The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 674.62 points, or 1.65%, to close at 41,488.19 on March 14, 2025. The S&P 500 climbed 2.13% to end at 5,638.94, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 2.61% to settle at 17,754.09. This marked the best day in 2025 for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq.
Big tech shares saw a sharp recovery on Friday. Numerous technology stocks, including Tesla and Apple, posted significant gains. The relief bounce was attributed to a lack of new tariff-related headlines out of the White House.
#MarketAlert | Many stocks have recovered from over 10% to as much as 24% from March lows
Take a quick look at the top gainers from the recent market slump👇#Nifty #StockMarket #StockMarketIndia pic.twitter.com/uD5nGOB0A1
— ET NOW (@ETNOWlive) March 24, 2025
Despite Friday’s rally, the major averages couldn’t avoid weekly losses.
The Dow fell roughly 3.1% for its worst week since March 2023, while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq both dropped more than 2%, marking their fourth consecutive losing week.
Stock Market: Investors gain Rs 22.12 lakh crore in 5 days as Sensex zooms 3076 points or 4%#StockMarket https://t.co/q4E0QUcjZd
— ET NOW (@ETNOWlive) March 22, 2025
The University of Michigan reported consumer confidence data on Friday, showing a decline to 57.9, lower than the anticipated 63.2. This underscored concerns over tariff-related uncertainties. Thomas Martin, portfolio manager at Globalt Investments, commented, “Consumer sentiment came in worse, inflation expectations are rising, and the market is rising. You would think that the market would be off. So many folks are watching to see if this rally has any breadth or legs.”
Even though the S&P 500's 6.1% decline is the worst start since 2020, the decline isn't unprecedented.@PhilBlancato tells @USAToday that since 1928, there have been 17 years with similar drops, and 10 of those years ended positively. https://t.co/wt6nSsQuyu
— Osaic (@osaic_inc) March 21, 2025
Big tech’s sharp recovery fuels rally
Investors are now gearing up for the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting scheduled for next week, where futures indicate that interest rates are likely to hold steady. “What we would like to see is rates not go up because that would be an indication that the Fed is losing control,” Martin added. Wolfe Research believes that industrials still have room to run despite being down 2% for the year.
However, according to analyst Chris Caso, semiconductors are not expected to provide a safe haven during a recession. Shares of data management company Rubrik rose almost 28% on Friday, marking the company’s largest percentage increase in a single day. This gain adds to the stock’s substantial rise over recent months.
