The Dow Jones Industrial Average’s tentative afternoon gain on Friday was being almost entirely supported by a rise in shares of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Boeing Co. Combined, Wal-Mart and Boeing’s share gains were adding about 16 points to the blue-chip index , which was aiming for a close in positive territory for the day and week. However, Goldman Sach Group’s 0.7% decline was helping to drag the gauge lower, cutting about 10 points from the price-weighted benchmark. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 index was up less than a point at 2,357, and the Nasdaq Composite Index was trading flat at 5,881. Cautious trading Friday comes as disappointing March employment data and President Donald Trump’s late Thursday airstrike against Syria weigh heavily on investor sentiment. Trump also is holding diplomatic talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Mar-a-lago, Fla., which is being closely followed for signs of geopolitical tensions. The U.S. strike against Syria and jobs report initially knocked stocks around but the market has shown an uncanny degree of resilience, hovering in the green, however slight.
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