04:15 PM EDT, 03/22/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US equity markets ended mixed Friday as the Dow dropped 300 points after approaching 40,000 but remained on track for its best week of the year.

* Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said that the Fed should pay attention to ground-level conditions as well as national-level macroeconomic data. Powell and his Fed colleagues did not comment on the outlook for the economy or monetary policy in the Fed Listens event.

* The unemployment rate rose in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Washington and declined in Tennessee, Wisconsin and Massachusetts in February, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said. North Dakota had the lowest jobless rate in February at 2% while California had the highest at 5.3%.

* May West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell $0.30 to $80.77 per barrel, while May Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen down $0.25 to $85.53 on weaker US gasoline demand.

* Digital World Acquisition ( DWAC ) shares dropped 14% after multiple media outlets reported its shareholders approved the planned merger with Trump Media & Technology Group.

* Aurora Cannabis ( ACB ) shares jumped 27% and Canopy Growth ( CGC ) surged 69% after Germany approved the partial legalization of cannabis for personal use, effective April 1.