Wall Street Edges Higher Amid War Tensions, Tariffs, and Energy Costs

Stocks on Wall Street edged higher on Friday as investors absorbed the impact of war tensions, tariffs, and high energy costs. Despite the gains, the S&P 500 is still set to end its second consecutive losing week since March.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 133 points, or 0.3%, while the Nasdaq fell 0.5% due to sharp losses from big tech stocks like Micron Technology and Broadcom.

Market pressures have been mounting due to rising tensions with Iran, which has threatened to slow global oil and gas flows. Brent crude prices fell 3.5% to $97.19 after earlier hitting a high of over $100 per barrel this week.

Rising energy costs and fresh tariffs could lead to higher inflation, which is already squeezing consumers and influencing the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy. The Fed meets later this month and has been closely monitoring prices.