Wall Street Ends Week Lower Amid Tariff Uncertainty and Inflation Concerns

New York, Friday – U.S. stock markets closed the week in negative territory as investors faced mounting uncertainty over tariff policies and struggled to process new inflation data.

In Friday's session:

The broad S&P 500 fell 112.37 points (1.97%)

The Nasdaq Composite dropped 481.04 points (2.70%)

The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 715.80 points (1.69%)

The market downturn followed:

A March consumer confidence report that slightly missed expectations, with inflation expectations reaching multi-decade highs

The core PCE price index (the Fed's preferred inflation gauge) rising:

2.8% year-over-year (February)

0.4% month-over-month

"The inflation numbers are particularly concerning," CNBC reported, "as they suggest persistent price pressures that could delay Fed rate cuts."