Stocks surged Friday as technology shares rebounded from sharp losses, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbing 1,206.95 points to close above 50,000 for the first time. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq also posted strong gains, pushing the S&P 500 back into positive territory for 2026 despite a weekly decline of 0.1%. The market rally came as Bitcoin recovered from a steep selloff that had erased more than half its value at one point.

Attention now turns to delayed economic data releases, including employment and inflation reports postponed following a recent government shutdown. The Federal Reserve has signaled stabilization in the labor market, though January layoff announcements jumped according to a survey released Thursday. Economists at Deutsche Bank expect modest payroll gains of 75,000, with the unemployment rate holding at 4.4%.

Q4 earnings season enters its final stretch with several high-profile software companies yet to report, including Oracle and Salesforce. The software sector has faced heavy pressure, with the S&P 500 software and services index down 15% amid AI disruption concerns and disappointing results from companies like Palantir. Investors will also hear from major banks and industrial companies in the coming days, as markets assess whether economic resilience can withstand near-term volatility.