Stocks Ended Higher, Led by Industrials, Tech

U.S. stocks ended moderately higher on Friday, as industrial and technology stocks pulled the market higher on hopes for progress on U.S.-China trade talks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 108.36 points, or 0.43%, to 25,415.19. The S&P 500 gained 13.69 points, or 0.49%, to 2,816.29. The Nasdaq Composite added 41.78 points, or 0.55%, to 7,671.79.

Oil settled lower on Tuesday, as concerns surrounding Iranian oil eased and traders’ attention started to shift to weekly data on U.S. petroleum inventories. September West Texas Intermediate crude fell $1.37, or nearly 2%, to settle at $68.76 a barrel. September Brent crude settled down 72 cents, or 1%, at $74.25 a barrel.

The U.S. has made little progress in resolving its trade dispute with China, The Wall Street Journal reported. The two sides have agreed that their initial offers weren’t a solid base for further negotiations, the report said, citing a U.S. business member tracking the talks.