NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks ended well in the red on Friday as investors grappled with an escalating conflict in the Middle East and a disappointing U.S. jobs report that reignited concerns about economic growth.

• Nonfarm payrolls in February fell by 92,000, against expectations of 50,000 and that the January total of 126,000. It was the third time in 5 months that the economy lost jobs.
• Wages rose more than expected. Average hourly earnings increased 0.4 percent for the month and 3.8 percent from a year ago, both 0.1 percentage point above forecast.

  The broad-based sell-off saw technology and financial stocks bearing the brunt of the downturn. Analysts pointed to a toxic mix of geopolitical uncertainty and conflicting economic signals as the primary drivers of the market's negative sentiment.

  Geopolitical Fears Weigh Heavy
  Concerns about an expanding war engulfing Iran were top of mind for traders, driving a flight from equities and into traditional safe-haven assets. The conflict, which has has broadened to engulf the region, threatens to disrupt global oil supplies and destabilize the the entire Middle East. Oil prices jumped on the outbreak of hostilities, adding to inflationary pressures and raising the specter of higher energy costs for consumers and businesses already navigating a uncertain economic environment.

  Jobs Report Adds to the Gloom
  Adding to the market's malaise was the release of the February jobs report, which painted a confusing picture of the U.S. economy. While the report showed some resilience in certain sectors, key metrics fell short of economist expectations, suggesting that the labor market may be cooling faster than anticipated. This has led to a renewed debate on Wall Street about the Federal Reserve's next move, with some investors now bracing for the possibility of "stagflation"—a period of slow growth coupled with high inflation.

  Index Performance
  The technology-heavy NASDAQ Composite was hit the hardest, reflecting investor skittishness over high-growth sectors that are most sensitive to interest rate changes. The index plummeted 361.31 points, or 1.59 percent, to close at 22,387.68.

  The Standard and Poor's 500, a broader measure of the market, also saw significant losses, falling 90.68 points, or 1.33 percent, to finish the session at 6,740.03.

  The Dow Jones Industrial Average, though slightly more resilient, still suffered a triple-digit decline. The blue-chip index dropped 453.19 points, or 0.95 percent, settling at 47,501.55.

  Data in the table below was retrieved on 2026-03-06.

  Index	Name	Close	Change	% Change
  ^GSPC	S&P 500	6,740.03	-90.68	-1.33 percent
  ^DJI	Dow Jones Industrial Average	47,501.55	-453.19	-0.95 percent
  ^IXIC	NASDAQ Composite	22,387.68	-361.31	-1.59 percent

U.S. Dollar Mixed After Jobs Report; Yen and Euro lose Ground

The U.S. dollar ended Friday's session with a mixed performance against major peers as investors digested a weaker-than-expected February jobs report and shifting interest rate expectations, amidst the widening conflict between the U.S. and Israel versus Iran.. Currency markets saw notable moves, with the Japanese yen and Euro weakening against the greenback, while the Swiss franc and Canadian dollar met buying support.

The U.S. economy added fewer jobs than anticipated last month, a report that initially weighed on the dollar as it reinforced bets that the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates later this year. However, the currency pared some losses later in the session as traders locked in profits.

Euro Under Pressure
The euro retreated against a volatile U.S. dollar, with the EURUSD pair slipping 0.05 percent to settle at 1.1602. The single currency struggled to gain traction amid ongoing concerns about economic growth in the Eurozone and geopolitical concerns.

Yen Weakens
The Japanese yen was a notable loser. The USDJPY pair rose by 0.22 percent, with the dollar buying 157.89 yen.

The British pound posted gains against the greenback. Sterling climbed 0.23 percent, pushing the GBPUSD rate up to 1.3383. The move higher came despite a lack of major UK economic catalysts, suggesting the move was primarily driven by broad dollar weakness following the jobs report.

Loonie, Franc, and Antipodeans
The Canadian dollar weakened against its U.S. counterpart, with the USDCAD pair rising 0.66 percent to 1.3583. The move was attributed to sliding prices for crude oil, a key Canadian export.

