U.S. stocks are experiencing declines this Friday, on track of ending another week of negative performance. The Nasdaq 100 has dropped over 5% this week, potentially marking its most significant decline since late October 2022, while the S&P 500 faces its sixth consecutive day of losses, the longest such streak since September 2022, with concerns over interest rates, corporate earnings, and geopolitical tensions weighing on investor sentiment. Industry-wise, semiconductor stocks, tracked by the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (NYSE:SMH) are down 2.7%, eyeing weekly declines of about 8%, marking the most significant drop since June 2022. Israel carried out limited retaliation against Iran overnight, targeting a location near an air base facility without causing significant damage. Yields on shorter-dated U.S. Treasury bonds remain stable at around 5%, maintaining levels seen since mid-November 2023, amid Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell‘s staunch opposition to rate cuts. Gold prices surged to $2,400 per ...