The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) was down 530.09 (-1.1054%) points today, currently sitting at 47,424.65, while Dow Futures (YM=F) was down 570.00 (-1.1879%) points. The primary narrative driving the market lower this Friday, March 6th, 2026, is the release of the February Non-Farm Payrolls report. Data showed unexpectedly high wage growth, sparking fears that the Federal Reserve may delay anticipated interest rate cuts to combat inflation. The report suggested the labor market remains too tight for the central bank's comfort.
The financial sector bore the brunt of the volatility. American Express (AXP) was down 2.34% to $299.88, leading the blue-chip laggards. Similarly, JPMorgan Chase (JPM) was down 2.07% to $287.42, and 3M (MMM) was down 2.18% to $152.85. Other significant decliners included Caterpillar (CAT), which was down 1.91%, and Visa (V), which was down 1.81%. Investors pivoted away from cyclical stocks as the prospect of tighter monetary policy weighed on domestic growth expectations.
Bucking the downward trend, Boeing (BA) was up 2.45% to $227.54, boosted by reports of a massive new wide-body aircraft order. Amgen (AMGN) also managed a slight gain, up 0.21% to $368.36. Major technology heavyweights also faced pressure; Microsoft (MSFT) was down 0.11%, while Nvidia (NVDA) was down 0.95%. Apple (AAPL) was down 1.49% to $256.28, and Amazon (AMZN) was down 1.75% to $215.02 as consumer spending concerns resurfaced.
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.