The Nasdaq rose on Friday, boosted by positive broker comments on Microsoft Corp, while the S&P 500 and Dow were pressured by energy shares as the price of oil eased. Markets were also buffeted by the end of the two-day quadruple witching period, the expiration and settlement of June stock and index futures and options, which can add volatility.
The Dow slid into negative territory, while the broader S&P 500 edged up as Exxon Mobil Corp fell nearly 1 percent to $70.78. Microsoft jumped 2.6 percent to $24.11 after Goldman Sachs added shares of the world's largest software company to its Americas "conviction buy" list and said new products and an increase in information technology spending should underpin growth.
The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 15.49 points, or 0.18 percent, to 8,540.11. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index added 1.61 points, or 0.18 percent, to 919.98. The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 16.65 points, or 0.92 percent, to 1,824.37.
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