U.S. stocks closed mixed on Friday as investors remained cautious ahead of the weekend, monitoring ongoing peace negotiations in the Middle East. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 282.62 points (0.59%) to 47,903.18 points, and the S&P 500 dropped 6.76 points (0.10%) to 6,817.90 points. In contrast, the Nasdaq Composite gained 78.64 points (0.35%), closing at 22,901.06 points. The mixed performance followed a closely watched inflation report indicating a significant rise in consumer prices, driven by the war in Iran, which saw gasoline prices increase by 21.2%. Despite the day's fluctuations, all three indexes notched weekly gains, reflecting resilience amid geopolitical tensions. Analysts are cautiously optimistic about the upcoming earnings season, with expected S&P 500 earnings growth of 13.9% year-on-year. The market's performance has been influenced by recent trends where stocks typically perform better early in the week, leading to hesitancy among traders as they prepare for a long weekend.