The S&P 500 and the Dow closed modestly higher as risk appetite driven by AI fervor was counterbalanced by tensions arising from US-Iran talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the months-long war.
Gains in most of the 11 major S&P sectors kept the S&P 500 and the Dow in the green, with the small-cap Russell 2000 outperforming its larger-cap peers. The Nasdaq ended the session nominally higher.
Small-cap stocks have been some of the biggest beneficiaries of the ongoing enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence stocks, which provided some upside muscle. The Philadelphia SE Semiconductor Index advanced 5.9 per cent.
