US Markets : On Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above the 50,000 mark for the first time, a historic moment for the blue-chip index. This year investors have moved away from technology and invested in other stocks. Due to this, this index has performed better than other indices of Wall Street.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average index closed 1,206.95 points, or 2.47%, higher at 50,115.67 on Friday. The Dow is up 4.3% so far this year. While the S&P 500 gained 1.3% in 2026. At the same time, Nasdaq has declined by 0.9 percent so far this year.
Caterpillar shares closed 7.1% higher at $726.20 yesterday. The stock gave the Dow the biggest boost on Friday and has helped drive the index’s recent gains. Caterpillar, one of the most heavily weighted stocks in the Dow, is up about 27% so far this year. The stock has gained more than 50% in 2025.
Technology stocks were under pressure this week due to concerns over artificial intelligence. But the market got support from non-tech stocks. In such a situation, Dow Jones, which leads non-tax stocks, remained bullish.
Shares of Goldman Sachs rose 4.3% on Friday. AI leader Nvidia also rose 7.9% on Friday after recent losses. But on an annual basis it is down 0.6%.
Let us tell you that the 30 components of Dow Jones are given weightage according to their share prices in the index. Whereas S&P 500 stocks are given weightage according to their market value.
The market expects the Federal Reserve to be able to control inflation without harming the economy. It is expected that the US Central Bank will continue to lower interest rates in 2026.