U.S. stock markets delivered a mixed performance on Friday as a sharp sell-off in semiconductor shares offset gains elsewhere on Wall Street. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up roughly 0.5 percent, while the S&P 500 edged higher and the Nasdaq composite fell about 0.6 percent.
The semiconductor sector bore the brunt of the selling, with the S&P 500 chip index dropping 4.4 percent. Intel plunged nearly 8 percent despite reporting strong quarterly results and issuing a better-than-expected revenue forecast. Apple was a notable outlier among mega-cap tech, climbing 3.5 percent.
Energy markets provided some relief as Brent crude slipped below $100 a barrel, settling near $96.70, amid hopes that the United States and Iran could resume negotiations with Pakistani mediation, even as President Donald Trump continued to threaten a massive strike against Iran.