Wall Street wobbles as trade uncertainty and weak jobs data weigh on markets

The week’s selloff has pushed the Nasdaq into correction territory, having fallen over 10 percent from its recent peak.

U.S. stocks wavered at the open on Friday, struggling to hold early gains as investors grappled with fresh trade policy shifts and a disappointing jobs report. With markets on course for their worst week in months, uncertainty loomed large, keeping traders on edge.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.5 percent, mirroring losses in the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 86 points, or 0.32 percent. The choppy session followed a week of heightened volatility, fueled by concerns over U.S. tariff measures and their potential economic fallout.

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Investor sentiment took another hit after February’s nonfarm payrolls data came in weaker than expected, with employers adding just 151,000 jobs—well below the 170,000 forecast. The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.1 percent, raising concerns about a slowdown in the labour market.

Adding to the uncertainty, President Donald Trump announced late Thursday that a range of goods from Canada and Mexico covered under the USMCA trade agreement would be temporarily exempt from new tariffs until April 2. While the move softened the initial impact of the proposed duties, markets remained on edge over the lack of long-term clarity.

The week’s selloff has pushed the Nasdaq into correction territory, having fallen over 10 percent from its recent peak. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq are both down 3.9 percent for the week, heading for their steepest weekly losses since September, while the Dow is set for its worst performance since March 2023, sliding over 3 percent.

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Despite the broader market turmoil, artificial intelligence stocks offered some relief. Broadcom jumped more than 3 percent on strong earnings, while Nvidia, Palantir, and Super Micro Computer also gained, highlighting investor appetite for AI-driven growth amid an otherwise jittery market.