U.S. stock markets close sharply higher Friday

NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks rose sharply on Friday despite continuing uncertainty over the U.S.-Iran war, and the recent surge in Treasury yields. The 30-year Treasury bond on Friday rose to 5.27 percent, just shy of its near-20 -year high of 5.34 percent earlier in the week. The 10-year bond yield also rose 3 basis points Friday to 4.732 percent. "The market has adjusted to 4 percent to 5 percent" on the 10-year yield,Leo Kelly, founder and CEO of Verdence Capital Advisors told CNBC Friday. "If we had some sort of event and the market broke out and went to the 6 percent to 7 percent range on the 10-year, that's a problem, and the market will react poorly to that," Kelly said. TheDow Jones Industrial Averagesettled at53,276.81, climbing an impressive517.60points for a gain of0.98 percent. Volume on the blue-chip index reached 414.952 million shares as investors piled into cyclical names, driving the Dow to its best session of the week. The broaderStandard and Poor's 500also finished higher, Friday closing at7,674.30after adding33.14points, a rise of0.43 percent. Trading volume on the benchmark index came in at 2.615 billion, reflecting steady participation throughout the session. The index traded within a daily range of7,660.06to7,697.11, holding comfortably above its 52-week low of6,316.91and remaining well shy of its high of7,816.70. The tech-heavyNASDAQ Compositejoined the rally, advancing113.29points to end Friday at26,180.46, a gain of0.43 percent. Volume on the Nasdaq reached 5.533 billion, underscoring sustained interest in technology and growth names despite recent volatility. Friday's rally was broad-based, with all three major U.S. indices finishing in the green and the Dow posting the most robust performance of the day. Investors appeared to shake off earlier hesitations, driving markets higher as the trading week came to a close. U.S. Dollar Holds Steady, Aussie Surges as FX Markets Close Out Friday Session Foreign exchange markets wrapped up the final trading day of the week with a relatively subdued tone for most major pairs, though the Australian dollar stood out with a notable rally against its U.S. counterpart. Theeurotraded at1.1679against the U.S. dollar, marking a marginal gain of just0.01 percenton the session, as investors largely held their positions heading into the weekend. Against the Japanese yen, thegreenbackchanged hands at159.03, also rising by a fractional0.01 percent, reflecting a lack of clear directional momentum in the pair. TheBritish poundfirmed slightly, ending Friday at1.3649versus the dollar, an advance of0.13 percent. The modest uptick came as traders digested the latest economic signals from the UK, though volumes remained relatively thin. The standout mover of the day was theAustralian dollar, which surged0.84 percentto close at0.7174against its U.S. counterpart. The sharp gain suggests renewed risk appetite or potential supportive domestic data, though no single catalyst was immediately evident in late trading. Meanwhile, theU.S. dollarstrengthened against its northern neighbour, with theCanadian dollarslipping to1.3766per greenback, a decline of0.17 percentfor the loonie. Against theSwiss franc, the dollar edged higher to0.8011, posting a modest gain of0.09 percentas the safe-haven currency softened slightly in quiet Friday trade. Overall, the session was characterised by tight ranges and limited volatility, with the Australian dollar's outperformance providing the sole notable exception to an otherwise steady close to the trading week. Global Stock Markets Split on Friday as Downturns in Asia Offset European Gains World stock markets closed out the final trading session of the week with a mixed performance on Friday, as solid advances across Canadian, UK and European exchanges were partially tempered by slight declines in the Asia-Pacific region. London'sFTSE 100closed at10,816.56, climbing68.40points, or0.64 percent. Canadian equities also enjoyed a strong session. TheS&P/TSX Composite indexrose254.81points to close at36,620.23, an increase of0.70 percent, with volume of 266.275 million shares traded on the exchange. In Europe, benchmarks finished firmly in the green. InFrance, theCAC 40rose31.34points to end at8,484.43, up0.37 percent. Germany'sDAX Psettled at26,136.56, adding153.52points for a gain of0.59 percent. The broader regional indices also saw positive movement. TheEURO STOXX 50 Iincreased by40.16points to finish at6,462.22, a rise of0.63 percent, and theEuronext 100 Indexclosed at1,938.94, up5.38points or0.28 percent. Belgium'sBEL 20outperformed its peers with a robust gain of63.55points, settling at5,807.17for a1.11 percentincrease. Asian markets, however, painted a more divided picture. In Hong Kong Friday, theHANG SENG INDEXfinished at26,009.46, gaining310.97points—a healthy increase of1.21 percent. TheSTI Indexin Singapore also rose, closing at5,688.96with a modest uptick of17.05points, or0.30 percent. In South Korea, theKOSPI Composite Indexclosed at6,912.95, up60.37points for a0.88 percentgain, with trading volume reaching 408,037.while Malaysia'sFTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCIposted a fractional decline of0.23points to close at1,736.48, a nearly flat drop of0.01 percent. In Japan, theNikkei 225fell sharply, losing200.43points to close at66,016.36.In mainland China, theSSE Composite Indexedged up1.48points to close at3,905.20, a fractional gain of0.04 percent, on volume of 1.74 billion shares. In Australia, both major indices ended lower on Friday: theS&P/ASX 200shed24.90points to finish at9,058.90, a decline of0.27 percent, and the broaderALL ORDINARIESfell28.80points to9,269.70, down0.31 percent.Meantime, across the Tasman, New Zealand'sS&P/NZX 50 INDEX GROSSadvanced52.84points to13,972.66, an increase of0.38 percent. In India, theS&P BSE SENSEXbarely moved, inching up a mere3.11points to77,540.83, a change of0.00 percent. Indonesia'sIDX COMPOSITErose24.10points to6,525.69, gaining0.37 percent. Elsewhere in Asia on Friday, Taiwan'sTWSE Capitalization Weighted Stock Indexended the day at45,224.29, rising290.55points, equivalent to0.65 percent. In the Middle East most markets were closed on Friday and scheduled to reopen on Sunday. Israel'sTA-125however traded, rising18.51points to4,059.40, a gain of0.46 percent. South Africa'sTop 40 USD Net TRI Indexposted the strongest performance of the session, soaring190.71points to7,402.32, a jump of2.64 percent. (This report incorporates quotes retrieved with the assistance of artificial intelligence). Related stories: Thursday 20 August 2026 |Dow Jones tumbles 701 points as bond rout picks up steam| Big News Network Wednesday 19 August 2026 |Wall Street bounces back, Dow Jones closes 120 points higher| Big News Network Tuesday 18 August 2026 |Collapse in government bonds worldwide drives U.S. stocks lower| Big News Network.com Monday 17 August 2026 |Dow Jones sheds 272 points as investors lose faith in U.S.-Iran talks| Big News Network