Why Is Wall Street So Down on Fridays This Year?
“Thank God It’s Friday” is a phrase you may not hear too much news on Wall Street these days.
According to a note by Deutsche Bank analyst Jim Reid, the S&P 500 averaged a little below -0.3% on Friday in 2025, making it the worst day for stocks this year. The only days when the market average earnings were negative was Monday, while the S&P 500 index fell by an average of 0.2%.
Friday’s recent performance is in stark contrast to the past few years. Between 1928 and 2024, Friday was the second day in stocks, second only to Wednesday. During that period, Monday was the only day when the average earnings were posted.
Risks of weekend headlines
According to Reid, weekends can make traders too risky. “It does seem that there is a trend that could be negative news this weekend, and the market wants to reduce risks (such as tariffs in Mexico and Canada) before the weekend escalation. Or, worry about the weekend bringing new headline risks.” De wrote.
So far this year, the weekend has provided some particularly brutal headlines. Chinese artificial intelligence startups DeepSeek On the weekend from January 25 to 26, the top of the Apple App Store rankings were filmed; Stocks fell on Monday Worry about overspending on AI. Friday, January 31, the Trump administration Say it By threatening to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian and Mexican imports; Sliding that day and Fall down on Mondayeven if the country Agree Delay taxes.
Negative performance this year so far could reflect how the weekend’s headlines have been consistent and create uncertainty on Monday. But by Wednesday, the day of the week, the average performance this year was the best, “the market tends to reach an agreement with these stories.”
Reid suggests that the dip in the weekend and late stages may continue until news in Washington no longer puts the market at a advantage. “In a world with a lot of headline risks, traders may continue to want to get into the weekend easier than a world with a calmer market,” Reed wrote.