Because Trump often releases market-influencing news on weekends, Wall Street traders generally choose to hedge on Fridays

Mars Finance News, on May 16, according to Barclays Plc's analysis, the demand for Friday portfolio adjustments is enough to make the cost of trading high-grade corporate bonds on Friday 31% higher than at other times. Trzcinka of Impax said: "We indeed noticed more market activity on Friday, and you don't know what will happen over the weekend." In recent years, Friday used to be the cheapest day of the week to buy and sell bonds, but now the situation has reversed. Barclays analysts Zornitsa Todorova and Andrea Diaz Lafuente wrote in a report that in March and April, investment-grade corporate bond trading on the last trading day of each week accounted for 18% of weekly trading volume, up from 16% in 2023 and 2024. Since Trump's return to the White House, market activity has shown broader jumps, with his often surprising policy decisions on tariffs, immigration, and foreign affairs disrupting economic prospects, of which the accelerated Friday rhythm is a part. Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Athanasios Psarofagis' analysis shows that the average weekly stock trading volume in 2025 increased by 37% compared to the previous four years, while Friday's stock trading volume surged by 42%. Last weekend, the reason for this jump became apparent, as Trump and his Treasury Secretary consecutively released trade-related news. By Monday, more official announcements were made, and the market situation changed dramatically. The S&P 500 rose 3.3%, the Nasdaq 100 returned to bull market, and the credit market showed a sharp decline in investor concerns about defaults. Mark Clegg, a senior fixed income trader at Allspring Global Investments in Milwaukee, said Besant's move was just the latest lesson highlighting the importance of reducing portfolio risk before the weekend. He said: "No one wants to try to correct mistakes on Monday morning after a massive market change." He used Friday to "get rid of any excess risk." However, the increase in trading speed and volume has not reduced trading costs, especially for asset management companies, who have been trading very hastily in recent weeks as the weekend approaches. David Schiffman, portfolio manager at Cantor Fitzgerald Asset Management, said: "Portfolio managers are forced to sell what they can sell, not what they want to sell. The lack of direction and certainty is almost at the most extreme level I've seen in my career." (Jinshi)