Global Stocks Stagnant Amid Earnings and Oil Price Volatility

Global stock markets were stuck in neutral on Thursday as investors assessed corporate earnings and oil prices continued to fluctuate.

Oil prices rose, with Brent crude adding three percent to nearly $82 per barrel and WTI increasing by 2.3 percent to almost $77 per barrel.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq index managed a slim gain of 0.1 percent, while the broader-based S&P 500 dipped 0.2 percent.

Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading and investing platform IG, noted that rising oil prices have 'crimped some of the optimism seen earlier in the week.'