Wall Street ended higher on Friday after a tense meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy, which sparked uncertainty over the conflict with Russia. The S&P 500 rose 1.59%, while the Nasdaq gained 1.63% and the Dow climbed 1.39%.
Dell Technologies fell 4.7% after forecasting a decline in its adjusted gross margin rate for fiscal 2026, while HP Inc dropped 6.8% after missing quarterly profit forecasts. However, Nvidia and Tesla rose almost 4% each, lifting the S&P 500.
The news of Zelenskiy’s visit to the White House created fresh uncertainty over Ukraine’s war with Russia, adding to investors’ concerns about sticky US inflation and a tepid economy. The Commerce Department report showed inflation rose in January in line with expectations, but consumer spending dropped 0.2% after an upwardly revised 0.8% increase in December.
Market experts expect the Federal Reserve to consider easing monetary policy due to the cooling economy and stagnant inflation. However, investors remain cautious about the impact of US trade policies on the economy, particularly under Trump’s presidency.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/futures-inch-up-focus-shifts-key-inflation-data-2025-02-28