FX.co ★ US Stocks Push to New Highs

U.S. stocks advanced on Friday, continuing the positive trend after all three major indices achieved new record highs in the previous session. Over the week, the S&P 500 and Dow Jones each climbed 0.7%, while the Nasdaq showed a strong performance with a 1.5% increase. This uptick was largely driven by the Federal Reserve's first interest rate cut of the year and anticipation of additional easing measures anticipated in 2025. Investors closely followed a discussion between President Trump and President Xi, hoping for developments in trade negotiations. Today also marks a significant $5 trillion quarterly triple-witching options expiry, although significant volatility is not anticipated. The sectors that saw gains included consumer discretionary, technology, and communication services, while the energy sector underperformed. In corporate news, Apple shares increased by approximately 1.4% following the launch of the iPhone 17. Amazon rose by 0.6%, Tesla by 2.1%, and Oracle by 2.9%, while FedEx shares gained 1% after surpassing expectations with its first-quarter results.