LIVE MARKETS-US stocks strive for strong weekly gains

Nasdaq, S&P 500 up slightly, Dow edges red Apr UMich sentiment final due at 1000 EDT; Estimate 50.8 Euro STOXX 600 index up ~0.5% Dollar up; bitcoin rises ~1%; crude dips; gold off >2% U.S. 10-Year Treasury yield dips to ~4.28% Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of markets brought to you by Reuters reporters. You can share your thoughts with us at U.S. STOCKS STRIVE FOR STRONG WEEKLY GAINS The main U.S. indexes are mixed and little changed early on Friday as investors navigate conflicting comments on the U.S.-China trade front despite signs of a possible softening in Beijing’s stance. Meanwhile, on a brighter note, shares of Google-parent Alphabet (GOOGL.O) are rallying after the company reported upbeat first-quarter results, easing investor worries about returns on hefty artificial intelligence-focused investment. A majority of S&P 500 (.SPX) sectors are higher with communication services (.SPLRCL) , up more than 1% on the back of GOOGL strength, posting the biggest rise. Healthcare (.SPXHC) , off around 0.7%, is taking the biggest hit. In any event, the three main indexes are all on track for strong weekly gains. The Dow (.DJI) is last up a bit more than 2% for the week, the S&P 500 is up nearly 4%, and the Nasdaq (.IXIC) is advancing more than 5%. Here is an early market snapshot: (Terence Gabriel) FOR FRIDAY’S EARLIER LIVE MARKETS POSTS: S&P 500 INDEX’S STRONG 3-DAY RUN HAS SET A HIGH BAR - CLICK HERE EARNINGS IN FULL SWING, WATCHING THE GUIDANCE - CLICK HERE WHERE IS EUROPEAN EQUITIES’ OUTPERFORMANCE AS INFLOWS POUR IN? - CLICK HERE ALL ABOARD THE YEN TRAIN - CLICK HERE STOXX RISES ON EASING TRADE TENSIONS, Q1 RESULTS MIXED - CLICK HERE EUROPE BEFORE THE BELL: FUTURES TICK UP AS TRADERS EYE EASING US-CHINE TENSIONS - CLICK HERE FOCUS ON EARNINGS WHILE US AND CHINA QUIBBLE - CLICK HERE EarlyTrade04252025