Karishma Vanjani

Investors cautiously returned to stocks on Wednesday, recovering some of their previous losses. The Dow was up 40 points, or 0.1%, the S&P 500 was flat, and the Nasdaq gained 0.1%. The gains may seem small but add on to this year's relentless rally in stocks.

Stocks have reversed the losses, with tech leading market gains on Wednesday as tensions in the Middle East and concerns about the economy simmer down. The Dow was up 71 points, or 0.2%, the S&P 500 was up 0.1%, and the Nasdaq had gained 0.2% around 3 p.m. Eastern. The market is riding high, with the S&P 500 notching 43 records this year, the Dow 33, and the Nasdaq 27, according to Dow Jones Market Data.

The explosive rally in Chinese equities appears to have paused for now. China is suffering through a property crisis on the back of excessive borrowing and to counteract the pain, the Asian nation has launched a series of measures to revive its economy, including interest-rate cuts. KraneShares CSI China Internet exchange-traded fund, the largest China fund, was down 4.9% on Thursday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite all fell 0.4% each. The Federal Open Market Committee meets next on Nov. 6 and market projections for a quarter and half percentage point rate cut remain the same after data showed that initial claims for unemployment increased slightly last week. “Weekly jobless claims were higher than they’ve been since January, but they weren’t off the charts—and they don’t negate the larger picture of a resilient labor market and a robust economy, “Chris Larkin from E*TRADE, Morgan Stanley wrote.

U.S. equities sold off and oil prices jumped Thursday as the conflict in the Middle East escalated. Positive labor market data on Friday could offer relief. The Dow lost 185 points or 0.4%, while the S&P 500 was down 0.

The stock market wasn't getting the support one might expect after a solid jobs report. The Dow was trading around the breakeven line, while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq were up 0.1% and 0.4%, respectively.

The Dow has started wavering after losses marked by its heaviest-weighted stocks. The Dow is price-weighted, which means stocks with higher prices have a greater influence on the index. A decline in shares of UnitedHealth Group, Dow’s priciest stock at $580, exerts more pressure on the index than Intel, the cheapest stock at $23.12.

Citi analysts led by Michael Rollins are upbeat on AT&T’s revenue growth, Ebitda growth, and free-cash-flow generation.

The securities offer a historically small return relative to government bonds now, but investors are still piling in

The securities offer a historically small return relative to government bonds now, but investors are still piling in