US open: Stocks mixed amid easing oil prices, fresh economic data
By Iain Gilbert
Date: Friday 24 Jul 2026
(Sharecast News) - Wall Street trading got off to a mixed start on Friday following a bruising session a day earlier.
As of 1510 BST, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.19% at 51,811.23, while the S&P 500 advanced 0.13% to 7,417.57 and the Nasdaq Composite came out of the gate 0.13% lower at 25,104.35.
The Dow opned 99.58 points higher on Friday, taking a bite out of losses recorded in the previous session as disappointing corporate updates and surging oil prices hammered sentiment.
Oil prices were in focus again at the open on Friday, with Brent crude briefly breaking above $100 a barrel for the first time since late May before later dropping 2.61% to $98.06 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate was also down 1.81% at $90.52 a barrel. US Treasury yields also headed south on Friday after briefly topping 4.7% in the prior session - the highest level seen since January 2025.
Donald Trump said he was close to deciding whether to launch what he described as a "massive" strike on Iran, after the conflict in the Middle East spilled further into the Red Sea. Speaking to Axios, Trump said any potential action would exceed the scale of previous operations and argued that Iran had not "received enough pain yet".
"I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it," he said. US forces have continued to hit Iranian targets, with Central Command carrying out a 13th straight night of strikes on Thursday.
On the macro front, a preliminary reading of S&P Global's US manufacturing purchasing managers index slipped to 53.8 in July from 53.9 in June, coming in below expectations for a reading of 54.3 but still hovering near its strongest levels in more than four years. Elsewhere, the services PMI accelerated to 53.6, up from 51.2 in June, while the composite PMI also rose to 53.6, up from 51.9, its highest reading since November and signalling a firmer rebound in private‑sector activity after near‑stagnation in March.
Elsewhere, US new home sales ticked higher in June, according to the Census Bureau, rising at an annualised pace of 628,000, up 1.6% on May but down 5.6% year-on-year. Inventory edged lower, with 485,000 new houses for sale at the end of June, a touch below May's 486,000 and 3.2% under the June 2025 tally. Pricing softened over the month, with the median sales price falling 3.3% to $398,300, while the average price dropped 9.5% to $475,400. Both measures were also lower year‑on‑year, down 2.7% and 6.5%, respectively.
In the corporate space, American Express traded lower after posting second‑quarter earnings that came in ahead of expectations but delivered a slight revenue miss. Diluted earnings per share came in at $4.53, topping the $4.40 consensus, while revenue excluding interest expense rose 10% year‑on‑year to $19.64bn - just shy of forecasts for $19.69bn. Net income increased to $3.1bn from $2.9bn a year earlier, with Amex citing stronger Card Member spending, higher net interest income from larger balances and continued growth in fee income.
Verizon, meanwhile, traded higher after the telecommunications group reported second‑quarter earnings that beat expectations and raised full‑year guidance, offsetting a small revenue miss. Adjusted EPS came in at $1.30 versus the $1.28 consensus, while revenues slipped 0.7% year‑on‑year to $34.3bn, below forecasts for $35.28bn. Verizon said the decline was driven by weaker equipment revenues amid longer device‑replacement cycles and reduced handset‑subsidy promotions.
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com
Dow Jones - Risers
Amgen Inc. (AMGN) $376.70 3.79%
Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) $44.79 3.53%
Salesforce.Com Inc. (CRM) $161.48 2.56%
International Business Machines Corporation (CDI) (IBM) $209.62 2.20%
Travelers Company Inc. (TRV) $382.89 2.17%
Walt Disney Co. (DIS) $94.51 1.89%
Apple Inc. (AAPL) $327.02 1.72%
3M Co. (MMM) $171.44 1.12%
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) $262.40 1.01%
Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) $130.99 0.64%
Dow Jones - Fallers
American Express Co. (AXP) $322.33 -5.82%
Intel Corp. (INTC) $97.02 -4.29%
Dow Chemical Co. (DOW) $29.51 -3.11%
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) $381.50 -1.98%
Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) $146.35 -0.52%
Home Depot Inc. (HD) $325.79 -0.15%
Unitedhealth Group Inc. (UNH) $423.34 -0.14%
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) $1,069.62 -0.04%
S&P 500 - Risers
Digital Realty Trust (DLR) $199.99 12.18%
Schlumberger Ltd. (SLB) $51.28 7.84%
Universal Health Services Inc. (UHS) $160.43 5.75%
Equinix, Inc. (EQIX) $1,090.50 5.53%
Iron Mountain Inc (New) (IRM) $130.28 5.25%
VeriSign Inc. (VRSN) $276.83 5.24%
Edwards Lifesciences Corp. (EW) $87.94 5.05%
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. (CTSH) $44.22 4.68%
Stanley Black & Decker Inc. (SWK) $91.10 4.60%
Amgen Inc. (AMGN) $376.70 3.79%
S&P 500 - Fallers
Coterra Energy Inc. (CTRA) $32.56 -8.62%
CH Robinson Worldwide Inc (CHRW) $189.89 -7.79%
American Express Co. (AXP) $322.33 -5.82%
Western Digital Corp. (WDC) $533.42 -5.26%
Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) $22.21 -5.25%
Akamai Technologies Inc. (AKAM) $116.61 -4.66%
Intel Corp. (INTC) $97.02 -4.29%
Seagate Technology Plc (STX) $883.49 -3.91%
Micron Technology Inc. (MU) $939.73 -3.89%
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) $525.29 -3.53%
Nasdaq 100 - Risers
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. (CTSH) $44.22 4.68%
Amgen Inc. (AMGN) $376.70 3.79%
Autodesk Inc. (ADSK) $209.76 3.44%
Incyte Corp. (INCY) $118.38 3.01%
Biogen Inc (BIIB) $201.80 2.73%
Intuit Inc. (INTU) $290.18 2.47%
American Airlines Group (AAL) $14.03 2.43%
Fastenal Co. (FAST) $46.53 2.41%
Verisk Analytics Inc. (VRSK) $196.43 2.33%
Sirius XM Holdings Inc (SIRI) $30.08 2.21%
Nasdaq 100 - Fallers
Qvc Group Inc Series A (QVCGA) $0.34 -13.49%
Tesla Inc (TSLA) $315.90 -5.32%
Western Digital Corp. (WDC) $533.42 -5.26%
Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) $22.21 -5.25%
Liberty Global plc Series A (LBTYA) $9.84 -4.30%
Intel Corp. (INTC) $97.02 -4.29%
Seagate Technology Plc (STX) $883.49 -3.91%
Micron Technology Inc. (MU) $939.73 -3.89%
Liberty Global plc Series C (LBTYK) $9.60 -3.51%
Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) $383.02 -3.01%
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