Stock market today: Wall Street edges higher as financial markets steady themselves
U.S. stocks edged higher and remain near their record levels
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks edged higher in a quiet Wednesday, and Treasury yields rose following an encouraging update on the job market’s strength.
The S&P 500 finished virtually unchanged, a day after sliding from its record on worries about a possible widening of the fighting in the Middle East. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up by 39 points, or 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.1%.
Oil prices rose again as the world waits to see how Israel will respond to Tuesday’s missile attack from Iran, but they pared their gains as the day progressed. After briefly topping $76 earlier, the price for a barrel of Brent crude settled at $73.90, up 0.5%.
While Israel is not a major producer of oil, Iran is, and a worry is that a broadening war could affect neighboring countries that are also integral to the flow of crude. Helping to keep oil prices in check, meanwhile, are signals that supplies remain ample at the moment. The amount of crude in U.S. inventories increased last week, according to a U.S. government report.
