US Stock Market Balances Earnings and Interest Rate Fears

The US stock market had a mixed performance on Friday, as investors balanced strong corporate earnings with concerns over inflation, higher oil prices, and possible interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. The Dow Jones rose by 0.38% to 51,910.36, while the S&P 500 increased by 0.30% to 7,430.61.

The Nasdaq, however, was under pressure due to profit booking in technology shares and valuation pressures amid rising energy costs. The index fell by 0.31% to 25,059.39.

Energy stocks led the gains, with Schlumberger surging by 9.42%, while strong quarterly earnings boosted investor confidence in select blue-chip companies such as ServiceNow and Adobe.