Wall Street stocks sway; S&P 500 maintains weekly gains

As stock prices fluctuated in choppy trading Wednesday, most major indexes ended the week in the green.

Despite concerns about soaring inflation eating into their profits, retailers among the strongest gainers after recent losses. Following Nordstrom's announcement of higher sales and better profit forecast, some of those concerns dissipated. Its stock rose 12.5%.

Small-company stocks made solid gains in a potential signal that investors had more confidence about prospects for economic growth. The Russell 2000 rose 1%.

The S&P 500 rose 0.1% as of 1:21 p.m. Eastern. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 60 points, or 0.2%, to 31,870 and the Nasdaq rose 0.4%.

A rising inflation rate, which will impact businesses and consumers, continues to cause volatility in the broader market. A recession is also a concern for investors as the Federal Reserve plans to raise interest rates in an aggressive effort to fight inflation.

25 May 2022