Markets News | Aug. 15, 2025 Dow Nears Record High as S&P 500, Nasdaq Slip; Major Indexes Log Second Straight Weekly Gain

U.S. stocks ended mixed Friday as investors took a breather following weeks of record-setting gains.

• Dow Jones (DJI) added 0.1%, lifted by a 12% surge in UnitedHealth (UNH) after news that Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway had taken a stake. The index closed just 68 points shy of an all-time high.

• S&P 500 (SPX) slipped 0.3% after three straight record closes, while the Nasdaq (IXIC) fell 0.4%. For the week, all three indexes posted gains: Dow +1.7%, S&P 500 and Nasdaq nearly +1%.

Fed in Focus: Investors await Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s speech at next week’s Jackson Hole Symposium. Mixed inflation data has kept rate-cut expectations alive.

Semiconductors Slide:

• Applied Materials (AMAT) sank 14% on a weak outlook.

• KLA (KLAC) -8%, Lam Research (LRCX) -7%.

• SOX Index dropped over 2%.

• Intel (INTC) bucked the trend, +3% on reports of possible U.S. government investment.

Mega-Cap Tech Mixed:

• Tesla (TSLA) -1.5%, Microsoft (MSFT) and Apple (AAPL) slightly lower.

• Alphabet (GOOG), Amazon (AMZN), Meta (META) edged higher.

• Nvidia (NVDA) -0.9%, Broadcom (AVGO) -1.6%.

Health Insurers Rally:

• Centene (CNC) +6%, Molina (MOH) +5%, Elevance (ELV) +5%.

Other Markets:

• Bitcoin $117,300, down from Thursday’s $124,500 record.

• Dollar Index (DXY) -0.4% to 97.85, a three-week low.

• 10-year Treasury yield up to 4.32%.

• WTI crude -1.3% to $63.15, lowest since June.

• Gold steady at $3,380/oz.