Investors cautiously returned to stocks on Wednesday, recovering some of their previous losses. The Dow was up 40 points, or 0.1%, the S&P 500 was flat, and the Nasdaq gained 0.1%. All three indexes had closed lower on Tuesday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was toggling between gains and losses in Wednesday's afternoon session, as traders weighed the prospects of an Israeli response to Iran's missile attack on Tuesday. The Dow was up roughly 40 points,

Wall Street pointed toward losses before markets opened and oil prices rose further amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran in an already inflamed Middle East. Futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average were each down about 0.

Traders are looking ahead to the Friday jobs report, which should give more insight into the strength of the economy and the Fed's next rate move.

U.S. stocks recovered some of their footing in choppy trading on Wednesday, with all three major indexes higher again in the afternoon session. The Dow was up by 0.1%, while the S&P 500 was higher by less than 0.

U.S. stocks are slipping in early trading, and crude oil prices are continuing to rise as the world waits to see how Israel will respond to a missile attack from Iran. The S&P 500 was 0.3% lower Wednesday,