Markets Fall Again As Russia-Ukraine War Erodes Investor Sentiment

U.S. Indices finished lower Friday amid continued uncertainty from the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

• The Nasdaq composite finished lower by 2.18% to 12,843; The Invesco QQQ Trust Series 1 QQQ lost 2.07% to $331.27
• The S&P 500 traded lower by 1.29% to 4,204; The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust SPY lost 1.27% to $420.07
• The Dow Jones composite finished lower by 0.60% to 11,331; The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust DIA traded lower by 0.63% to $330.02

On Thursday, negotiations between Ukraine and Russia failed to produce a cease-fire or other meaningful progress toward de-escalation. WTI crude oil prices briefly topped $129 per barrel last week as U.S. President Joe Biden announced a ban on all Russian fossil fuel imports.

The consumer price index gained 7.9% in February, exceeding economist estimates of 7.8% and marking the largest jump in inflation in any month since January 1982. Inflation once again outpaced the 5.1% wage growth the Labor Department reported in February.

On Wednesday, Biden signed an executive order intended to spearhead regulation of the cryptocurrency market. The order did not create any new regulations, but it calls for federal agencies to coordinate to gauge the benefits and potential risks Bitcoin and other cryptos create for American investors.

Here are the day's winners and losers from the Nasdaq-100, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc REGN, T-Mobile Us Inc TMUS and Amgen, Inc. AMGN were among the top gainers for the QQQ Friday.

Docusign Inc DOCU, Baidu Inc BIDU and Pinduoduo Inc - ADR PDD were among the top losers for the Nasdaq-100.

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