FX.co ★ US Equities Mixed, But Book Weekly Gains

On Friday, U.S. stocks exhibited mixed performance as investors evaluated a variety of economic data, corporate announcements, and geopolitical developments. The S&P 500 declined by 0.3% after briefly reaching a new high, while the Nasdaq saw a 0.4% drop, impacted by weakness in the semiconductor sector. Notably, Applied Materials fell by 14% following a pessimistic forecast, and Nvidia experienced a 0.9% decline. Conversely, the Dow Jones Industrial Average recorded a gain of 35 points, achieving a new record earlier in the day, bolstered by a significant 12% increase in UnitedHealth shares following a substantial investment from Berkshire Hathaway. July's retail sales figures rose by 0.5%, aligning with expectations. However, the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index decreased to 58.6 from 61.7, attributed to rising inflation concerns. Markets displayed caution ahead of the meeting between President Trump and President Putin, with additional uncertainty stemming from proposed tariffs on steel and semiconductors. Over the week, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq rose by 0.9% and 0.8% respectively, while the Dow performed strongly, posting a 1.7% increase.