Stock Markets July 23, 2026 04:30 PM

U.S. Shares Slip as Consumer Goods, Telecoms and Services Weigh on Market Close

Dow ends down nearly 1% while Nasdaq posts larger losses as commodities and volatility rise

By Derek Hwang
Share
Twitter Reddit Facebook LinkedIn
HON MRK AMGN AMZN CRM

U.S. equities finished lower on Thursday, pressured by declines in the Consumer Goods, Telecoms and Consumer Services sectors. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.97%, the S&P 500 dropped 1.21% and the Nasdaq Composite declined 2.15%. Market breadth favored decliners on both the NYSE and Nasdaq, while volatility and energy prices climbed and gold futures fell.

U.S. Shares Slip as Consumer Goods, Telecoms and Services Weigh on Market Close
HON MRK AMGN AMZN CRM
Summarize with
ChatGPT Perplexity Claude Grok Gemini

Key Points

  • Major U.S. indexes fell: the Dow declined 0.97%, the S&P 500 dropped 1.21% and the Nasdaq slid 2.15%, led by losses in Consumer Goods, Telecoms and Consumer Services.
  • Individual winners included Honeywell (HON), Merck (MRK) and Amgen (AMGN); large declines included Amazon (AMZN), Salesforce (CRM) and Disney (DIS).
  • Volatility rose as the VIX increased 12.38% to 18.70; commodities diverged with gold down and crude oil and Brent rising sharply.

U.S. equities ended Thursday's session with broad-based weakness, led by losses in Consumer Goods, Telecoms and Consumer Services sectors that pushed major indexes lower.

At the New York Stock Exchange close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.97%. The S&P 500 finished the day off 1.21%, and the Nasdaq Composite lost 2.15%.


Notable movers on the Dow

Among the 30 components of the Dow, Honeywell International Inc (HON) was the top performer, climbing 5.70% or 13.28 points to finish at 246.27. Merck & Company Inc (MRK) also advanced, rising 2.36% or 3.01 points to close at 130.48, and Amgen Inc (AMGN) gained 1.48% or 5.43 points to end the session at 371.48.

On the downside, Amazon.com Inc (AMZN) fell 4.57% or 11.19 points to 233.66. Salesforce Inc (CRM) dropped 3.73% or 6.08 points to 156.92, and Walt Disney Company (DIS) declined 3.13% or 3.00 points to finish at 92.87.


S&P 500 leaders and laggards

The largest gains among S&P 500 constituents included Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT), which rose 10.54% to 568.59; Allegion PLC (ALLE), up 10.45% to 154.57; and United Rentals Inc (URI), which gained 10.11% to close at 1,139.71.

Significant declines on the S&P included Tesla Inc (TSLA), which fell 14.53% to 319.67; T-Mobile US Inc (TMUS), down 10.75% to 170.42; and Molina Healthcare Inc (MOH), which lost 9.67% to finish at 200.29.


Nasdaq extremes

On the Nasdaq Composite, several small-cap names recorded pronounced moves. Lucas GC Ltd (LGCL) surged 84.97% to 1.76, NVE Corporation (NVEC) jumped 54.86% to 134.23, and Eshallgo Inc (EHGO) rose 53.41% to 2.70.

Conversely, China SXT Pharmaceuticals Inc (SXTC) plunged 83.53% to 0.33, Zhongchao Inc (ZCMD) dropped 59.67% to 1.73, and Leslies Inc (LESL) fell 44.81% to 1.33.


Market breadth and notable highs and lows

Decliners outpaced advancers on the NYSE by 1,928 to 806, with 67 stocks unchanged. On the Nasdaq, 2,265 stocks fell, 1,123 advanced and 172 were unchanged.

United Rentals (URI) reached an all-time high, advancing 10.11% or 104.65 to 1,139.71. Merck (MRK) climbed to a 52-week high, rising 2.36% to 130.48. China SXT Pharmaceuticals (SXTC) fell to an all-time low, losing 83.53% to 0.33, while NVE Corporation (NVEC) rose to a five-year high, up 54.86% to 134.23.


Volatility, commodities and currencies

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), which tracks implied volatility of S&P 500 options, rose 12.38% to 18.70.

In commodities, Gold Futures for August delivery declined 2.41% or 100.20 to $4,051.70 a troy ounce. Crude oil for September delivery increased 5.83% or 5.06 to $91.89 a barrel, and the September Brent contract rose 6.53% or 6.14 to trade at $100.21 a barrel.

On the currency front, EUR/USD was reported unchanged at 0.28% to 1.14, while USD/JPY rose 0.42% to 163.83. The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.30% at 101.26.


Context and closing observations

Thursday's session closed with broader weakness across major U.S. indexes and marked volatility in select stocks and commodities. The rise in the VIX alongside increased oil prices and a slide in gold underscores divergent moves across asset classes as investors adjusted positions into the close.

Risks

  • Elevated market volatility, evidenced by a 12.38% rise in the VIX, may increase near-term trading risk for equity sectors tied to market sentiment, including Consumer Services and Technology.
  • Large swings in individual names and small-cap stocks on the Nasdaq introduce liquidity and concentration risks for investors focused on those segments.
  • Rising oil prices and falling gold could signal cross-asset reallocation pressures that affect energy, materials and defensive sectors differently.

More from Stock Markets

Nikkei Drops Over 2% as AI Spending Concerns Trigger Tech Sell-Off Jul 23, 2026 Scribe Therapeutics Prices IPO at $15, Raising About $128.7 Million Before Fees Jul 23, 2026 SpaceX pushes Starship's 13th test flight to Friday due to poor visibility at Starbase Jul 23, 2026 China’s AI Buildout: From Chips to Cloud, Markets Price a Multi-Year Push Jul 23, 2026 ASX CFO Andrew Tobin to retire as exchange completes CEO search Jul 23, 2026