On Wall Street, Charter Communications rose 1.8% after it said it agreed to merge with Cox Communications in a deal that would combine two of the country’s largest cable companies. The resulting company will change its name to Cox Communications and keep Charter’s headquarters in Stamford, Conn..

Stocks were sliding on Thursday as the trade-relief rally fizzled out, but investors were still feeling zen. The Cboe Volatility Index, a widely-followed fear gauge that tracks S&P 500 options and trades under the ticker VIX,

The Dow and S&P 500 finished the week in positive territory for 2025 after tariff de-escalation and President Trump’s Middle East tour ignited investor optimism.