US stocks end higher, post weekly gains

US stocks closed higher on Friday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq posting weekly gains, supported by strength in major technology stocks and easing geopolitical concerns as hopes grew for renewed US-Iran talks following recent military exchanges.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.29%, or 149 points, to 52,637, though it posted a weekly decline of 0.50%.

The S&P 500 gained 0.42% to 7,575, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.29% to 26,281, ending the week up 1.23% and 1.73%, respectively.

In Europe, the Stoxx Europe 600 closed flat at 641, recording a weekly loss of 1.79%. Germany's DAX fell 0.20%, while the UK's FTSE 100 rose 0.24% and France's CAC 40 added 0.15%.

In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 climbed 1.20%, while the broader Topix index gained 0.40%.

Brent crude for September delivery fell 0.38% to $76.01 a barrel, while WTI crude for August delivery declined 0.93% to $71.41 a barrel.

Gold futures for August delivery slipped 0.65% to settle at $4,113.70 per ounce.

Technology shares, led by Nvidia and Meta, underpinned Wall Street's gains, while lower oil prices and optimism over renewed US-Iran negotiations improved investor sentiment despite lingering concerns over a potential slowdown in AI-related spending.