Wall Street Rallies but Ends February in the Red

The U.S. stock market surged on Friday, driven by a rebound in major tech stocks, despite a session marked by economic indicators and a tense meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

All three major Wall Street indexes posted strong gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, composed of 30 blue-chip stocks, rose 1.39% to 43,840.91 points. The S&P 500, tracking the largest U.S. companies, climbed 1.59% to 5,954.50 points, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite gained 1.63% to 18,847.28.

Market Reacts to Trump-Zelenskyy Meeting

Trump and Zelenskyy engaged in a heated exchange at the White House, creating further uncertainty about the Ukraine-Russia war. Investors were already grappling with U.S. inflation concerns and trade policy tensions.

Following the confrontation, the S&P 500 initially dipped before rebounding to close higher. Notably, Zelenskyy left Washington without signing a highly anticipated agreement for joint natural resource exploration.

Tech Stocks Lead Gains

Tech giants helped lift the market after struggling earlier in the session and suffering steep losses the previous day. Nvidia surged 3.97%, Tesla climbed 3.91%, and Apple gained 1.91%.

Meanwhile, Dell shares plunged 4.70% after the company forecast lower-than-expected gross margins for fiscal 2026. HP also fell sharply, dropping 6.82% after issuing disappointing quarterly profit projections.

Economic Data and Monthly Performance

On the economic front, investors digested inflation data that met expectations. Consumer spending, which accounts for two-thirds of the U.S. economy, declined 0.2% in January after a revised 0.8% increase in December.

Despite Friday’s rally, Wall Street ended February with losses. The Dow Jones dropped 1.46% for the month, the S&P 500 fell 1.42%, and the Nasdaq Composite lost 3.97%.