Wall Street posts slight gains as markets remain focused on the Middle East; energy companies stand out.

The session was marked by stronger-than-expected U.S. private employment data and sharp declines in Nike and Tesla shares.

Wall Street’s three major indices posted slight gains in the midweek session. Stock averages rose after a choppy performance, easing the negative sentiment sparked by yesterday’s missile attack by Iran on Israel.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average, composed of 30 blue-chip stocks, rose 0.09% to 42,196.52 points. The S&P 500, covering 500 stocks, edged up 0.01% to 5,709.54 points. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite gained 0.08% to 17,925.12 points.

Investors moderated their risk aversion as positive U.S. private employment data was released. According to ADP, private payrolls added 143,000 jobs in September.

By sector, energy companies saw the largest gains once again (1.12%), driven by rising oil prices. Within the Dow Jones, Nike posted the weakest performance after withdrawing its annual guidance to revise its targets.

Among the market heavyweights, Tesla stood out for its negative performance, with shares falling 3.5%. This followed the release of third-quarter delivery figures that represented a rebound after recent declines, but fell short of expectations.

The United States revealed that Iran was preparing to launch an imminent ballistic missile attack on Israel, which could be at least as large as one carried out by Tehran earlier this year, according to U.S. officials.

Eurozone government bond yields extended their declines as investors sought safe-haven assets. Yields had initially dropped following data showing that eurozone inflation fell below 2%.