Wall Street Ends Higher as Investors Weigh Trump’s China Trade Comments
U.S. markets closed higher on Friday as investors evaluated President Donald Trump’s latest remarks on China and encouraging earnings from regional banks helped ease credit concerns.
Wall Street ended the week on a positive note, with all major U.S. indices posting gains as investors digested U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest comments on China and reacted to strong regional bank earnings.
The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.52% to 22,679.98 points, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.52% to 46,190.61 points.
President Trump said that his proposed 100% tariff on Chinese goods would not be sustainable in the long term but reiterated his criticism of Beijing for the breakdown in recent trade negotiations. The latest round of talks reportedly stalled after China tightened export controls on rare earth elements—critical inputs for electric vehicles and technology manufacturing.
Trump’s new tariff announcement last week, coupled with fresh export restrictions on “any and all critical software,” is set to take effect from November 1. The comments injected some uncertainty into markets, though investors appeared to take a measured approach.
“The market doesn’t really know what to take when Donald Trump speaks,” said Robert Pavlik, senior portfolio manager at Dakota Wealth. “There’s just a lot of back-and-forth with regard to China, trade tariffs, and pretty much everything else.”
Meanwhile, regional bank stocks rebounded on Friday, recovering from Thursday’s losses after Zions Bancorporation disclosed credit-related charges. The sector’s strong quarterly results helped restore investor confidence in the broader financial space.