US markets end mostly lower on Friday

23 Oct 2021 Evaluate

The US markets ended mostly lower on Friday the tech-heavy Nasdaq moved to the downside, while the Dow reached a new record closing high. Weakness on Wall Street came as traders reacted to mixed earnings news from several big-name companies. A steep drop by Intel (INTC) weighed on the Nasdaq, with the semiconductor giant plunging by 11.7 percent after ending the previous session at its best closing level in three months. Intel came under pressure after reporting quarter earnings that beat estimates but weaker than expected sales. The company also warned of lower profit margins over the next few years. Snapchat parent Snap (SNAP) also saw substantial weakness after reporting mixed third quarter results and warning changes to Apple's iOS privacy rules will lead to slower growth.

On the other hand, a rally by shares of American Express (AXP) contributed to the uptick by the Dow, with the financial services giant jumping by 5.5 percent after reporting third quarter results that exceeded expectations on both the top and bottom lines. However, overall trading activity was somewhat subdued with a lack of major U.S. economic data keeping some traders on the sidelines. On the sectoral front, Snap led a sell-off in the internet sector, resulting in a 3.2 percent nosedive by the Dow Jones U.S. Internet Index. Substantial weakness was also visible among airline stocks, as reflected by the 1.9 percent slump by the NYSE Arca Airline Index. Meanwhile, banking stocks showed a strong move to the upside, driving the KBW Bank Index up by 1.5 percent.

Nasdaq declined 125.50 points or 0.82 percent to 15,090.20 and S&P 500 was down by 4.88 points or 0.11 percent to 4,544.90, while Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 73.94 points or 0.21 percent to 35,677.02.

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