Major Average Close Mixed On The Day But Higher For The Week

(RTTNews) - Stocks fluctuated over the course of the trading day on Friday before eventually ending the session mixed. The choppy trading came amid renewed geopolitical concerns as well as the release of a mixed batch of U.S. economic data.

Reflecting the lackluster close by the broader markets, most of the major sectors ended the day showing only modest moves.

Considerable strength was visible among natural gas stocks, however, with the NYSE Arca Natural Gas Index climbing by 1.1 percent. Ultra Petroleum (UPL) posted a standout gain, surging up by 6 percent.

Notable strength was also visible among semiconductor stocks, as reflected by the 1 percent gain posted by the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index. Applied Materials (AMAT) led the sector higher after reporting better than expected third quarter earnings.

Oil service stocks also saw some strength on the day amid a rebound by the price of crude oil, while gold and retail stocks moved to the downside.

The major averages ended the day on opposite sides of the unchanged line. While the Nasdaq rose 11.92 points or 0.3 percent to 4,464.93, the Dow fell 50.67 points or 0.3 percent to 1,662.91. The S&P 500 closed nearly flat, down just 0.12 points at 1,955.06.

For the week, the major averages all moved to the upside. The Nasdaq surged up by 2.2 percent, the S&P 500 jumped by 1.2 percent and the Dow advanced by 0.7 percent.