US stocks inch higher on reports Russia is open to talks with Ukraine

• US stocks gained more ground Friday after a stunning upside reversal in the prior session.
• Investors are digesting the latest news from Ukraine and assessing the impact of sanctions on Russia.

US stocks rallied Friday after Moscow said it would be open to talks with Ukrainian leadership in Belarus, raising hopes that the conflict could ease after whipsawing markets this week.

Still, Russian forces continued to make advances after launching attacks Thursday, including moves closer to Ukraine's capital of Kyiv. Russian troops also seized Chernobyl, and officials said radiation levels around the nuclear facility are increasing. Ukraine's president said his country has been "left alone" to defend itself amid attacks.

Here's where US indexes stood as the market opened at 9:30 a.m. ET on Friday:

• S&P 500: 4,309.01, up 0.47%
• Dow Jones Industrial Average: 33,483.96, up 0.78% (260.13 points)
• Nasdaq Composite: 13,509.90, up 0.27%

The gains followed Thursday's stunning upside reversal as stocks rallied furiously after President Joe Biden announced new sanctions on Russia that left out its energy sector and a ban from the Swift payment network.

But the UK is pushing for Russia to be cut from Swift, which could rattle energy markets, though Germany is opposed to the move.

Goldman Sachs cautioned that oil could soar 27% to $125 a barrel by May as the war triggers a "supply shock."

To cushion against the Russia-Ukraine conflict, investing legend Mark Mobius recommended traders load up on gold, Chinese equities, and other emerging market stocks.

In other news, the SEC reportedly has launched an investigation into Elon Musk and his brother to determine if they violated insider-trading rules.

Oil prices retreated. West Texas Intermediate crude was down 0.7% to $92.21 a barrel, while Brent crude, the international benchmark, slipped 0.76% to $90.46 a barrel.

Gold fell 0.87% to $1,886.95 per ounce. The 10-year Treasury yield was up slightly to 1.986%.

Bitcoin was up by about 2.2%, trading at $39,285.