Wall Street Ends Flat Ahead of Long Weekend; Weekly Losses for Major Indexes

• US stocks closed nearly flat on Friday in a choppy session before the long weekend, with all three major indexes posting weekly losses.
• The S&P 500 saw healthcare stocks decline by 0.8%, while chipmakers' shares rose, with the semiconductor index gaining 1.2%.
• Big US banks reported mostly solid Q4 results, but concerns over President Trump's proposed 10% cap on credit card interest rates pressured financial stocks.
• Investors also reacted to news that economic adviser Kevin Hassett might remain in his role, easing speculation about him replacing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
• The earnings season will intensify next week with reports from major companies like Netflix, Johnson & Johnson, and Intel.

Why It Matters: Wall Street concluded a flat session before a long weekend, with major indexes recording weekly declines.