A sense of optimism in New York: Wall Street ends the week on a high note

A sense of optimism in New York: Wall Street returned to positive territory at the opening on Friday, February 13, while the oil rally reversed course.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 121 points, or 0.3%. The S&P 500 also gained 0.3%, as did the Nasdaq Composite.

The Dow Jones is, however, on track to close the week down 1.1%, while the Nasdaq, heavily weighted toward the technology sector, is up 0.3% so far on a weekly basis.

Overall, the performance of U.S. markets presents a mixed picture: while the major indices posted slight gains during the session, the week remains uncertain, with downward pressure continuing to weigh particularly on broader indices such as the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones.

As for oil, the recent price rally reversed course on Friday. West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell by about 1%, settling around $94 per barrel, while Brent crude futures recorded a 0.5% decline, dropping to about $99 per barrel. In the previous session, however, Brent had closed above the $100 mark for the first time since August 2022.

Benedetta Zimone