The Fed's preferred inflation gauge, the personal consumption and expenditures index, rose 0.3% from November and 2.6% annually.

The S&P 500 ( ^GSPC) gained 0.5%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average ( ^DJI) rose nearly 0.4%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite ( ^IXIC) was up nearly 0.3%.

U.S. equity futures moved higher in early Friday trading, with the dollar on pace for its best week in seven, as markets found support from another solid set of tech earnings while waiting for a final word from the White House of the first round of tariffs from President Donald Trump.

Stock market today ended on a strong note as Nasdaq, S&P 500, and Dow Jones closed higher, led by Apple’s strong earnings and tech sector gains. Apple’s stock surged, boosting investor confidence, while inflation data signaled stability.

The S&P 500 has gained about 3% while China's CSI 300, which has been closed toward the end of the month due to new year's celebrations, has lagged other indexes. U.S. stock market futures higher traded higher on Friday,