U.S. stocks closed mixed as geopolitical deadlock in the Middle East countered relief from relatively benign consumer-inflation data and strong artificial-intelligence-related earnings. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended nearly unchanged, slipping 21.58 points to 53770.27. The S&P 500 rose 20.30 points, or 0.26%, to 7748.50, while the Nasdaq Composite added 143.04 points, or 0.54%, to 26588.49.