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Stocks Fall Pre-Bell as Chip Sell-Off Continues

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Stocks Fall Pre-Bell as Chip Sell-Off Continues

The benchmark US stock measures were pointing lower before the open Friday as a sell-off in semiconductor shares continued to weigh on market sentiment.

The S&P 500 declined 0.9%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was off 0.7% and the Nasdaq fell 1.8% in premarket activity. The indexes finished the previous trading session in the red.

Shares of tech bellwether and chipmaking giant Nvidia (NVDA) decreased 2.5% pre-bell, while Micron Technology (MU) edged down 0.4% following a 5.7% drop at the close of Thursday. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) fell 2.7%, while Intel (INTC) moved down 3.3%. SanDisk (SNDK) fell 1.3% before the bell after closing the previous session down 12.6%. Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) slipped 3.3%.

Streaming giant Netflix (NFLX) tanked 9.5% as it reported second-quarter revenue below Wall Street's estimates. Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) slumped 12% as growth of the company's da Vinci robotic surgery system in the US moderated amid changes in Affordable Care Act subsidies.

SpaceX (SPCX) declined 2.7% after Chief Executive Elon Musk said in a social media post that a planned Starship test flight was aborted after some engines failed to start.

The US Central Command said Thursday its forces completed the latest major wave of strikes against Iran. Tehran reportedly said Friday it expanded its attacks in the Middle East by targeting US military forces in Syria and Bahrain.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 2.2% to $80.68 a barrel before the opening bell, while Brent gained 1.9% to $85.84.

Treasury yields were trending downwards in premarket action, with the two-year rate retreating 3.4 basis points to 4.12% and the 10-year rate falling 4.4 basis points to 4.53%.

Friday's economic calendar has the housing starts and permits data for June at 8:30 am ET, along with the import and export prices report for the same month. The industrial production report for June is out at 9:15 am, followed by the preliminary University of Michigan's consumer sentiment report for July at 10 am.

The weekly Baker Hughes oil-and-gas rig count is out at 1 pm.

US retail sales edged higher in June despite lower gasoline prices that drove a sharp decline in gas station receipts, official data showed Thursday.

Travelers (TRV), Truist Financial (TFC), Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB), Regions Financial (RF) and Autoliv (ALV) are scheduled to release their latest financial results before the bell.

Gold ticked up 0.2% to $4,001 per troy ounce, while bitcoin declined 1.8% to $63,024.

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