Wall Street capped a punishing week with a broad Friday selloff, as all major indices shed roughly 1.7–2% in unison. The S&P 500 fell 1.71% to close at 6,347.24, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.72% to 44,854.62, and the Nasdaq led losses with a 1.95% decline to 20,421.65. Small caps were no refuge — the Russell 2000 slid 1.75% to 2,421.28.
The selling was broad-based and relentless through the session, with no meaningful intraday recovery attempt gaining traction. Tech was the epicenter of pain, with Meta Platforms standing out as the day's biggest large-cap casualty, off nearly 4% to $525.72. Apple was a rare bright spot, adding 1.62% to $248.80 and offering some shelter in an otherwise bleak tape.
Gold continued to shine as a safe-haven asset, with the yellow metal closing at $4,528.52 — a level that underscores how aggressively investors have been fleeing risk assets and piling into stores of value in 2026.
The synchronized decline across equities of all sizes signals that this was not sector rotation but genuine risk reduction. Whether Friday's flush marks a capitulation or simply the latest leg down in a prolonged correction remains the central question heading into the weekend.