
As Friday, January 23, drew its curtains, the four major U.S. stock indexes finished with the theatrical flair of a split personality that would make any psychiatrist raise an eyebrow. The Nasdaq Composite, like a show-off at a family reunion, managed to add 65.22 points, finishing at 23,501.24, while the S&P 500 crept up 2.26 points to 6,915.61. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average took a tumble, losing 285.30 points to rest at 49,098.71, as if saying, “Do I really have to dance?” The NYSE Composite, feeling rather shy, dipped 40 points down to 22,757.16, showing a market imbued with confidence in some corners yet riddled with anxiety in others.