Introduction#

According to Monexa AI, U.S. equities closed weaker on Thursday with the S&P 500 finishing at 6,629.07 (−0.63%), the Dow at 45,952.24 (−0.65%), the Nasdaq Composite at 22,562.54 (−0.47%), and the NYSE Composite at 21,376.96 (−0.90%). Volatility was elevated and choppy: the CBOE Russell 2000 Volatility Index (RVX) jumped to 28.81 (+15.06%), while the CBOE VIX faded into the close to 24.66 (−2.57%) after an intraday spike to nearly 29. Breadth skewed negative as Financial Services underperformed and several cyclical groups lagged, even as selected technology and healthcare names provided partial ballast. Overnight, European equities traded decisively lower with banks in focus after renewed credit concerns, while a persistent bid in gold and selective rotation into defensive quality carried through the global session. Reuters reported that futures and sentiment were pressured by fresh worries around regional banks and credit quality, extending Thursday’s theme into Friday’s open (Reuters.