04:04 PM EST, 12/27/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes ended lower Friday as big tech stocks slumped.

* Shares of chip-making giant Nvidia ( NVDA ) fell 2%, the steepest decline on the Dow, followed by Microsoft ( MSFT ) , Amazon.com ( AMZN ) and Apple ( AAPL ) .

* Tesla (TSLA) posted the biggest drop on the Nasdaq, down 5%.

* Data released by the US Census Bureau showed that the US advance international trade in goods deficit widened to $102.86 billion in November from $98.26 billion in October, a bigger gap than the $101.2 billion deficit expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg. Exports rose by 4.4% in October while imports increased by 4.5%.

* In its market and economic outlook for 2025, D.A. Davidson said it doesn't see weak economic conditions forming as the new year starts, paving the way for equities to post gains.

* "But we should expect volatility and recognize that equity market corrections are common," D.A. Davidson said. "We continue to recommend broad sector diversification and frequent portfolio rebalancing."

* February West Texas Intermediate crude oil closed up $0.56 to settle at $70.18 per barrel, while February Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen up $0.50 to $73.77 after US crude oil stocks fell more than expected last week.

* UnitedHealth Group ( UNH ) and Amedisys ( AMED ) extended the deadline for closing their $3.3 billion merger agreement as the US Department of Justice scrutinizes the deal. Amedisys ( AMED ) shares rose 4.7%, and UnitedHealth ( UNH ) shares eased 0.2%.