📈 U.S. Stock Market Highlights

The U.S. stock market closed higher on Friday, led by strong tech earnings and better-than-expected job data. The S&P 500 rose 1.3% to finish at 5,220, while the Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.8%, fueled by gains in semiconductor and AI-related stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.9%, recovering from mid-week losses.

Top gainers: Nvidia, Apple, AMD, and Amazon all surged on renewed optimism over tech sector growth.

Investors welcomed the July jobs report, which showed an addition of 187,000 jobs, slightly above forecasts, signaling continued resilience in the U.S. economy without triggering inflation fears.

🌍 Global Markets Snapshot

Global markets followed Wall Street's lead with mixed optimism. European indices closed in green territory, with the FTSE 100 up 0.6% and Germany's DAX gaining 0.9% as industrial sentiment improved.

In Asia, markets showed muted gains. Nikkei 225 rose 0.3%, supported by tech exporters, while China's Shanghai Composite ended flat as investors remain cautious over property sector instability and regulatory uncertainty.

💰 Cryptocurrency Market Recovers

After a volatile week, the cryptocurrency market rebounded strongly. Bitcoin (BTC) surged past $61,000, up 4.7% in 24 hours, while Ethereum (ETH) climbed 6.2% to trade above $3,200.

Key drivers included positive remarks from U.S. regulators about potential spot ETF approvals and rising interest in decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms.

Altcoins also followed suit, with Solana and Avalanche leading the rally, gaining over 8% and 7% respectively.

🛢️ Commodities Update: Oil and Gold

Oil prices declined amid fresh concerns about global demand. Brent Crude dropped 1.2% to $83.40 per barrel, while WTI Crude slipped 1.4% to $79.75. Analysts point to slower-than-expected recovery in Chinese manufacturing as a key reason for the pullback.

Meanwhile, Gold prices remained stable around $1,945/oz, as investors await further guidance from the Federal Reserve on interest rates.

📊 Forex Market Update

The U.S. Dollar weakened slightly as risk appetite returned to markets. The EUR/USD pair rose to 1.098, while USD/JPY declined to 144.2. The British Pound also gained on stronger-than-expected UK industrial production data.

📅 Economic Events to Watch Next Week

• U.S. CPI Inflation Data (August 13)
• China Retail Sales and Industrial Output (August 14)
• UK GDP Growth Report (August 15)
• Jackson Hole Fed Symposium Prep

These events are expected to set the tone for investor sentiment heading into mid-August.

📌 Conclusion

Overall, markets ended the week on a positive note, with tech stocks and cryptocurrencies showing strong performance. While risks remain in global energy demand and policy uncertainty, investor sentiment is buoyed by resilient economic data and earnings optimism. Traders are now eyeing next week’s inflation numbers and global macroeconomic updates.