US equities end lower, post weekly rise

US stocks fell at close on Friday but posted weekly gains, as investors awaited US-Iran talks amid concerns over a potential ceasefire breakdown.

At the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.56%, or 269 points, to 47,916, but rose 3% for the week.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.11%, or 7 points, to 6,816, yet logged weekly gains of 3.55%, its strongest since November.

The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.35%, or 80 points, to 22,902, extending weekly gains to 4.67%.

In Europe, the STOXX Europe 600 gained 0.37% to 614, posting a weekly rise of 3%, with most sectors in positive territory.

France’s CAC 40 rose 0.17% to 8,259, while Britain’s FTSE 100 held steady at 10,600 and Germany’s DAX at 23,803.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 jumped 1.84% to 56,924, recording weekly gains of 7.1%, its strongest since August 2024, while the broader Topix index was little changed at 3,739.

Brent crude futures for June fell 0.75%, or 72 cents, to $95.20 a barrel, marking a weekly loss of 12.68%.

US WTI crude for May declined 1.33%, or $1.30, to $96.57 a barrel, extending weekly losses to 13.42%.

Gold futures for June dropped 0.63%, or $30.60, to $4,787.40 an ounce, trimming weekly gains to 2.31%.

Market drivers:

Caution prevailed ahead of Wshington-Tehran negotiations, alongside data showing faster inflation in March, driven by a sharp rise in energy prices, while consumer confidence fell to a record low in April.