US equity markets closed lower on Friday, with broad-based selling pressure capping gains across major indices.

The downturn reflects a continuation of the recent choppy trading environment, where investor sentiment has been fragile amid mixed corporate results and shifting sector leadership.

3%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average managed to post modest gains, highlighting a divergence in market breadth.

The Nasdaq Composite faced particular headwinds, dragged down by renewed selling in the technology sector.

This follows a session on Wednesday where tech weakness already pulled the index down 1.3%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average managed to post modest gains, highlighting a divergence in market breadth.

The persistent pressure on growth stocks suggests investors are rotating away from high-multiple names in favor of more defensive positioning.

Earlier in the week, the market was weighed heavily by sharp declines in Alphabet and Tesla following their quarterly earnings reports.