US markets open mixed as tech stocks provide support amidst broader weakness

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 71.73 points, or 0.16%, to 45,493.50, while the S&P 500 dipped 0.03% to 6,479.70. The Nasdaq managed a slight gain, rising 0.11% to 21,614.45, as technology shares helped offset declines in industrial and cyclical sectors

US stocks opened mixed on Thursday, with tech and growth names providing modest support amid broader weakness. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 71.73 points, or 0.16%, to 45,493.50, while the S&P 500 dipped 0.03% to 6,479.70. The Nasdaq managed a slight gain, rising 0.11% to 21,614.45, as technology shares helped offset declines in industrial and cyclical sectors

Top market movers included HP Inc, which surged 4.78% to $28.40, Datadog up 4.09% at $137.12, and Agilent Technologies rising 3.41% to $122.74. Broadcom added 2.54% to $307.87, Micron Technology gained 2.38% to $120.56, and Norwegian Cruise Line climbed 2.17% to $25.42. Other notable winners included Norfolk Southern, Brown-Forman, GE Vernova, Coinbase, Trade Desk, and NetApp, all advancing more than 1.7%.

On the downside, Hormel Foods fell 17.82% to $23.85 and Cooper Companies dropped 14.78% to $63.15. Dollar General lost 3.50% at $107.31, with Conagra Brands, Albemarle, Tyson Foods, Old Dominion Freight Line, Dexcom, Biogen, Johnson & Johnson, Solventum, and Cboe Global posting smaller declines.

Sector performance was mixed. Technology is leading the gains, up 0.37% to 5,306.36, followed by communication services rising 0.42% and consumer discretionary adding 0.29%. Industrials and financials edged higher, while defensive sectors lagged. Health care slipped 0.59%, consumer staples fell 0.47%, energy dropped 0.43%, utilities declined 0.32%, materials were down 0.15%, and real estate slipped 0.20%.

Commodities were mixed, with gold up 0.39% to $3,462.20 an ounce and silver gaining 1.13% to $39.15. Copper inched 0.42% higher to $4.44 per pound, while oil softened slightly to $64.05 a barrel. Agricultural commodities were broadly weaker, with wheat down 0.57%, corn off 0.18%, and soybeans unchanged.

Treasury yields were mostly steady, with the 10-year note at 4.238%. The US dollar weakened, pushing the euro to 1.166, while the Australian dollar rose 0.31%, and the yen, Canadian dollar, and Swedish krona softened. Volatility eased, with the VIX down 4.18% to 14.23, signaling calmer investor sentiment.

At open it was reported that Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook sued President Donald Trump on Thursday to contest his move to fire her. The suit also names Fed Chairman Jerome Powell as well as the board of governors itself as defendants.

After seeing selling in pre-market hours, US chipmaker NVIDIA opened flat.

Asian and European markets mixed

European markets were also trading mixed. France’s CAC 40 climbed 0.49% to 7,782.05 and Germany’s DAX rose 0.17% to 24,086.47. Italy’s FTSE MIB added 0.18% to 42,426.98, and Spain’s IBEX 35 inched up 0.11% to 15,037.20. Meanwhile, the U.K.’s FTSE 100 fell 0.45% to 9,213.99, and the broader STOXX Europe 600 slipped 0.16% to 553.89, reflecting a mixed tone across the region.

Similarly, major Chinese and Japanese indexes rose while some regional markets fell. Shanghai gained 1.14% to 3,843.60 and Shenzhen jumped 2.25% to 12,571.37, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped 0.81% to 24,998.82. Japan’s Nikkei 225 advanced 0.73% to 42,828.79, South Korea’s Kospi edged up 0.29% to 3,196.32, and Australia’s ASX 200 added 0.22% to 8,980. In contrast, India’s Nifty 50 fell 0.85% to 24,500.9 and Taiwan’s index dropped 1.16% to 24,236.45.

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