US stock market closes mixed despite fall in volatility

By Ovunc Kutlu

ANKARA (AA) - Major indexes in the US stock market closed mixed Friday despite a decline in volatility.

The Dow Jones fell 232 points, or 0.7%, to end the day at 32,630 points with investment banking majors Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and Morgan Stanley losing 1% each.

The S&P 500 was flat at 3,913, by losing only two points. The Nasdaq, however, rose 99 points, or 0.7%, to 13,215 at the closing bell with Novavax soaring almost 5%, Facebook adding 4.1%, and Zoom Video rising 3.1%.

The Dow Jones lost 0.5% for the week, while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq declined 0.8% each.

Although the VIX volatility index rose to as high as 23.17 during trading hours, the fear index later fell to 20.86 for a 3.3% daily loss.

Gold posted a gain for the second week in a row by closing around $1,742 per ounce with a 0.3% daily gain. Silver was around $26.2 an ounce with a 0.5% daily increase.