Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq Lower After Trump’s Tariffs Threat; Treasury Yields Fall, Gold Rises in Risk-Off Move
The Friday before Memorial Day is supposed to be a quiet day for markets, but not this year.
Roughly 7.78 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq through 1 p.m. ET on Friday, compared to this year’s average volume through 1 p.m. of 7.57 billion shares.
Going back to 2011, the volume on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq has been lower than an average day that year for every Friday before Memorial Day, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
The prelude to the holiday weekend typically sees volume drop to 83% of an average day that year, although that’s spiked north of 93.4% from 2021 through 2024.
The president’s tariff threats had those remaining on Wall Street on their back foot. Volatility has mellowed out a bit since the morning, so there’s always a chance we see trading die down through the close.
