Key Takeaways

U.S. equities rebounded from yesterday's selloff at midday Friday, driven higher by expectations of the need for more nuclear energy and Tesla's ( TSLA ) recovery from the fallout from its disappointing delivery numbers. The Dow Jones Industrial Average , S&P 500 , and Nasdaq were up.

Vistra ( VST ), NRG Energy ( NRG ), and Constellation Energy ( CEG ) were among the best-performing stocks in the S&P 500, adding to their already strong 2024 performance on growing demand for electricity to power artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.

Along with Tesla, shares of rival Rivian Automotive ( RIVN ) gained when the company reported it produced more EVs in 2024 than it had estimated, and said a component shortage that limited production last year has been resolved.

Ford Motor ( F ) and General Motors ( GM ) shares climbed when the automakers posted their best annual sales in the U.S. since 2019.

U.S. Steel ( X ) shares sank when President Joe Biden announced he was blocking Nippon Steel's takeover of the steelmaker, citing national security concerns. Shares of rival Cleveland-Cliffs ( CLF ), whose earlier offer to buy U.S. Steel was rejected, dropped as well.

Shares of Molson Coors Beverage ( TAP ), Constellation Brands ( STZ ), and other alcohol firms declined when U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy warned about a link between drinking and cancer.

Oil futures rose. Gold prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note was little changed. The U.S. dollar lost ground to the euro, pound, and yen. Most major cryptocurrencies traded in the green.

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