<p><strong>Wall Street stock indices rose on Friday</strong>, with the S&amp;P 500 and Nasdaq hitting record peaks thanks to AI enthusiasm and solid corporate earnings.</p>

<p><strong>Prices climbed as a softer US dollar and Middle East tensions fueled safe-haven buying</strong>. This offset pressure from strong US labor data that had temporarily pushed Treasury yields higher.</p>

<p><strong>Prices edged up following a military clash between the US and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.</strong> Markets remain volatile after President Donald Trump dismissed Iran’s recent peace proposal.</p>

<p><strong>Despite a weaker global US dollar</strong>, the peso fell on Friday as investors reacted to a string of poor domestic economic reports.</p>

<p><strong>Local wholesale rice prices surged in April.</strong> Philippine Statistics Authority data showed that well-milled and regular-milled rice jumped 21.2% and 23.2% year-on-year, respectively.</p>