The Dow Jones (DJIA) is trading slightly lower on Friday after consumer sentiment fell to an all-time low amid concerns over the U.S.-Iran war.
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Forget margin or options. Here's how the pros trade QQQThe Index of Consumer Sentiment was 49.8 in April, down from 53.3 in March, but above the consensus estimate of 48.5. It also marks the lowest reading since the University of Michigan began tracking the data in 1978. However, sentiment recovered slightly from the mid-April preliminary reading after the U.S. announced a ceasefire with Iran. “After the two-week cease-fire was announced and gas prices softened a touch, sentiment recovered a modest portion of its early-month losses,” said Surveys of Consumers Director Joanne Hsu.
Furthermore, consumers now expect higher inflation from the impact of rising oil and gas prices. Year-ahead inflation expectations jumped to 4.7% from 3.8% in March, the largest monthly increase since President Trump announced reciprocal tariffs in April 2025. Long-term inflation expectations reached 3.5%, the highest level since October 2025.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is scheduled to travel to Islamabad as part of a tour that also includes Muscat and Moscow. While Iran has not confirmed that it is willing to negotiate with U.S. officials, Trump is preparing to send special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad as well, administration officials told CNN. Vice President J.D. Vance will not make the trip, although he will remain on standby if negotiations advance.
The Dow Jones is down by 0.29% at the time of writing.
Which Stocks are Moving the Dow Jones?
Let’s pivot to TipRanks’ Dow Jones Heatmap, which illustrates the stocks that have contributed to the index’s price action.
Nvidia (NVDA) is the top-performing stock on Friday and received a boost after semiconductor peer Intel (INTC) reported a blowout first-quarter earnings report. Amazon (AMZN) is also trading higher after the e-commerce and cloud leader announced a multi-year partnership to provide Meta Platforms (META) with its Graviton chips.
Elsewhere, hopes of a second round of U.S.-Iran peace talks are dragging Chevron (CVX) lower, although the energy company is still up by 18% year-to-date. The healthcare sector is facing pressure as well, with all four companies in the red.
Is the Dow Jones a Good Long-Term Investment?
The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA) is an exchange-traded fund designed to track the movement of the Dow Jones. As a result, DIA is falling alongside the Dow Jones today.
Wall Street believes that DIA stock has room to rise. During the past three months, analysts have issued an average DIA price target of $562.29, implying upside of 14.42% from current prices. The 30 holdings in DIA carry 30 buy ratings, zero hold ratings, and zero sell ratings.