US Stock Markets: Brief Respite After Soaring

The U.S. stock markets experienced a slight decline after the major indices had reached record levels earlier in the week. The S&P 500 fell by 0.3%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.4%, and the Nasdaq Composite also dropped by 0.3%. Despite a better-than-expected earnings report, Micron Technology had to take a setback after the stock had already gained impressively throughout the year. Meanwhile, construction companies recorded gains thanks to a promising report on new home sales. Since their low point in April, stock prices have recovered rapidly in recent months. On Wednesday, the S&P 500 fell by 18.95 points to 6,637.97. The Dow Jones Industrial Average decreased by 171.50 points to 46,121.28, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped by 75.62 points to 22,497.86. The Russell 2000 Index, which includes smaller companies, lost 22.53 points, ending at 2,434.98. Throughout the week, the S&P 500 shows a decrease of 26.39 points, the Dow a decline of 193.99 points. The Nasdaq is down by 133.62 points, and the Russell 2000 lost 13.79 points. However, the overall year-to-date performance remains positive: the S&P 500 increased by 12.9%, the Dow by 8.4%, the Nasdaq rose by 16.5%, and the Russell 2000 recorded a gain of 9.2%.