US close: Stocks slip but S&P and Nasdaq secure third weekly gain

15th Aug 2026 08:15

(Sharecast News) - Major indices closed on Friday, holding near record highs as both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq managed to notch a third straight weekly gain.

At the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.20% at 53,732.41, while the S&P 500 shed 0.17% to 7,785.76 and the Nasdaq Composite saw out the session 0.28% weaker at 26,729.16.

The Dow closed 107.58 points lower on Thursday, reversing gains recorded in the prior session.

Oil prices were in focus on Friday as traders weighed renewed US threats against Iran and the possibility of a prolonged naval blockade against signs of softer global demand. At the end of the session, Brent crude futures were up 1.67% at $88.52 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate was 1.42% higher at $82.40 a barrel.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would apply economic measures "that have never been seen on Iran", while Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters late on Thursday that the US Navy could maintain its blockade of the Straight of Hormuz "indefinitely", rotating ships in and out as needed.

On the macro front, US retail sales fell 0.6% month‑on‑month in July, according to the Census Bureau, sharply missing forecasts for a small increase and more than reversing June's 0.2% gain. July's reading marked the first decline since October 2025 and the largest drop since May last year. The weakness was broad‑based, led by a 2.2% fall in non‑store retailers, a 1.8% decline at motor vehicle and parts dealers, a 0.9% drop at gasoline stations and a 0.5% decrease at electronics and appliance stores.

There were pockets of strength, with clothing and accessories stores reporting a 1.9% rise, health and personal care stores up 0.7%, and both building materials and garden supplies dealers and furniture and home furnishings stores posting 0.3% increases. The control group - which strips out food services, auto dealers, building materials and gasoline stations and feeds directly into GDP calculations - fell 0.4%, its biggest decline since early 2025.

Elsewhere, US business inventories were unchanged in June, holding at $2.74trn, according to the Census Bureau, after a revised 0.4% rise in May. Sales across manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers fell 1.1% to $2.11trn, though they remained 10% higher than a year earlier. On an annualised basis, inventories were 3% above June 2025 levels. The business inventories‑to‑sales ratio stood at 1.30, down from 1.39 a year earlier, indicating leaner stock levels relative to sales.

Finally, consumer sentiment weakened sharply in August, according to preliminary figures from the University of Michigan, with all major measures of household confidence deteriorating on both a monthly and annual basis. The headline index of consumer sentiment fell to 51.0 from 55.2 in July, leaving it more than 12% lower than a year earlier. The current economic conditions gauge slipped to 51.8 from 54.8, while the index of consumer expectations dropped to 50.6 from 55.4, reflecting a broad pullback in views on the economic outlook. The survey noted that overall sentiment declined about 8%, ending a two‑month run of improvement. While assessments of personal finances eased only slightly, expectations for business conditions weakened sharply, falling 11% for the year ahead and 17% over the longer term.

No major corporate earnings were released on Friday.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com

Dow Jones - Risers

Dow Chemical Co. (DOW) $31.07 2.34%

Walt Disney Co. (DIS) $106.85 1.96%

Chevron Corp. (CVX) $200.00 1.16%

Apple Inc. (AAPL) $305.93 0.81%

Unitedhealth Group Inc. (UNH) $401.73 0.67%

Boeing Co. (BA) $231.67 0.58%

Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) $48.48 0.54%

Coca-Cola Co. (KO) $87.71 0.33%

Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) $856.57 0.23%

Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) $135.84 0.21%

Dow Jones - Fallers

Salesforce.Com Inc. (CRM) $196.21 -2.56%

Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) $111.68 -1.87%

Nike Inc. (NKE) $40.73 -1.21%

International Business Machines Corporation (CDI) (IBM) $234.32 -1.19%

Home Depot Inc. (HD) $338.86 -0.83%

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) $260.35 -0.66%

Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) $495.40 -0.57%

Amgen Inc. (AMGN) $415.21 -0.46%

Visa Inc. (V) $364.15 -0.36%

American Express Co. (AXP) $342.48 -0.34%

S&P 500 - Risers

Seagate Technology Plc (STX) $973.44 10.82%

Copart Inc. (CPRT) $31.61 9.00%

Western Digital Corp. (WDC) $508.80 8.95%

NRG Energy Inc. (NRG) $126.24 5.42%

CenturyLink Inc. (LUMN) $6.72 5.00%

Micron Technology Inc. (MU) $971.66 4.98%

Halliburton Co. (HAL) $34.42 4.81%

Corning Inc. (GLW) $165.99 4.70%

Align Technology Inc. (ALGN) $181.31 4.69%

Albemarle Corp. (ALB) $136.15 4.35%

S&P 500 - Fallers

Coterra Energy Inc. (CTRA) $32.56 -8.62%

Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) $507.18 -8.12%

Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) $392.99 -6.91%

Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR) $73.02 -4.27%

F5 Inc. (FFIV) $403.20 -3.83%

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VRTX) $505.75 -3.81%

HP Inc (HPQ) $30.11 -3.80%

Dxc Technology Company (DXC) $10.79 -3.66%

Oracle Corp. (ORCL) $150.52 -3.65%

Idexx Laboratories Inc. (IDXX) $550.96 -3.46%

Nasdaq 100 - Risers

Workday, Inc. (WDAY) $198.68 13.05%

Seagate Technology Plc (STX) $973.44 10.82%

Western Digital Corp. (WDC) $508.80 8.95%

Micron Technology Inc. (MU) $971.66 4.98%

Align Technology Inc. (ALGN) $181.31 4.69%

Expedia Group Inc. (EXPE) $332.69 4.34%

Paypal Holdings Inc (PYPL) $61.66 4.16%

Tesla Inc (TSLA) $342.27 3.88%

NetEase Inc. Ads (NTES) $125.12 2.58%

Synopsys Inc. (SNPS) $421.50 2.55%

Nasdaq 100 - Fallers

Qvc Group Inc Series A (QVCGA) $0.34 -13.49%

Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) $507.18 -8.12%

Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) $392.99 -6.91%

JD.com, Inc. (JD) $29.06 -3.82%

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VRTX) $505.75 -3.81%

Idexx Laboratories Inc. (IDXX) $550.96 -3.46%

Biomarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (BMRN) $67.36 -2.31%

Amazon.Com Inc. (AMZN) $262.65 -2.09%

American Airlines Group (AAL) $14.83 -1.89%

Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) $111.68 -1.87%