US equity markets settled with modest gains on Friday (21 March) following a late-session rally, erasing earlier losses after comments from U.S. President Trump provided hope that previously announced tariffs expected to begin in early April may not be as burdensome as feared - Dow edged +32-points or +0.08% higher, with Boeing Co rising +3.06% after the Trump administration awarded the plane maker a contract to build the U.S. Air Force's most sophisticated fighter jet (to be called the F-47), beating out rival Lockheed Martin Corp (down -5.79%). While financial details were not disclosed, The Wall Street Journal estimated that research, development, and acquisition costs could exceed >US$50B. Nike Inc fell -5.42% and was the worst performing Dow component after posting its fiscal third quarter result after the close of the previous session and projected a sharper decline in fourth-quarter revenue than analysts had anticipated.
