How major US stock indexes fared Friday, 10/20/2023

Wall Street closed out its worst week in a month with more losses. The S&P 500 fell 1.3% Friday. The Dow lost 286 points, and the Nasdaq composite dropped 1.5%. The stock market has been under pressure from the bond market, where the yield on the 10-year Treasury briefly touched 5% Thursday evening for the first time since 2007. High yields make borrowing more expensive for everyone, and they slow the economy while dragging on investment prices. The 10-year yield eased Friday, but only after hanging near 4.99% in the morning. Crude oil prices fluctuated, and gold’s price rose.