Stocks Slip as Healthcare Woes Offset Tech Earnings Boost

United States stocks closed lower today, giving up their early gains, with the Standard and Poor’s five hundred index falling by zero point four percent, the Dow Jones Industrial Average losing zero point seven percent, and the Nasdaq Composite slipping by less than zero point one percent, according to CTPost. The session was weighed down primarily by declines in large health care companies. Recent blockbuster earnings from technology giants Microsoft and Meta provided some support—Microsoft’s stock saw a sharp rise after its earnings beat, powered by Azure cloud growth, according to commentary from Tower Bridge Advisors—but overall, selling pressure was dominant into the close. Sector-wise, health care led decliners, while technology stocks were relatively resilient thanks to strong company reports, as noted by Investor’s Business Daily.Among actively traded stocks, Microsoft and Meta were some of the most in-focus names, following their earnings results and with investors continuing to speculate on the artificial intelligence boom. Other notable movers included Nvidia, which remains a barometer for artificial intelligence sentiment, and health care majors that dragged indexes lower. According to tipranks dot com, some of the biggest percentage losers were in traditional defensive sectors like health care and utilities, while leading gainers were concentrated in areas tied to digital innovation.On the economic front, the latest data showed the core personal consumption expenditures price index rising to two point five percent year-over-year, a sign inflation is cooling but still slightly above forecasts, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The United States economy grew three percent in the second quarter thanks to stronger consumer spending and lower imports, suggesting resilience as reported today by Tower Bridge Advisors.Looking forward, futures traded modestly higher in the after-hours on continued optimism for technology earnings and as listeners eye tomorrow’s closely watched United States employment report, which is expected to be a major market catalyst. Key events for tomorrow include the release of the jobs report and several important earnings reports from big technology and consumer brands. The primary catalysts to watch remain further earnings surprises, any unexpected moves in interest rates by the Federal Reserve, and fresh developments from Washington on potential tariffs or spending packages.Thank you for tuning in, and please remember to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.For great deals check out https://amzn.to/403yeYoThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI