Here are 3 factors that drove the big swings in the stock market last week

Market Overview - The S&P 500 declined by 1.4% for the week, while the Nasdaq fell by 2%, despite a slight bounce on Friday following an inflation report that suggested potential for lower interest rates [1] - The Dow Jones Industrial Average experienced a 1.2% weekly loss but reached a record high close on Tuesday [1] AI Concerns Impacting Financials - Wells Fargo and Capital One faced significant declines of over 7.4% and nearly 7% respectively due to fears that AI-driven tax planning features could disrupt the wealth management sector [1] - The financial sector showed some stabilization on Friday after Wells Fargo was upgraded to a hold-equivalent rating from a sell [1] Performance of Big Tech - Alphabet, categorized under communications services, saw a decline of over 5% amid concerns regarding its increased investments in AI, despite a strong quarterly performance [1] - Other tech stocks like Salesforce, CrowdStrike, and Palo Alto Networks showed mixed results, with CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks recovering by 8.6% and 4.8% respectively [1] Industrial Sector Rally - Companies such as Eaton, Honeywell, Dover, DuPont, and GE Vernova continued to perform well, contributing to what is termed an "Olympic-sized rally" in the industrial sector [1] - Eaton's price target was raised to $425 per share from $410, and GE Vernova's target increased to $875 from $800 [1] Consumer Staples Performance - The consumer staples sector outperformed the S&P 500 with a year-to-date gain of 15.6%, while Procter & Gamble rose by 11.7% in 2026 [1] - The company was seen as a hedge against large tech positions, and profits were locked in as the stock's rally was recognized as abrupt [1] Economic Data and Fed Expectations - Recent economic data indicated stronger job growth and softer inflation, leading to expectations that the Federal Reserve will maintain steady rates in March [1] - The market anticipates two to three rate cuts later in 2026, influenced by the performance of stocks like Home Depot, which is sensitive to interest rate changes [1]