecast for two rate cuts within the year. This comes even as it adjusted its inflation expectations upward and revised its economic growth projections downward. Investors are also preparing for the implementation of President Trump's reciprocal tariffs, expected to come into effect in April.
In terms of individual stock movements, FedEx tumbled by over 10% after reducing its full-year forecast, citing "continued weakness and uncertainty" in the economy. Nike saw a nearly 9% drop following a warning of an anticipated sales decline this quarter. In contrast, Danaher experienced a slight increase of 0.3% after receiving an upgrade to "buy" from Goldman Sachs.
