El Salvador’s government has agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to stop purchasing additional bitcoin and to transfer the majority ownership and control of more than 7,763 tokens, valued at over $632 million, to a private operator. The move marks a major shift from the country’s policy since bitcoin was made legal tender in 2021. The decision came after the policy faced opposition from 71% of the population and saw very limited real-world use.

Strategy Executive Chairman Michael Saylor said public advocacy for Bitcoin is protected speech under U.S. law and argued the asset should be treated as a commodity rather than a security. U.S. lawmakers are set for a September 15 procedural vote on the CLARITY Act, a step that would advance consideration but not finalize passage. Strategy also bought 4,603 BTC for about $369.7 million at an average price of $80,318, lifting its total holdings to 845,050 BTC.

UiPath shares fell about 16% on Friday after the automation software company’s fiscal third-quarter outlook pointed to revenue growth slowing from 13.4% in Q2 FY27 to about 8%. The weaker Q3 FY27 guidance outweighed a Q2 revenue beat and an upgraded full-year outlook. After the results, Canaccord Genuity raised its price target on PATH to $17 from $15 but downgraded the stock to Hold from Buy.

Donald Trump warned he would stop trading with countries where the United States runs a trade deficit if the Federal Reserve does not cut interest rates. He urged the central bank to lower rates immediately and said the U.S. should have the lowest interest rate in the world. With inflation and housing costs elevated, a Gallup Research poll in August found 74% of Americans think the economic outlook is worsening, up from 63% a year earlier.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he would stop trading with countries where the United States runs a deficit if the Federal Reserve does not cut interest rates. He argued that high rates put the United States at an unfair disadvantage. Separately, August jobs data came in stronger than expected, lifting market expectations for a Fed rate hike later this month.

Netflix said it is raising prices across several U.K. subscription tiers effective immediately, including a 33% increase for its Standard with Ads plan to GBP 7.99 per month. The Standard plan without ads will rise 7.7% to GBP 13.99 per month, while the Premium ad-free tier will increase 10.5% to GBP 20.99. Following the announcement, Netflix shares fell 4%.

U.S. diesel prices climbed to a record average of $5.85 a gallon on Friday, up 55% since the Iran war began in late February. Gasoline averaged $4.14 a gallon, the highest ever for this time of year. Global oil prices hovered near $94 a barrel, well above the $72.50 level seen before the war. U.S. annual inflation was 3.4% in July, still above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.

McDonald’s shares fell to a 52-week low of $255.70 on Sept. 4, leaving the stock down 17% over the past 12 months. The company’s latest results showed revenue of $7.10 billion, slightly below the $7.13 billion analysts expected, while comparable-store sales rose just 0.8% year over year. Elevated inflation has led consumers to cut back on dining out, adding pressure on restaurant chains.