US markets end mostly higher on Friday

U.S. markets ended mostly higher on Friday as gains in the Telecoms, Financials and Healthcare sectors led shares higher. Investors also assessed the latest developments regarding the Middle East conflict. Traders took support with a report released by the Commerce Department showed new home sales in the U.S. rebounded in the month of June after falling sharply in the previous month. The Commerce Department said sales of new single-family homes in the US increased 1.6% month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 628 thousand in June 2026, following a revised 4.3% drop to 618 thousand in May and compared to forecasts of 610 thousand. The increase, the first in three months, likely reflected continued discounting by builders, who have been offering incentives and reducing prices to support demand amid challenging market conditions. Sales rose in the South (9.9% to 412 thousand), the Northeast (3.6% to 29 thousand), and the Midwest (2.5% to 83 thousand), but fell 22.4% to 104 thousand in the West.

On the sectoral front, semiconductor stocks showed a substantial move to the downside on the day, resulting in a 4.3 percent nosedive by the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index. Intel (INTC) led the sector lower, with the chipmaker plunging by 7.9 percent despite reporting second quarter results that exceeded estimates and providing upbeat third quarter guidance.

Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 235.6 points or 0.46 percent to 51,947.25, S&P 500 increased 3.68 points or 0.05 percent to 7,411.98, while Nasdaq fell 161.86 points or 0.64 percent to 24,975.82.