Wall Street Edges Higher Despite Rising Fears Over Inflation and Tariffs

Stocks on Wall Street edged higher on Friday, but still managed to fall for the second consecutive week. The S&P 500 rose 0.1%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 133 points or 0.3% as of 10:25 a.m. Eastern time.

The Nasdaq fell 0.5%, weighed down by sharp losses from big tech stocks such as Micron Technology, which plummeted 6%, and Broadcom, which declined 2.3%. These companies have large market values that tend to heavily impact the broader market.

The recent escalation of the US war with Iran has put pressure on oil prices, which fell for the first time in a week. Brent crude, the international standard, dropped 3.5% to $97.19 per barrel. Bond yields also eased, reducing some of the pressure on stocks.