2026.04.0220:37:56UTC+00US Stocks Inch Higher on Choppy Thursday

US stocks ended mostly higher on a volatile Thursday as investors assessed how surging energy prices could affect corporate earnings. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 each added about 0.3%, while the Dow finished roughly unchanged.
Global crude benchmarks jumped after President Trump issued formal warnings of heightened attacks on Iran in the coming weeks, prompting a retaliatory stance from Tehran and pushing dated Brent to its highest level since 2008. Equities later pared losses on reports that Iran and Oman are coordinating a toll on tankers exiting the Persian Gulf, easing concerns over the scale of the current energy shock.
Technology megacaps advanced alongside Treasuries, with Nvidia, Microsoft, and AMD gaining between 1% and 3%. Tesla, however, dropped 5.4% after reporting one of its weakest sales quarters in recent years. Blue Owl slid 1.6% as it faced redemption requests amounting to 41% of assets in its private credit funds, forcing the firm to cap withdrawals amid renewed stress in the sector.