Tech stocks were higher late Wednesday afternoon, with the State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) rising 0.6% and the State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) up 0.1%.
The Philadelphia Semiconductor index shed 0.7%.
In corporate news, Microsoft-backed (MSFT) OpenAI's ChatGPT is nearing 1 billion weekly active users, The Information reported. OpenAI originally targeted to hit the milestone by the end of last year, the report said. Microsoft shares were up 1.3%.
Energy stocks were lower late Tuesday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index down 0.7% and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) dropping 1%.The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index shed 2.8%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index was fractionally higher.President Donald Trump said talks with Iran were continuing and again threatened to destroy Iranian bridges and power plants if no deal is made, CNN reported. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, said Tehran was not negotiating with the US but added that "intermediaries may convey messages from the American side to us regarding ongoing developments in the region," Al Jazeera reported.Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell 4.4% to $79.02 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract dropped 5.1% to $83.89 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures declined 4.2% to $2.65 per 1 million BTU.In corporate news, ExxonMobil (XOM) offers limited upside following its recent share-price gains, while Chevron (CVX) presents a stronger medium-term setup, BofA Securities said in a Tuesday note. BofA lowered its rating on ExxonMobil to neutral from buy while raising its price target to $158 from $154. BofA kept its buy rating on Chevron and increased its price target to $227 from $210. ExxonMobil shares shed 0.7%, and Chevron was down 0.8%.HF Sinclair (DINO) reported higher Q2 adjusted earnings and revenue, and raised its quarterly dividend. Separately, HF Sinclair said it plans to separate its Lubricants and Specialties segment into an independent publicly traded company. HF Sinclair shares were down 1.1%.CenterPoint Energy (CNP) shares rose 0.7% after its Q2 non-GAAP earnings and revenue rose year on year and beat analysts' estimates.TotalEnergies (TTE) said Tuesday that it and partner Eni (E) reached a final investment decision to develop the Cronos gas field offshore Cyprus, marking the country's first gas development project. TotalEnergies shares added 0.1%, and Eni were easing 0.4%.
Financial stocks rose in late Tuesday afternoon trading with the NYSE Financial Index advancing 0.7% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) gaining 1.1%.The Philadelphia Housing Index climbed 1.5%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) added 1.1%.Bitcoin (BTC-USD) increased 0.1% to $63,726, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries fell 3.7 basis points to 4.604%.In economic news, the Conference Board's measure of consumer confidence decreased to 90.8 in July from 92.2 in June, below the 92.4 expected in a Bloomberg-compiled survey.The Case-Shiller National Home Price Index rose 0.6% in May, after a 0.8% increase in April, before seasonal adjustment. National home prices were up 1.1% year-over-year, up from 0.9% in April.In corporate news, Visa (V) plans to trim around 2,600 jobs as part of CEO Ryan McInerney's plan to streamline operations. The cuts, representing 7% of its workforce, will mainly affect technology and product teams. Visa shares rose 1.9%.PayPal (PYPL) raised its full-year adjusted earnings guidance after reporting Q2 results above consensus estimates. Its shares gained 4.5%.Brookfield Asset Management (BAM) plans to focus renewable energy investments in India on states with stronger power grids as transmission constraints limit wind and solar generation elsewhere, Bloomberg reported Tuesday. Brookfield shares added 0.9%.State Street (STT) said Tuesday it reached a preliminary deal to buy a securities services joint venture operating in Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia from Santander (SAN) and Caceis. The targeted business manages about $470 billion in assets under custody alongside $225 billion in assets under administration, the company said. State Street shares were down 1.1%, and Santander was shedding 0.2%.
Healthcare stocks were higher late Tuesday afternoon, with the NYSE Healthcare Index rising 2.3% and the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) adding 2.4%.The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was up 0.8%.In corporate news, Iqvia (IQV) shares surged 13% after it reported a year-over-year increase in Q2 adjusted earnings and revenue. The company also raised its 2026 outlook.GSK (GSK) shares advanced 3.3% after it posted higher Q2 core earnings and sales that also beat analysts' estimates. Separately, GSK licensor Hansoh's phase 3 trial of risvutatug rezetecan to treat osteosarcoma, the most common primary bone cancer, achieved its primary endpoint in progression-free survival, GSK said Tuesday.Seer (SEER) shareholders Bradley Radoff and Michael Torok said Tuesday they have submitted their fourth non-binding proposal to buy the company, raising their offer to $2.55 per share in cash. Seer shares jumped past 9%.Zimmer Biomet (ZBH) shares climbed 3.7% after UBS upgraded the stock to buy from sell, and raised the price target to $115 from $89.