US benchmark equity indexes closed mixed Friday as markets awaited the Federal Reserve's monetary policy decision due next week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.2% to 43,828.1, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.1% to 19,926.7. The S&P 500 was little changed at 6,051.1. Communication services saw the biggest drop among sectors, while technology led the gainers. For the week, the Dow retreated 1.8%, while the S&P 500 lost 0.6%.
The Nasdaq advanced 0.3%. Official US data released during the week showed that monthly consumer inflation accelerated in line with market estimates in November, while producer prices rose more than expected. The odds that the Federal Open Market Committee will cut interest rates by 25 basis points next week reached 97% Friday, up from 86% a week earlier, according to the CME FedWatch tool. "On the heels of Wednesday's rise in the (consumer price index), yesterday's hotter-than-expected read on the (producer price index) reinforces the notion of waning disinflationary improvement, and further underscores the need for a patient approach to 2025 monetary policy," Stifel said in a note to clients. The US 10-year yield increased 7.5 basis points to 4.40% Friday, while the two-year rate rose 5.9 basis points to 4.25%. In company news, Under Armour's class A shares dropped 8.1%.
The sportswear company's turnaround initiatives are generally encouraging, but visibility into the company's forward growth remains limited at this stage, Truist Securities said in a note to clients. The company held its investor meeting Thursday. Vacation rental company Airbnb's shares fell 4.7%, the steepest decline on the S&P 500 and the second-worst on the Nasdaq. Broadcom shares surged 24%, the top gainer on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq.
Late Thursday, the chipmaker logged stronger-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter earnings, while its revenue fell short of Wall Street's estimates. Broadcom is expected to see strong growth over the next three years amid "surging" AI opportunity and the addition of two new major customers, BofA Securities said in a client note e-mailed Friday. Packaged goods company Post is working with investment bankers to weigh a potential deal with frozen fries maker Lamb Weston, which is facing pressure from an activist shareholder to sell itself, Reuters reported, citing unnamed sources.
Lamb Weston shares jumped 6.8%, the second-best performer on the S&P 500, while Post fell 2.2%. West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 1.7% to $71.18 a barrel Friday, as risks of an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities heightened in the aftermath of a sudden collapse of the Bashar Al-Assad regime in Syria. Gold dropped 1.6% to $2,665.30 per troy ounce, while silver lost 1.9% to $31.01 per ounce..