U.S. equity markets ended the trading session lower on Friday as losses concentrated in the Industrials, Technology and Basic Materials sectors pushed benchmarks down at the close.
At the New York Stock Exchange close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.11%, while the S&P 500 retreated 0.06% and the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.24%.
Large-cap movers on the Dow
Among Dow components, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) was the session's strongest performer, climbing 5.71% - an increase of 20.14 points to finish at 372.97. Salesforce Inc (NYSE:CRM) also posted a strong gain, rising 5.45% or 8.18 points to close at 158.37, and International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) added 5.17% or 13.36 points to end the day at 271.63.
On the downside, Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) was the weakest Dow name, falling 5.58% or 58.99 points to trade at 998.02 at the close. Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ:CSCO) dropped 4.46% or 5.31 points to 113.66, while Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS) lost 4.37% or 46.59 points to finish at 1,018.50.
S&P 500 highlights
Within the S&P 500, Moderna Inc (NASDAQ:MRNA) was the top gainer, up 12.62% to 67.29. FactSet Research Systems Inc (NYSE:FDS) rose 10.87% to settle at 231.54, and ServiceNow Inc (NYSE:NOW) gained 9.85% to close at 98.34.
The index's biggest decliners included ON Semiconductor Corporation (NASDAQ:ON), which fell 23.92% to 90.34, Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC) which lost 13.19% to settle at 586.32, and Seagate Technology PLC (NASDAQ:STX), down 12.24% to 899.90 at the close.
Nasdaq top movers and micro-cap swings
On the Nasdaq Composite, several smaller-cap and micro-cap names produced dramatic percentage moves. Sadot Group Inc (NASDAQ:SDOT) surged 247.09% to 21.45, Picocela Inc ADR (NASDAQ:PCLA) climbed 111.25% to settle at 6.59, and INVO Fertility Inc (NASDAQ:IVF) rose 97.58% to close at 2.45.
Conversely, PS International Group Ltd (NASDAQ:PSIG) plunged 87.71% to 1.45, Creative Medical Technology Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:CELZ) declined 40.00% to settle at 1.20, and Lichen China Ltd (NASDAQ:LICN) dropped 38.92% to 1.02 at the close.
Market internals and notable price action
Advancing issues outpaced decliners on the New York Stock Exchange, where 1,819 shares rose and 939 declined; 72 issues finished unchanged. On the Nasdaq, 2,257 shares advanced while 1,121 declined, and 165 ended the session flat.
Moderna's shares reached 52-week highs, rising 12.62% or 7.54 to 67.29. Several smaller issues moved to record lows: PS International Group Ltd dropped to all-time lows after losing 87.71% or 10.35 to 1.45, and Creative Medical Technology Holdings Inc fell to all-time lows down 40.00% or 0.80 to 1.20.
Volatility, commodities and currencies
The CBOE Volatility Index - the gauge of implied volatility on S&P 500 options - eased 2.70% to 18.38. In commodities trading, Gold futures for August delivery were up 0.92% or 37.10 to $4,084.70 per troy ounce. Crude oil prices moved lower: August delivery for U.S. crude fell 2.86% or 2.06 to $69.86 a barrel, while the September Brent contract dropped 3.10% or 2.34 to $73.16 a barrel.
In currency markets, the euro against the dollar (EUR/USD) was essentially unchanged, moving 0.18% to 1.14, while the yen (USD/JPY) eased 0.03% to 161.74. The U.S. Dollar Index Futures declined 0.10% to 101.10.
Additional notes
An advertisement segment on the trading platform referenced a Fair Value calculator aimed at assessing whether Caterpillar Inc (CAT) represented a bargain, describing a valuation tool that combines multiple industry models. The article's market data and individual stock movements reflect the session's closing prices and totals.