The benchmark S&P 500 (SP500) was up 1.65%, the tech-focused Nasdaq Composite was up 2.1%, and the Dow (DJI) was up 1.2%.

Thursday's benign inflation reading did little to dent concerns on Wall Street.  The benchmark S&P 500 (SP500) slid into correction territory. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite closed lower, having lost about 14% since its most recent record close.

"The market sell-off resumed in earnest yesterday, with the S&P 500 down to another six-month low and into technical correction territory, with the index down -10.13% from its peak as recently as February 19," Deutsche Bank's Jim Reid said.

"Once again, the main driver was a fresh volley of tariff threats from President Trump, who made several posts criticizing the EU yesterday. Matters weren’t helped yesterday by the potential threat of a US government shutdown, with funding set to run out at midnight tonight," Reid added.

The economic calendar on the lighter side, with just the University of Michigan's Consumer Sentiment Index arriving. The index retreated to 57.9 in March's preliminary reading, well below the 63.1 consensus, and from the 64.7 level in the previous month.