S&P 500 posts fifth winning day, notches 5% weekly gain as U.S.-China trade tensions ease: Live updates

S&P 500 posts fifth winning day, notches 5% weekly gain as U.S.-China trade tensions ease: Live updates
By: cnbc Posted On: May 16, 2025 View: 39

Traders work at the New York Stock Exchange on May 9, 2025.

NYSE

The S&P 500 rose Friday for a fifth session and posted a sharp weekly gain, as investors looked past the release of disappointing consumer sentiment data and persistent inflation worry.

The broad market index climbed 0.70% to end at 5,958.38, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.52% to close at 19,211.10. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 331.99 points, or 0.78%, settling at 42,654.74. Friday's advance put the 30-stock benchmark into positive territory for 2025.

For the week, the S&P 500 surged 5.3%, and the Dow gained 3.4%. The Nasdaq Composite jumped 7.2% this week. Technology stocks also had a strong week. Shares of Nvidia gained about 16%, while Meta Platforms advanced 8%. Shares of Apple climbed 6%, while Microsoft popped 3%.

The major averages rose even after the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index came in at its second-lowest level on record. Consumers also see prices rising 7.3% over the next year, up from 6.5% last month.

Stocks have made a strong comeback since U.S. and Chinese officials earlier this week agreed on a 90-day truce in their tariff measures, which eased investors' fears of escalating global trade tensions and rising risk to the economy.

"Markets are repricing the stagflation risk right now — what was once the base case for folks who were sure that tariffs were going to shoot inflation skyward immediately, really hasn't been supported in the data," said Jamie Cox, managing partner at Harris Financial Group. "The U.S. consumer may say he/she is worried, but they aren't spending like they are. Consumption trumps all once you filter out all the noise."

Wall Street is also hoping that there will be more clarity on the trade front in the weeks ahead.

President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration will send letters to many countries detailing new tariff rates, possibly over the next two to three weeks. Those letters would take the place of trade negotiations with countries where the U.S. doesn't have time to meet.

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