JUST THE FACTS

A very hot PPI inflation reading doomed all three major indices Friday, leading to a losing day and losing week. February's final results would come out mixed with only the Dow managing to secure a gain.

The pace of producer price increases last month easily blew past the expectations and then just kept going. The reading for core PPI on a yearly basis surged to 3.6%  in January, the highest since last March.

Headline-grabbing developments within the tech-software sector would continue this past week. Likely disruptions due to AI would again drive the volatility. In this report, a rundown of the week's dramas.

An online article describing a doomsday scenario from AI unleashed real damage on the markets Monday. The report was meant as a think piece, not a prediction, but its dark tone still spooked investors.

This past week's market turmoil sparked a sizable jump in risk-off moves. Leading the way, a surge in U.S. treasury demand that would leave the 10-year yield below 4%, its lowest level since last November.

The new week will be an anxious one for the markets. As hostilities play out in the Middle East, investors will await the very critical jobs report, new retail sales data, and consumer-related earnings reports.