Stock market today: Stocks end higher as investors claw back most losses after big rout

Stocks were sent on a rollercoaster this week, with the S&P 500 enjoying its worst and best days since 2022 amid Monday's rout and subsequent rally.

• US stocks rose Friday, though were down slightly for the week.
• Investors were able to claw back most of the losses from the big Monday sell-off.
• Investors are eyeing key inflation data next week, with the consumer price index due on Wednesday.

US stocks rose on Friday but ended with their fourth-straight weekly loss.

A volatility surge on Monday led to whiplash trading for the stock market this week as investors dealt with the yen carry trade unwind and concerns of a potential economic slowdown.

The swings during the week — with the S&P 500 notching its worst day since 2022 on Monday and then its best day in that same stretch on Thursday — made for the most volatile trading week of 2024.

The rollercoaster concluded on Friday with stocks rising modestly after struggling to gain at the start of the session.

A muted weekly jobless claims report on Thursday helped push stocks higher for their biggest gain in nearly two years as sentiment around the economy and the labor market improved after investors panicked following last week's July jobs report.

"Market narratives can change quickly, but they are not always right. This has occurred many times this cycle, and it will happen again. Don't make investment decisions based on any one indicator or number," Raymond James CIO Larry Adam said.

Looking ahead to next week, investors will be awaiting key inflation reports, including the Producer Price Index on Tuesday, followed by the Consumer Price Index on Wednesday.

Analysts on Wall Street say they're expecting a modestly stronger consumer inflation reading, but not hot enough to derail the outlook for the Fed to cut interest rates next month.

"We forecast headline CPI rose by 0.3% m/m in July, owing mainly to a pickup in core services inflation and energy prices. This would leave the y/y rate unchanged at 3.0%. Meanwhile, we expect core CPI increased by 0.2% m/m," Bank of America analysts wrote Friday, adding that if data comes in-line with their forecasts, markets will start pricing in fewer rate cuts.

Here's where US indexes stood at the 4:00 p.m. closing bell on Friday:

• S&P 500: 5,344.17, up 0.47%
• Dow Jones Industrial Average: 39,497.93, up 0.13% (+51.05 points)
• Nasdaq composite: 16,745.30, up. 0.5%

Here's what else happened today:

• UBS said Taylor Swift concerts and the Olympics could lead to a fresh surge in global inflation.
• Mizuho bumped its Nvidia price target to $132 ahead of its upcoming earnings report, suggesting potential upside of 26%.
• Legendary investor Jeremy Grantham warned that stocks are poised to crash as a recession appears inevitable.
• Here's how the stock market can predict who will win the Presidential election in November.
• There are two conflicting forces that will define how stocks perform the rest of the year.

In commodities, bonds, and crypto:

• West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 1.04% to $76.98 a barrel. Brent crude, the international benchmark, increased 0.71% to $79.72 a barrel.
• Gold was higher by 0.20% to $2,468.30 per ounce.
• The 10-year Treasury yield dropped 5 basis points to 3.94%.
• Bitcoin dropped 1.96% to $60,499.