Stocks were mixed last week as investors gauged potential outcomes of the Middle East conflict amid an ongoing ceasefire. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 0.55 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 1.50 percent. By contrast, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.44 percent.

Stocks rallied last week as investor enthusiasm built for an end to the war in the Middle East and hopes of a resumption of normal global trade. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 4.54%, while the Nasdaq Composite Index picked up 6.84%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 3.19%.

Hope won out over fear last week as investors set their sights on a Middle East ceasefire holding and optimistic prospects for the Strait of Hormuz reopening. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 3.56 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index picked up 4.68 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 3.04 percent.

Stocks fell in the first quarter amid concerns that artificial intelligence (AI) could disrupt certain industries and geopolitical issues that unsettled investors. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 3.58 percent while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell 4.63 percent. The Nasdaq Composite declined 7.11 percent.