US markets close mostly in red on Friday

15 Aug 2020 Evaluate

The US markets ended choppy trading session mostly in red in Friday as traders seemed reluctant to make more significant moves amid uncertainty about the near-term outlook for the markets. With earnings season largely in the rear-view mirror and talks about a new coronavirus relief bill at a stalemate, traders may be unsure about the next catalyst to drive the markets. Traders also digested a slew of US economic data, including a report from the Commerce Department showing retail sales jumped by less than expected in July amid a pullback in auto sales. The Commerce Department said retail sales advanced by 1.2 percent in July after soaring by an upwardly revised 8.4 percent in June. Street had expected retail sales to jump by 1.9 percent compared to the 7.5 percent spike originally reported for the previous month. Excluding sales by motor vehicle and parts dealers, retail sales surged up by 1.9 percent in July after skyrocketing by 8.3 percent in June. Ex-auto sales were expected to increase by 1.3 percent.

Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve released a report showing a jump in US industrial production in the month of July that matched street estimates. The Fed said industrial production surged up by 3.0 percent in July after soaring by an upwardly revised 5.7 percent in June. Street had expected production to jump by 3.0 percent compared to the 5.4 percent spike originally reported for the previous month. Despite the substantial increases seen over the past two months, the Fed noted production is still 8.4 percent below its pre-pandemic February level. A preliminary reading released by the University of Michigan unexpectedly showed a slight improvement in U.S. consumer sentiment in the month of August. The report said the consumer sentiment index inched up to 72.8 in August from 72.5 in July. The uptick surprised street, who had expected the index to edge down to 72.0.

Nasdaq slipped 23.20 points or 0.21 percent 11,019.30 and S&P 500 was down by 0.58 points or 0.02 percent to 3,372.85, while Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 34.30 points 0.12 percent to 27,931.02.

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