Stocks Ended Higher as Strong Earnings Offset Trade Fears

U.S. stocks ended higher on Friday as upbeat earnings helped investors shrug off heightened trade anxieties and weaker-than-expected July jobs growth. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 136.42 points, or 0.54%, to 25,462.58 to finish the week flat. The S&P 500 gained 13.13 points, or 0.46%, to 2,840.35 for a weekly gain of 0.8%. The Nasdaq Composite added 9.33 points, or 0.12%, to 7,812.01 and closed out the week 1% higher.

Oil prices ended lower on Friday, registering a loss for a fourth week in five as data continue to point to rising global production. September West Texas Intermediate crude fell 47 cents, or 0.7%, to settle at $68.49 a barrel, with the contract down 0.3% from last week’s finish at $68.69. October Brent crude fell 24 cents, or 0.3%, to $73.21 a barrel, with the contract marking a weekly loss of around 2.1%.