Nvidia Drag, Producer Price Surprise Weigh on US Markets; Netflix and Paramount Soar

US stock markets ended the week lower as investor sentiment was dampened by a stronger-than-expected rise in producer prices and rising geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran. Higher producer inflation has revived doubts about the timing of potential rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, and risk appetite cooled ahead of the weekend. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.3% to 48,847, leaving the blue-chip index with an estimated weekly drop of roughly 1.5% and a slightly negative monthly balance. The S&P 500 slipped 0.9% to 6,850, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 lost 0.7% to 24,853 after already being dented the prior day by disappointing sentiment around Nvidia. Both the S&P and Nasdaq look set to register losses for the week and month as investors reassess growth expectations. Financial stocks were particularly hard hit. Big names such as American Express, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan declined in the range of roughly 3.0% to 7.5%, making them among the weakest performers on the Dow as traders rotated away from rate-sensitive and cyclical names amid inflation concerns. In media, attention focused on the potential end to the bidding battle for Warner Bros. Netflix announced it would not raise its offer further, saying a higher bid would no longer be economically sensible. Warner shares fell about 1.8% on the news. Paramount whose improved bid had been preferred by Warners board surged, and both Netflix and Paramount stocks posted large gains: Netflix climbed roughly 12.7% and Paramount jumped about 23.5%. Analysts viewed Netflixs withdrawal as a constructive move, noting the company still has solid growth prospects even without an acquisition. Technology and hardware also saw notable moves. Dell shares rallied nearly 22% to their highest level since November after quarterly results showed mixed margins but stronger-than-expected revenue and earnings guidance for the fiscal year, driven largely by robust demand for AI server products. Dell also expanded its share buyback program by $10 billion, a move that underpinned investor confidence. Taken together, the market action underscores two prevailing themes: sensitivity to inflation data and central-bank policy signals, and renewed deal-driven volatility in individual stocks. With key economic releases and geopolitical headlines still in play, investors are likely to remain selective as they head into the next week.