U.S. equities finished fractionally higher last week with the S&P 500 avoiding a fifth weekly decline. Investor sentiment improved amidst an absence of any new tariff impositions while White House officials continued to point to the April 2 effective date of previously announced reciprocal tariffs. Late Friday, amid the volatile quarterly options expiration event known as “quadruple-witching”, stocks came off their lows after President Trump hinted there would be some “flexibility” with tariffs.