Wall Street looked shaky during its opening on Wednesday, with U.S. stocks fluctuating as investors navigate a surge in oil prices amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East. The S&P 500 slipped 0.3 percent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped by 14 points or less than 0.1 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite dropped 0.4 percent.

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq edged higher on Wednesday but were near two-week lows as investors watched for an escalation in geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, while a survey soothed concerns about a rapid cooldown in the U.

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.