The Dow Jones Industrial Average showed resilience during Friday’s session, as Dow Futures (YM=F) was up 95.00 (0.1772%) points today. The primary narrative driving market sentiment on Friday, August 28th, 2026, was the release of the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge. The data indicated that inflationary pressures continue to cool toward the 2% target, fueling investor optimism that the central bank can maintain a path of gradual interest rate normalization without triggering a recession. This "Goldilocks" scenario of moderating prices and steady economic growth provided a supportive backdrop for blue-chip equities.
Leading the gainers today was 3M (MMM), which was up 3.70% to $148.62 following a positive analyst upgrade citing improved legal clarity and operational efficiency. Technology and healthcare sectors also provided significant support, with Nvidia (NVDA) gaining 1.77% to $225.01 as demand for AI infrastructure remains robust. Other notable performers included Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), which was up 1.61% at $227.63, and Cisco Systems (CSCO), which rose 1.33% to $100.48. These gains helped offset broader volatility in the retail and financial sectors.
Conversely, some industrial and consumer-facing stocks faced headwinds. IBM (IBM) was the biggest laggard, down 2.42% to $213.40 after a cautious outlook on enterprise software spending. Home Depot (HD) also struggled, falling 2.14% to $303.85 as investors weighed the impact of a cooling housing market on home improvement demand. Additionally, Salesforce (CRM) was down 1.64% to $168.45, and Sherwin-Williams (SHW) shed 1.36% to trade at $307.61. Despite these individual losses, the broader index remained in positive territory as the cooling inflation narrative dominated the day's trading activity.
Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications.