Global stocks diverge, oil rises as fresh US-Iran clashes hit peace hopes

Global stock markets diverged and oil prices rose Friday as fresh US-Iran clashes in the Strait of Hormuz jolted hopes for a deal to end the Middle East war and reopen the crucial waterway.But US consumer confidence was at an all-time low according to a University of Michigan survey, with Americans weighed down by concerns about high prices and the fallout of the US-Israel war on Iran.