The Swiss franc strengthened, with the USDCHF pair dropping 0.48 percent to 0.7771. Meanwhile, the Australian and New Zealand dollars both gained ground. The AUDUSD pair rose 0.21 percent to 0.7020, while the NZDUSD pair edged up 0.07 percent to finish the session at 0.5899.

Data in the table below was retrieved on Friday 6 March 2026.

Global Stock Markets Mostly Lower on Friday as Iran War Jitters and Jobs Data Fuel Volatility

Global stock markets closed on a mixed note Friday, with investors weighing a softer-than-expected U.S. jobs report against ongoing uncertainty surrounding the raging war in the Middle East. While Wall Street managed to stage a recovery to finish higher, major European bourses suffered losses, and Asian markets ended the session with a mixed performance .

Stocks in Canada Plummet

In Canada, the S&P/TSX Composite index tumbled 526.25 points, or 1.57 percent, closing at 33,083.72, as the energy and financial sectors led the retreat.

UK and European Markets Close Lower on Profit-Taking

London's FTSE 100 index shed 129.19 points, or 1.24 percent, to close at 10,284.75.

European indices ended the day in the red, pulling back from the record highs seen earlier in the week. The recent rally, fueled by optimism over increased defense and infrastructure spending in Germany, gave way to profit-taking as investors also digested the latest U.S. employment data .

In Frankfurt, the DAX index fell 224.72 points, or 0.94 percent, settling at 23,591.03. France's CAC 40 index also declined, losing 52.31 points, or 0.65 percent, to finish at 7,993.49.

The pan-European EURO STOXX 50 index dropped 62.99 points, or 1.09 percent, to 5,719.90, while the broader Euronext 100 Index declined by 15.49 points, or 0.88 percent, to 1,742.06. Belgium's BEL 20 index was among the harder hit, falling 65.23 points, or 1.24 percent, to end the session at 5,194.95.

Asian Markets Show Mixed Resilience

In Asia, the trading day concluded with a mixed picture. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index was a notable outperformer, surging 435.95 points, or 1.72 percent, to close at 25,757.29. Japan's Nikkei 225 also posted solid gains, adding 342.78 points, or 0.62 percent, to finish at 55,620.84.

In other trading news, New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 Index declined by 98.54 points, or 0.72 percent, to 13,519.35. China's SSE Composite Index, however, bucked the trend to close higher, adding 15.63 points, or 0.38 percent, to 4,124.19.

Other regional indices saw more muted movements. Singapore's STI Index edged up just 1.69 points, or 0.03 percent, to 4,848.25, while Malaysia's FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI gained 4.86 points, or 0.28 percent, to end at 1,718.06. South Korea's KOSPI Composite Index was virtually flat, rising a marginal 0.97 points, or 0.02 percent, to 5,584.87.

However, several major indices in the region closed lower. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 89.30 points, or 1.00 percent, to 8,851.00, and the broader All Ordinaries index dropped 79.80 points, or 0.87 percent, to 9,085.10. India's S&P BSE SENSEX tumbled 1,097.00 points, or 1.37 percent, closing at 78,918.90. Indonesia's IDX Composite also had a difficult session, losing 124.85 points, or 1.62 percent, to 7,585.69. Taiwan's TWSE Capitalization Weighted Stock Index edged down 73.40 points, or 0.22 percent, to 33,599.54.

Middle East Markets Closed

The Mideast markets were closed on Friday and are expected to reopen on Sunday.

(This report incorporates quotes retrieved with the assistance of artificial intelligence).

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Wednesday 4 March 2026 | U.S. stocks mount recovery despite escalating Mideast conflict | Big News Network.com

Tuesday 3 March 2026 | Trump's war hits U.S. and global stocks, Israeli shares surge again | Big News Network.com 

Monday 2 March 2026 | Wall Street withstands shock of Iran attacks, Israeli shares soar | Big News Network.com

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