Francesca Fontana

Okay, that was a lot of news, a lot of whipsawing in the markets, and like I said, a lot of big moves for the most trade-vulnerable sectors. But let's circle back to Toyota. At the end of all that, its U.S. shares finished the week with a gain of 4.8%. So now we're at Friday, and markets got a bit of a break from all the trade news, so we got to look up and see, you know, what else is going on.

Okay, that was a lot of news, a lot of whipsawing in the markets, and like I said, a lot of big moves for the most trade-vulnerable sectors. But let's circle back to Toyota. At the end of all that, its U.S. shares finished the week with a gain of 4.8%. So now we're at Friday, and markets got a bit of a break from all the trade news, so we got to look up and see, you know, what else is going on.

I'll tell you. Gap was on fire. The apparel company, behind brands like Banana Republic, Old Navy, Athleta, and of course its namesake, posted better than expected sales and profit last quarter, as its turnaround efforts continue to show results. And for what it's worth, given that the trade uncertainty is far from over, Gap also addressed tariffs, saying it has minimal exposure.

I'll tell you. Gap was on fire. The apparel company, behind brands like Banana Republic, Old Navy, Athleta, and of course its namesake, posted better than expected sales and profit last quarter, as its turnaround efforts continue to show results. And for what it's worth, given that the trade uncertainty is far from over, Gap also addressed tariffs, saying it has minimal exposure.

Less than 10% of Gap's products come from China, and less than 1% come from Canada and Mexico. Good to know, because with how this week went, it's hard to say what next week holds. All in all, Gap's share surged a whopping 19% on Friday. And now you know what's news in markets this week.

Less than 10% of Gap's products come from China, and less than 1% come from Canada and Mexico. Good to know, because with how this week went, it's hard to say what next week holds. All in all, Gap's share surged a whopping 19% on Friday. And now you know what's news in markets this week.

You can read about more stocks that moved on the week's news in The Score, my column in the Wall Street Journal's Exchange section. Today's show was produced by Zoe Kolkin and Jess Jupiter with Deputy Editor Chris Sinsley. I'm Francesca Fontana. Have a great weekend and see you next Saturday.

You can read about more stocks that moved on the week's news in The Score, my column in the Wall Street Journal's Exchange section. Today's show was produced by Zoe Kolkin and Jess Jupiter with Deputy Editor Chris Sinsley. I'm Francesca Fontana. Have a great weekend and see you next Saturday.

Hey, listeners. It's Saturday, March 1st. I'm Francesca Fontana for The Wall Street Journal, and this is What's News in Markets, our look at the biggest stock moves of the week and the news that drove them. Let's get to it. To refresh our memories, stocks logged gains for January and a strong start to 2025.

Hey, listeners. It's Saturday, March 1st. I'm Francesca Fontana for The Wall Street Journal, and this is What's News in Markets, our look at the biggest stock moves of the week and the news that drove them. Let's get to it. To refresh our memories, stocks logged gains for January and a strong start to 2025.

But trade drama, continued inflation, and AI competition fears did not do us any favors in February.

But trade drama, continued inflation, and AI competition fears did not do us any favors in February.

This week, for instance, NVIDIA's positive results still managed to cause a sell-off, and we had more tariff threats from President Trump and retaliation threats from China, not to mention the tense meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, after which stocks wobbled before they recovered late Friday afternoon.

This week, for instance, NVIDIA's positive results still managed to cause a sell-off, and we had more tariff threats from President Trump and retaliation threats from China, not to mention the tense meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, after which stocks wobbled before they recovered late Friday afternoon.

All in all, the three major indexes ended the week mixed, and for the month of February, the S&P 500 and the Dow each fell about 1.5%, while the Nasdaq dropped nearly 4%. We got some fresh earnings reports this week, including from Home Depot, the home improvement giant. Even the less handy among us certainly know the orange logo.

All in all, the three major indexes ended the week mixed, and for the month of February, the S&P 500 and the Dow each fell about 1.5%, while the Nasdaq dropped nearly 4%. We got some fresh earnings reports this week, including from Home Depot, the home improvement giant. Even the less handy among us certainly know the orange logo.

Home Depot delivered a better-than-expected quarter, beating Wall Street's expectations for quarterly sales and profit, and the company said it's increasing its quarterly dividend to $2.30 a share.

Home Depot delivered a better-than-expected quarter, beating Wall Street's expectations for quarterly sales and profit, and the company said it's increasing its quarterly dividend to $2.30 a share.

Home Depot said that demand was strong for things like appliances, building materials, and lumber, but weaker for projects like kitchen and bathroom remodels, you know, the kind of big purchases that a lot of us might typically use financing for, like a credit card or a personal loan.

Home Depot said that demand was strong for things like appliances, building materials, and lumber, but weaker for projects like kitchen and bathroom remodels, you know, the kind of big purchases that a lot of us might typically use financing for, like a credit card or a personal loan.