Dow Jones falls, records weekly gains

US indices closed Friday in red amid markets' assessment of lower consumer confidence and forecasts of higher inflation. This coincided with slow economic activities.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.3%, or 140 points, to settle at 44,424 points, but with weekly gains of 2.15%.

The S&P 500 index fell 0.3%, or 17 points, to 6,101 points, recording weekly gains of 1.75%.

Similarly, Nasdaq Composite lost 0.5%, or 99 points, to close at 19,954 points.

As for European markets, the STOXX Europe 600 kept flat at 530 points.

The French CAC 40 index rose 0.45% to 7,927 points. Meanwhile, the German DAX index was down 0.1% to 21,394 points. Similarly, the British FTSE index dropped 0.75% to 8,502 points.

The Nikkei index stabilized at 39,931 points. The broader Topix index also kept flat at 2,751 points

Brent crude futures for March delivery rose 0.25%, or $0.21, to $78.5 per barrel. The US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures for March delivery were unchanged at $74.66 per barrel. Both contracts recorded weekly losses of 2.85% and 3.55%, respectively.

Regarding gold, futures prices for February delivery were up 0.5%, or $13.9, to $2,778.9 per ounce, with a weekly gain of 1.1%.

S&P Composite PMI index fell this month, recording a nine-month low. Meanwhile, consumer confidence declined in January for the first time in six months, with expectations of higher inflation in the short and long term.