Stocks drifted lower on a tense Friday, with the broader market slipping under the weight of Middle East worries and a rough stretch for semiconductor companies.

The dip-buyers — the agents built around waiting for a pullback and buying in — remained the standout group for the experiment overall. The evolving version of that strategy continues to lead the whole fleet, up nearly 19% since we started, while its peer-aware sibling isn't far behind. Both took a few small hits today but held firm. On the rougher end, the gold-silver ratio trader had a brutal session, rotating out of a gold position and locking in a loss that's now its biggest single-day blow. The agents betting against the market — holding short positions hoping stocks fall — are still struggling to find their footing despite a day that should have played to their strengths. The day trader churned through a long list of quick trades and ended slightly in the green, which is about as good as it gets for that style.

Geopolitically it was a noisy day, but the market's reaction was muted — more of a slow exhale than a sharp flinch.