The U.S. New York Stock Exchange opened mixed on the 15th (local time). July retail sales met expectations, supporting hopes for consumer recovery, but recent profit-taking movements following the index's rise resulted in mixed trends. The Dow Jones Industrial Average reached a new intraday record high, buoyed by news of Warren Buffett's acquisition of equity in UnitedHealth Group (UNH), while the Nasdaq and S&P 500 showed declines.
As of 9:53 a.m. on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones Industrial Average recorded an increase of 146.42 points (0.33%) to 40,057.68. The Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 index fell by 14.55 points (0.22%) to 6,453.99, and the Nasdaq Composite index declined by 109.48 points (0.50%) to 21,601.19.
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, July retail sales were tallied at $726.3 billion, a 0.5% increase compared to the previous month. This level meets market expectations. Notably, the growth rate in June was revised upward from 0.6% to 0.9%, fueling expectations for consumer recovery. Sales in the 'control group'—excluding automobiles, gasoline, building materials, and food services—also increased by 0.5% compared to the previous month, surpassing expectations (0.4%).
However, it is interpreted that investors showed profit-taking movements as the stock indexes have risen significantly while digesting this week's Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI).
The Dow Jones Industrial Average set a new intraday record high. It was reported that Berkshire Hathaway, led by Warren Buffett, purchased equity in the largest U.S. insurer, UNH, causing its stock price to surge over 10%, with the healthcare sector rising more than 1%.
In contrast, artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor stocks faced weaknesses. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index fell by 2.01%, and Nvidia, Broadcom, TSMC, ASML, and AMD dropped by around 2%. Applied Materials plummeted by more than 12% due to a poor earnings outlook.
Major European country stock markets were mixed. The Euro Stoxx 50 index and the French CAC 40 index rose by 0.18% and 0.68%, respectively, while the German DAX fell by 0.02% and the British FTSE 100 dropped by 0.33%.
International oil prices widened their decline. As of 10:15 a.m. (local time), September futures for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) were trading at $63.18 per barrel, down 1.22% from the previous session.