Market rebounds: Stock surged on Friday as technology stocks recovered after several days of heavy selling in the sector and bitcoin rebounded following a rout that took the popular cryptocurrency down more than 50% at one point. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 1,044 points, or 2.1%, in afternoon trading, turning positive for the week and reaching an all-time high. The S&P 500 was up 1.7%, while the Nasdaq composite was up 2%. Read more from CNBC.
Positive signal: U.S. consumer sentiment edged higher in February, beating expectations and signaling a modest improvement in economic mood, according to the University of Michigan. Inflation worries eased in the short term, though concerns about prices, job security and long-term inflation remain widespread, underscoring the fragile nature of consumer confidence. Read the full story from The Wall Street Journal.
Beyond a bouquet of roses: Agricultural specialists at Miami International Airport will process about 990 million stems of cut flowers in the weeks before Feb. 14, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Around 90% of the fresh cut flowers being sold for Valentine’s Day in the U.S. come through Miami, while the other 10% pass through Los Angeles. Roses, carnations, pompons, hydrangeas, chrysanthemums and gypsophila arrive on hundreds of flights, mostly from Colombia and Ecuador, to Miami on their journey to florists and supermarkets across the U.S. and Canada. Read more from the Associated Press.
