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US equity markets mixed to close out a strong week as Wall Street tempered its rate-cut hopes following the latest inflation and retail sales data   - Dow added +35-points or +0.08% to 44,946.12, logging its first record intra-day high (45,203.52) since December in the opening minutes of last Friday’s (15 August) session. UnitedHealth Group Inc jumped +11.98% after filings released after the close of the previous session with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recorded that Berkshire Hathaway Inc took a new positions in the health insurer.   Cisco Systems Inc (down -4.47%) was the worst performing Dow component, with HSBC downgrading the networking giant to a ‘hold’ recommendation from ‘buy’ following the company’s fiscal fourth quarter result a day earlier.

US equity markets settled little changed, paring earlier declines that came following wholesale inflation data that revived some concerns about tariffs inducing price pressures - Dow slipped -11-points or -0.02%, paring an earlier decline of more than >200-points. 3M Co -2.22% Amazon.com Inc +2.86%

President Trump overnight warned there would be "very severe consequences" if Russian president Vladimir Putin failed to agree to a ceasefire agreement at their meeting in Alaska tonight AEST. President Trump also said he hoped to use the Friday meeting to set up a "quick second meeting" with Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

US equity markets settled with modest losses as investors digested the latest monetary policy pronouncements from the Federal Reserve and eyed results after the closing bell from two of the so-called ‘Magnificent Seven’ cohort of mega-capitalisation technology companies - Dow fell -172-points or -0.38% , with 3M Co (down -3.41%) the worst performer in the 30-stock index. Procter & Gamble Co lost -2.38% after the company posted better-than-expected fourth quarter results after the close of the previous session and named Shailesh Jejurikar as its new chief executive. Nvidia Corp (up +2.14%) was the leading Dow component overnight.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq pulled back from record highs as investors waded through a fresh round of corporate earnings releases and eyed the Federal Reserve’s latest interest rate tomorrow morning AEST (31 July) - Dow fell -205-points or -0.46%

US equity markets logged modest gains as investors continued to monitor trade headlines ahead of key inflation data and the beginning of second quarter earnings season tonight AEST - Dow rose +88-points or +0.20%

US equity markets fell as the Israel-Iran conflict continued to dominate investor sentiment and drive volatility and a fresh spike in oil prices - Dow lost -299-points or -0.70%. Merck & Co Inc (down -3.31%) and Nike Inc (-3.07%) both fell over >3%. Amazon.com Inc (down -0.59%) said its Prime Day discount event for Prime members next month will extend to four days (8 July-11 July).

US equity markets rebounded amid reports that Iran is willing to negotiate over its nuclear program in an effort to contain the conflict with Israel - Dow rose +317-points or +0.75%, with American Express Co (+2.23%), Cisco Systems Inc (+2.22%), investment banks Goldman Sachs Group Inc (+2.33%) and JPMorgan Chase & Co (+2.04%), Nike Inc (+2.26%), and Salesforce Inc (+2.12%) Microsoft Corp +0.88% touched a record all-time intra-day high of US$480.69

US equity markets retreated on Friday (13 June) after Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on Iran and its nuclear facilities, pushing oil prices sharply higher - Dow dropped -770-points or -1.79% Sherwin-Williams Co -5.7% was the worst performer in the 30-stock index, with analysts at Citigroup cutting their recommendation on the stock to "neutral" from "buy," indicating that the persistence of high mortgage rates and softness in the housing market could weigh on the paint distributor's performance in the near term. Visa Inc fell -4.99% and American Express Co -3.42% after a report in The Wall Street Journal indicated that Walmart Inc (-0.41) and Amazon.com Inc (-0.53%) are considering issuing their own stablecoins, a move that could help the retail giants sidestep the interchange fees charged by credit-card providers. Nike Inc (-3.61%) and Salesforce Inc (-3.19%) also fell over >3%.